Listen Up

Here's ten songs I'm listening to today, In no particular order, with no particular connection. And sharing them for no particular reason, other than I felt like it. That's what's great about blogs, you don't have to have a reason.

1. Naked -- The BoDeans
2. Lord, I'm Discouraged -- The Hold Steady
3. No Roses, No More -- Lucero
4. I Got A Name -- Jim Croce
5. Baby, Now That I've Found You -- The Foundations
6. Love Has No Pride -- Bonnie Raitt
7. Surprise, Surprise -- Bruce Springsteen
8. Save The Last Dance for Me -- The Drifters
9. Great Expectations -- The Gaslight Anthem
10. Tangled Up Puppet - Terry Klausner

An explanation on the last one. That's a Harry Chapin song that's always made me think of my daughter, Maggie. She's hit the so-called "tween" years and has been on my mind a lot lately. I wasn't an 11 year old girl, so it's hard for me to know what she's feeling and thinking sometimes. I rely on her mother for that. But it doesn't make it any easier. The song is about a young woman coming of age and a father who feels like he missed it, trying to recapture the fleeting moments of her youth before it fades into the sunset.

I don't know why, but I've always felt like that's me with Maggie. Her life has been a blur to me. I still see her at 3 years old with pigtails, sucking her thumb with her faithful stuffed rabbit, Bun-Bun, perched on top of her head, hiding under a table when there were too many people around. Now she goes to Miley Cyrus and Jonas Brothers concerts and school dances. She's not a little girl anymore, and I often find myself wanting to yell out, "Wait! I'm not ready yet. Let her be little just a while longer."

Anyway, the song reminds me of her, particularly the line "I have watched you take shape, from a jumble of parts; And find the grace and form, of a fine work of art." That's my Maggie.

Listen up and enjoy. If you don't find something you like, I'll buy you gum.

Good things.