Friday needs a burst of extra magic. It needs a kick, a push, a feeling to wake me up today. I’m feeling very low energy today. A little achy, a little worn out, a little blah and blue. But, I’m turning the music up loud and soaking in all its electricity. Today will not get the best of me.
What does your Friday need today?
Give Me Five – May 7, 2021
You can listen and follow along with May’s Give Me Five at Spotify and YouTube
Song 1: “Typical Girls” by The Slits
“Typical girls get upset to quickly.
Typical girls can’t control themselves.
Typical girls are so confusing.
Typical girls – you can always tell.
Typical girls don’t think too clearly.
Typical girls are unpredictable .”
Somehow, I’d never really listened to The Slits until last weekend when my boyfriend was listening to them – and I sat down with him, and gave them a listen. I was immediately drawn in and thought, “damn, where have I been/where have they been, in my life?” I’m making up for lost time now, that’s for sure.
Reading an article about The Slits, and their early history, I came across this – in reference to “Typical Girls”:
“Typical Girls” was the band’s calling card — a list of gender stereotypes that are still hanging around like a bad smell. Among Ari’s chants are that Typical Girls “Don’t create… don’t rebel/have intuition… can’t decide”, and “Typical girls get upset too quickly/ Typical girls can’t control themselves/ Typical girls are so confusing”, along with the straight-up face-palm question, “Who invented the typical girl?” (source: Moo Kid Music)
Song 2: “Mouthful Of Blood” by Juliana Hatfield
“I bite my tongue.
My mouth’s full of blood.”
Juliana Hatfield is one of my favorites of all-time. Her songs, her songwriting, her music, her attitude – I’m always here for it. I listened to this song for the first time a few days ago, in the car, driving through Silverlake and it was one of those perfect place/perfect song/perfect mood moments. I’ve been thinking about the song ever since.
I feel like I’ve been biting my tongue for most of my life. Holding in so many secrets, so may things I felt silenced about. I’m surprised I haven’t capsized and drown with all that blood in my mouth.
To hear more Juliana Hatfield, and to help support her music, please go here.
Song 3: “The Weight” by Aretha Franklin
“Take the load off Fanny,
take the load for free
Take the load off Fanny and hey, yeah,
put the weight on me.”
I love a good cover song – which comes as no shock to anyone. This is my pick for the cover song I’m digging on the most today.
This whole album of Aretha’s, This Girl’s In Love With You, is full of delightful covers. This one is one of my favorite picks from it.
Song 4: “Wildflowers” by The Wailin’ Jennys
“Sail away,
go find a lover.
Go away somewhere bright and new.
I’d see no other,
that compares with you.”
Another cover I’ve recently fallen in love with. One of my favorite Tom Petty songs. Also, can we just pause a moment and appreciate the name The Wailin’ Jennys? Makes me smile thinking about it – especially growing up with Waylon Jennings (and Willie Nelson) playing in our house quite a lot.
This is a lovely version of “Wildflowers”. I love the harmonies.
To hear more of The Wailin’ Jennys, and to help support their music, please go here.
Song 5: “What I Am” by Edie Brickell And The New Bohemians
“I’m not aware of too many things,
I know what I know,
if you know what I mean.”
Shooting Rubber Bands At The Stars is one of my favorite albums, from 1988. I think I wore out two cassettes of this album from playing it so much in my car that year. I’m not sure I could even pick a favorite track – it’s always changed from one to the other. Today though, I think I’d pick this one, and “Little Miss S”.
I was working at Sam Goody when this came out. My life was just starting in so many ways. I was trying to figure out “what I am” in a big way.
To hear more of Edie Brickell and of The New Bohemians, and to support the music, go here.
A bonus song – my other favorite today. It is Friday, after all – there should be a bonus.
What are your go-to Friday songs today?
For May’s Give Me Five I’m featuring Kelly Vivanco’s piece “Creekside” as the Cover Art.
