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Image by David Mark from Pixabay
Month: August 2019
Song Lyric Sunday | “Dream in Color” – Regina Belle
Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Dream/Lullaby/Sleep.”
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Her 1993 album, Passion, not only includes her Grammy-winning duet with Peabo Bryson, A Whole New World, from Disney’s animated film, Aladdin, but artist Regina Belle also executes the powerful Dream in Color.
The song is about having the courage to live life fully and with integrity.
FUN FACTS:
- A student at Rutgers University in the early 80s, Regina left to pursue a singing career. She returned to her studies in 2013 and received her degree as a member of the 2015 graduating class. Regina performed Dream in Color during the commencement ceremony.
- Belle is married former NBA basketball player John Battle and they have five children, three of which are adopted.
- Regina successfully battled a brain tumor in 2009. However, she is now deaf in her left ear.
Impossible to find a good video of the wonderful song so I had to settle for a static of the Passion album cover.
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Dream in Color
by Regina Belle
Songwriters: April Lang/Shelly Peiken
Ooh, hoo yeah
Mmm, hmm
Mmm, hmm
Tired of living life in black and white
There’s so much in between
Like a rainbow in the sky
Crying to be seen
There’s so much in between
Like a rainbow in the sky
Crying to be seen
When I open my eyes to find inspiration
I search for the best I can see
If I settle for less
I won’t be the best I can be
I search for the best I can see
If I settle for less
I won’t be the best I can be
When I dream, I dream in color
I want a love, not just a lover
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream, yeah, yeah
I want a love, not just a lover
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream, yeah, yeah
Life is short, but can’t be bought, mmm
And time is a very precious thing
I want to go to where I’ve never been
And see what’s never been seen
And time is a very precious thing
I want to go to where I’ve never been
And see what’s never been seen
In the midst of the morning I won’t take for granted
There’ll always be another new day
Got to live for each moment
Never let time slip away
There’ll always be another new day
Got to live for each moment
Never let time slip away
When I dream, I dream in color
I want a love, not just a lover
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream, whoa
I want a love, not just a lover
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream, whoa
If I was unaware, if I didn’t care
About people and places and things
How could I live a life full and satisfied
Now knowing how to dream
When I dream, oh, yeah
About people and places and things
How could I live a life full and satisfied
Now knowing how to dream
When I dream, oh, yeah
When I dream, I dream in color
I want a love, not just a lover
Show me a child who never has seen
A vision that shows what his life really means
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream
I want a love, not just a lover
Show me a child who never has seen
A vision that shows what his life really means
I’ll give you so many good reasons
To capture a dream
Compiled from Google, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
“…just breathe”
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Image from Pinterest
Turmoil
It’s hard being the person every one comes to for answers… and you don’t have any.
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Image from Pinterest
Song Lyric Sunday | “I’m Every Woman” – Whitney Houston
Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Songs that reference another group.”
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I’m Every Woman was the 1978 debut hit for Chaka Khan after she left the funk group, Rufus.
Whitney Houston’s 1992 cover of the song for The Bodyguard soundtrack not only mentions Chaka near the end, but she’s also featured in the official video.
FUN FACTS:
- The music video features a very pregnant Houston performing the song, while scenes from The Bodyguard are intercut into the clip. The video also features cameo appearances by Houston’s mother Cissy Houston as well as by Chaka Khan, Valerie Simpson, Martha Wash and labelmate TLC. The song won Houston a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Music Video, and received a Grammy Award nomination in 1994 for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.
- When I’m Every Woman was released, Houston’s preceding single, I Will Always Love You, was still at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 (it remained there for eight more weeks).
- Chaka’s version reached number twenty-one on the Billboard Hot 100, number one on the Hot Soul Singles,
- Houston’s version peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in just its seventh and eighth week of release; remaining in the top 40 for nineteen weeks. The song became number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, reached number five on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and cracked the top 40 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.
It’s a fun, energetic video!
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
I’m Every Woman
by Whitney Houston
Songwriters: Nicholas Ashford/Valerie Simpson
Whatever you want, whatever you need
Anything you want done, baby
I’ll do it naturally
‘Cause I’m every woman (every woman)
It’s all in me, it’s all in me, yeah!
Anything you want done, baby
I’ll do it naturally
‘Cause I’m every woman (every woman)
It’s all in me, it’s all in me, yeah!
I’m every woman, it’s all in me
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
I’m every woman, it’s all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
I can cast a spell, of secrets you can tell
Mix a special brew, put fire inside of you
Anytime you feel danger or fear
Then instantly I will appear ’cause
Mix a special brew, put fire inside of you
Anytime you feel danger or fear
Then instantly I will appear ’cause
I’m every woman, it’s all in me
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
Whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
Whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
I can sense your needs
Like rain unto the seeds
I can make a rhyme of confusion in your mind
And when it comes back to some good old-fashioned love
I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’ve got it, got it, baby, ’cause
Like rain unto the seeds
I can make a rhyme of confusion in your mind
And when it comes back to some good old-fashioned love
I’ve got it, I’ve got it, I’ve got it, got it, baby, ’cause
I’m every woman, it’s all in me
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
Anything you want done, baby, I’ll do it naturally
I’m every woman, it’s all in me
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
I can read your thoughts right now
Every one from A to Z, whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
I ain’t braggin’ ’cause I am the one
You just ask me, ooh, it shall be done
And don’t bother to compare, I’ve got it
Whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa whoa
You just ask me, ooh, it shall be done
And don’t bother to compare, I’ve got it
Whoa whoa whoa, whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa whoa
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman (Chaka Khan), I’m every woman (Chaka Khan)
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
I’m every woman (Chaka Khan), I’m every woman (Chaka Khan)
I’m every woman, I’m every woman
Compiled from Google, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
Reality Bites
I know you’re gone
I’m not Deluded
Or in Denial
Dread is a constant companion
Because I know you’re gone
And each day is more of the same
And no you
Yet , my senses come alive
When I see the things you loved
When I hear the music you loved
I get excited and can’t wait to tell you about them
Then my heart skips a beat
Because I know you’re gone
Despair and Depression grab my hands
And I’m caught in a tug-of-war
Where losing is the only option
Because I know you’re gone.
