BIG AL'S JOVIAL JUKEBOX #17: "Baby Ride Easy" by CARLENE CARTER and DAVE EDMUNDS, 1980

Albie's Note:  In 1980, when I was a junior in high school, 2 of my all-time favorite performers -- both of them great singers with definite Rockabilly tendencies [Praise God!]-- teamed up for this unlikely duet that peaked on the American country charts at a measly #79 [although I have read it was a much bigger hit in England.]  The song itself was a neo-cowboy song that had floated around Nashville in various slower versions until Carter [bleach-blonde descendent of country's founding family] and Edmunds [Welsh guitar hero and best friend of Carter's then-husband Nick Lowe] decided to speed it up into this quirky classic.  I have always thought the poem of the song was kind of a redneck parody version of "If I Were A Carpenter." I like to imagine that Carlene-- daughter of June Carter Cash herself-- thought so, too. In any case I always liked the playfulness of the whole production.

BABY RIDE EASY

If I drove a truck
And I were waitress
And I ordered coffee
And I poured you some

Then you'd stop by on your way sometime later
And if we arm-wrestled
I'd say that you won

Chorus

Ai-eeee my baby, ride easy
Ride high in the saddle all day
If your lovin' is good
And your cookin' ain't greasy
HITCH UP the chuck wagon
And we'll ride away

If I were a winsome, hale senorita
And I a bull-fighter, down in the sand
While the band kept on playing that "Old Paso Doble"
I'd throw you a flower
Would you take my hand?

Chorus
If I ran the country
Yeah I'd be your first lady
And fix up the white house
While you were away
Waitin' while I'm passing time with world leaders
And later together alone we might lay

Repeat Chorus twice

HITCH UP the chuck wagon and we'll ride away
HITCH UP the chuck wagon and we'll ride away
HITCH UP the chuck wagon
HITCH UP the chuck wagon
HITCH UP the chuck wagon
HITCH UP the chuck wagon and we'll ride away

 

 

PEACE

BIG AL'S JOVIAL JUKEBOX #16: "Neal Cassady" by THE WASHINGTON SQUARES, 1989

Albie's Note: Listen, friends. 

When my blog header says I am both a Beatnik and a Bible Believer, you can rest assured that both are-- somehow-- totally true!  I will be 50 next year... and I still love Kerouac, Snyder, Lew Welch, and Bob Dylan... and also D.L. Moody, Spurgeon, Billys-- Graham and Sunday,  and Larry Norman.

Can I explain all of that? 

No, not really.  Life is a journey... and the signposts pop up sometimes before you have a chance to investigate them. But they are all a part of your strange, individual voyage... and it is best to embrace them and be thankful for them.  [I Thes. 5:18]

Who was NEAL CASSADY? Well, he was the hard-living, fast-driving, pill-popping womaniser who was immortalised in Jack Kerouac's On the Road.  And young Albie read this-- as well as Ken Kesey and John Clellon Holmes and Tom Wolfe and innumerable related  non-fiction tomes-- at a very impressionable time in his crazy life.

So... why is Neal remembered?  Because this unlikely drop-out anti-hero in many ways was responsible for an entire literary and social movement, the repercussions of which are still being felt today... for better or for worse.

And this song?  Well... all I can tell you is I used to play it over and over years ago after I first bought it on a brand new vinyl record... and literally weep as I did so.

And even today.. it does something to me.  I think it's because it's not just a tribute song.  It makes an uncomfortable comment. 

Life is fleeting, my friends.

And the Beat goes on.

"Did You Hear Neal Cassady Died?" -- The Washington Squares

Did you hear Neal Cassady died?
Lying on the tracks down in Mexico
Did you hear Neal Cassady died, last night?

Can you see Neal Cassady drive?
An old car and a girl in heaven alive
Can you see Neal Cassady drive? That's right!

 He was a-lying on the tracks down in Mexico
What a sad, sad, lonely way to go
for the king of the hipster daddy-0's
Who balled the jack in ON THE ROAD ...

 

FROM Wikipedia:

 

On February 3, 1968, Cassady attended a wedding party in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. After the party he went walking along a railroad track to reach the next town, but passed out in the cold and rainy night wearing nothing but a T-shirt and jeans. In the morning, he was found in a coma by the track, reportedly by Dr. Anton Black, later a professor at El Paso Community College, who carried Cassady over his shoulders to the local post office building. Cassady was then transported to the closest hospital, where he died a few hours later on February 4, four days short of his forty-second birthday.
The exact cause of Cassady's death remains uncertain. Those who attended the wedding party confirm that he took an unknown quantity of Secobarbital, a powerful barbiturate sold under the brand name of Seconal. The physician who performed the autopsy wrote simply "general congestion in all systems". When interviewed later, the physician stated that he was unable to give an accurate report, because Cassady was a foreigner and there were drugs involved. 'Exposure' is commonly cited as his cause of death, although his widow believes he may have died of renal failure.

