I was listening to the radio on the way into work yesterday and Meat Loaf’s Paradise by the Dashboard Light came on.  A listener had called in his top three song picks and this was one of his selections.  I think the reason this song has resonated with so many people and for so long is due to Meat Loaf’s knack for writing a story, complete with plot twists and irony, set to music.  In Paradise by the Dashboard Light, two young lovers (barely seventeen and barely dressed) find themselves heavy petting in the front seat of a car.  Things continue to progress until the girl stops the boy to give him an ultimatum.  She wants to know if he loves her.  She wants to know if he’ll love her forever and if he’ll take her away and make her his wife.  At first the boy balks at this and offers to give her an answer in the morning.  The two debate it back and forth until in the heat of the moment the boy agrees and says that he does love her.  He’ll love her forever and make her his wife.  At least that’s how he feels until immediately after the act.  Afterward, he says that he’s waiting for the end of time, because he can’t stand to spend another minute of time with her.  It’s a cautionary tale to say the least.

It got me thinking about a couple other Meat Loaf songs that are constructed in a similar fashion.  Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad is another cautionary tale with a twist.  The two things mentioned in the title are that he wants her and he needs her.  Unfortunately, the third thing that is missing is love.  As the song progresses, you discover that the words he has been using were once said to him.  He had loved a woman who didn’t love him back.  And when she left, she told him: I want you, I need you, but there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you.  Years later, Meat Loaf released a song whose sentiment is almost exactly opposite these two called I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).  In this song, Meat Loaf sings about all the things that he would do.  He’ll never lie.  He’ll take a vow and seal a pact.  He’ll raise her up and take her out of this godforsaken town.  After some back and forth between him and his lover, we discover exactly what he won’t do.  He won’t forget her or his promise to her.  He won’t move on and he won’t cheat on her.  He promises to never forget the way he feels right now.

I’m sure there are other Meat Loaf songs that have similar stories and twists as much as I am sure there are similar songs by other artists.  However, the only other song that stands out in my mind immediately is Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus.  Sung in falsetto, the song tells the story of a high school boy who loves a girl named Noel from afar.  He thinks about her and dreams about her, but he’s convinced that she doesn’t even know who he is; after all, he’s only a teenage dirtbag.  To make matters worse, she has a crazy boyfriend.  At the end of the song, the boy goes to the prom and is surprised when Noel walks over to him and asks him out.  It turns out that she not only knows who he is and likes the same music as him, but she considers herself a teenage dirtbag too.  It’s shockingly sweet considering some of the band’s other releases.

"And you say nothing at all. Well I couldn’t have said it better myself.”
Meat Loaf

It’s been raining a lot the past month. The constant rain and the warm weather have been making things muggy and uncomfortable - not exactly a great start to the summer. To lift my spirits a bit, I’ve made a new mix CD. It seems to be working so far, so I though I’d post the song selection. In particular, I like #5, How to Save a Life by The Fray.

1. The Painter by Neil Young
2. You and Me by Lifehouse
3. I’m on Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover) by Ari Hest
4. Tangerine by Led Zepplin
5. How to Save a Life by The Fray
6. Change by Tracy Chapman
7. American Music by The Violent Femmes
8. Steady as She Goes by The Raconteurs
9. Gone Daddy Gone by The Violent Femmes
10. Can’t Wait One Minute More by CIV
11. Smoke Two Joints by Sublime
12. I Got a Woman by The John Mayer Trio
13. Soul Meets Body by Death Cab for Cutie
14. New Year’s Prayer by Jeff Buckley
15. Ghost (live) by Howie Day
16. In My Own Eyes by Brandi Carlile
17. A Waltz for a Night by Julie Delpy
18. Dry Your Eyes by The Streets (featuring Chris Martin)

Every once in a while I get in the mood to create a “mix tape”, an orchestrated collection of songs on medium.  I’ve made mix tapes of one sort or another ever since I first started listening to music on my own.  I remember putting together songs on cassette tape to play while I walked my paper route delivering the Evening News.  Of course there were also mix tapes given to junior high school girlfriends and some made after junior high school breakups.  I’ve put together mixes during the change of seasons and I’ve compiled mixes just out of boredom.  Maggie and I made a mix to honor our wedding.  Whatever the reason, it’s nice when I come across an old mix and can remember something good from that slice of time.

The seasons are changing here in New England.  Grass is starting to sprout up green.  Soon the trees will begin to bud, and sweaters and sweatshirts will be replaced by polo shirts and shorts.  Friday, motorcycles were everywhere.  Motorcycles are one of the first signs of the warmer clime as owners frustrated after months of cold, rain and snow rush to take advantage of any day above 65 degrees.  Next will come the tops: convertible tops, tank tops, halter tops, and belly shirts.  Spring time also smells different than the winter.  After the cold months, you start to notice the smell of things like fresh cut grass, bark mulch, barbecue grills, and skunks.

When the weather changes my musical tastes change.  I still like the same songs that I like at other times of the year, but I find that some songs resonate with me more in some seasons differently than in others.  For example, when the autumn comes, I tend to like music with a more acoustical sound; in the spring, I prefer jazzier songs.  I also associate hip hop, dance, and techno beats with spring and summer.  Thursday night, Maggie and I went to the Opera House to see Jamie Cullum perform.  He put on a great show and his fantastic piano playing, enthusiastic performance, and soulful lyrics really set the bar high for this summer concert season.  The show may only be matched if we manage Dave Matthews Band tickets at Fenway Park.

In honor of the Cullum show, I burned a new mix CD; here are the tracks I selected:

• Bad Day by Daniel Powter
• Name by Goo Goo Dolls
• Luka (live, acoustic) by Suzanne Vega
• A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton
• Boston by Augustana
• End of the Innocence by Don Henley
• That’s Just the Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby and the Range
• T.B.D. by Live
• Margaret by Seven Mary Three
• Summer by Buffalo Tom
• Shade by Silverchair
• Lucky Man by The Verve
• London Skies by Jamie Cullum
• Fa Fa by Guster on Lost and Gone Forever
• Blurry by Puddle of Mudd
• My Doorbell by The White Stripes
• Outside by Aaron Lewis, Staind featuring Fred Durst
• Daniel (live, cover) by Howie Day