©2019 Felicia Denise, All Rights Reserved
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Image from Pinterest
Song Lyric Sunday | “Candle in the Wind” – Elton John
Song Lyric Sunday was created by Helen Vahdati from This Thing Called Life One Word at a Time and author Jim Adams from A Unique Title For Me is our current guest host. For complete rules or to join in the fun, click here.
The theme for Song Lyric Sunday this week is “Songs that includes somebody famous in it”
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Originally written in 1973 by Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Candle in the Wind was a tribute to actress Marilyn Monroe who’d died eleven years earlier.
It’s opening line, “Goodbye, Norma Jean”, refers to Monroe’s real name… Norma Jeane Baker.
Taupin said the song is about “the idea of fame or youth or somebody being cut short in the prime of their life. The song could have been about James Dean, it could have been about Montgomery Clift, it could have been about Jim Morrison … how we glamorize death, how we immortalize people.”
John would rewrite the song twenty-four years later as Candle in the Wind 1997 for a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales after her death. He never says Diana’s name, but refers to her as England’s Rose.
FUN FACTS:
- The single release of the original song reached No. 11 in the UK charts in 1974. At the time, it was not released as a single in the United States (Bennie and the Jets was chosen instead).
- During a concert on 7 April 1990 at Farm Aid IV, John dedicated Candle in the Wind to young Ryan White, who had been suffering from AIDS. White died from AIDS complications the next day.
- According to the Guinness Book of Records, Candle in the Wind 1997 is the second highest selling single of all time (behind Bing Crosby’s White Christmas from 1942), and is the highest-selling single since charts began in the 1950s.
- The 1997 version won Elton John the Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance at the 40th Grammy Awards ceremony in 1998.
I’ve posted both versions of the song’s lyrics with videos. The first video is from Elton’s Madison Square Garden concert, and the second is from the memorial service for Princess Diana. (With a one minute lead-in in Italian! Performance begins at 1:07)
Enjoy!
See my Song Lyric Sunday selection for Nesie’s Place!
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Candle in the Wind
by Elton John
Songwriters: Elton John/Bernie Taupin
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
They crawled out of the woodwork
And they whispered into your brain
They set you on the treadmill
And they made you change your name
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Loneliness was tough
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
The toughest role you ever played
Hollywood created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
Even when you died
Oh the press still hounded you
All the papers had to say
Was that Marilyn was found in the nude
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Goodbye Norma Jean
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the twenty second row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
Though I never knew you at all
You had the grace to hold yourself
While those around you crawled
Goodbye Norma Jean
From the young man in the twenty second row
Who sees you as something more than sexual
More than just our Marilyn Monroe
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would have liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did
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Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.
Candle in the Wind 1997
by Elton John
Songwriters: Elton John/Bernie Taupin
Goodbye England’s rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
You called out to our country
And you whispered to those in pain
Now you belong to heaven
And the stars spell out your name
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Loveliness we’ve lost
These empty days without your smile
This torch we’ll always carry
For our nation’s golden child
And even though we try
The truth brings us to tears
All our words cannot express
The joy you brought us through the years
These empty days without your smile
This torch we’ll always carry
For our nation’s golden child
And even though we try
The truth brings us to tears
All our words cannot express
The joy you brought us through the years
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned our long before
Your legend ever will
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned our long before
Your legend ever will
Goodbye England’s rose
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
Goodbye England’s rose
From a country lost without your soul
Who’ll miss the wings of your compassion
More than you’ll ever know
May you ever grow in our hearts
You were the grace that placed itself
Where lives were torn apart
Goodbye England’s rose
From a country lost without your soul
Who’ll miss the wings of your compassion
More than you’ll ever know
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Like a candle in the wind
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in
And your footsteps will always fall here
Along England’s greenest hills
Your candle’s burned out long before
Your legend ever will
Compiled from Google, Genius Lyrics, Wikipedia, and Songfacts.com
“… ebbing and flowing …”
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#WordlessWednesday “Writer”
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Image from Pixabay
Drowning in Silence
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We could laugh and talk for hours/days … then not talk hours/days.
That was part of “us.”
We didn’t have to be in the same room to be comforted by each other’s presence.
We didn’t have to voice every thought and emotion.
We appreciated the silence.
But invariably, one of us would cough or sneeze, leading the other one to make a loud, snarky remark … and we’d be off and running into recreating endless movie scenes and TV one-liners.
Until we exhausted ourselves and invited silence in.
We appreciated the silence.
But I don’t anymore.
The silence is too loud.
Sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in silence and the only lifeline that can save me is gone.
Forever.
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Image from Pinterest
Felicia Denise, Author 