 

 

 

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." -- I Thessalonians 5:18

 

 

 

PEACE

 

POETRY BREAK #16: "Lamentation for Hank Williams" by DAVID MELTZER

Albie's Note: I first encountered this poem on an album I bought on vinyl back about '87 or so called POET/SONG, recorded for the Vanguard label  by San Francisco Beat Poet David Meltzer and his wife Tina in the Year of Our Lord 1968.  I thought it was a great score at the time because I actually knew who Meltzer was-- he had featured prominently in a book of interviews with poets already in my possession. I have always  liked the following poetic tribute to old Hank Sr,  and was hoping there would be a YouTube clip of the audio cut but there was not.  [You might be able to hear the audio clip at the poet's actual site by clicking HERE, but I make no guarantees.] 

 

In any case I still believe it's a truly great poem about a tragic, yet quintessentially American Figure.

"Lamentation for Hank Williams"
 

A Poem by David Meltzer
[Born February 17, 1937]

 

--"If I can't finish writing a song in ten minutes then it ain't worth the finishing," said Hank to a reporter.

A camera was busy taking pictures for LIFE Magazine.

--"I'll never get out of this world alive," wrote Hank in a song

sung for millions at The Grand Ole Opry

published by Acuff-Rose Sales Inc.

recorded by MGM Records

Flat-picking his D-28

backed up by The Drifting Cowboys

night after night and during the days

playing at picnics, rallies

supermarket gala openings

--"There's no dreams but bad ones,"  Hank told his wife Audrey

who told her lover

who told the doctor

who could not heal him...

Places no longer places

velocity of faces...

and he burned down, died at 29 of an overdose

kindly rocked to sleep in the back seat of his Cadillac

being driven to a concert

New Year's Day, 1953

 

 

PEACE

POETRY BREAK #15: "THE VOICE OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI" by Vachel Lindsay, 1920

Albie's Note: Here's another from one of my all-time favorite poets, Vachel Lindsay  (November 10, 1879 – December 5, 1931) first published in his book THE GOLDEN WHALES OF CALIFORNIA AND OTHER RHYMES IN THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE back in 1920.  I like this little simple poem because it is both realistic and dreamily visionary all at once... kind of like its author.

And... I still think Peace is a great thing to pray for. 

THE VOICE 

OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

By VACHEL LINDSAY

I saw St. Francis by a stream
Washing his wounds that bled.
The aspens quivered overhead.
The silver doves flew round.

Weeping and sore dismayed
"Peace, peace," St. Francis prayed.

But the soft doves quickly fled.
Carrion crows flew round.
An earthquake rocked the ground.

"War, war," the west wind said.

 

PEACE

MINI SERMON: "EXPLOITS!" by CHUCK SMITH

Albie's Note: Chuck Smith (born June 25, 1927), is a hero of mine.  known mainly as the founder of the Calvary Chapel  movement, Smith was greatly used of God to host a remarkable revival among "hippies" and street people that began in a tiny 25 member church in Costa Mesa, Cal. starting about 1968.  Although he has been criticized on many levels, the plain facts are that Smith presented the Old Gospel-- without compromise and with no prejudice-- to anyone who would hear it-- and now that movement is world-wide with adherents probably numbering in the millions.  Here is a great sermon outline which uses as its text one of my favorite verses:

"And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits!" 

--Daniel 11:32

EXPLOITS!

This scripture is a prophecy and was fulfilled in the time of Judas Maccabeus. Who with a small band of men, dedicated fully to God, attacked and defeated the superior forces of Antiocus Epiphanies over and over again. Before each battle he would encourage his men to be willing to give their lives for God. The exploits of these men became legendary. There is a truth here that goes beyond the prophetic fulfillment by the Maccabees!

I. THE PEOPLE WHO DO KNOW THEIR GOD.

A. In John 17:3 Jesus said, "And this is life eternal, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

1. There is a vast difference between knowing God, and knowing about God.

2. All but the fool know about God, it is only the fool who has said in his heart, "There is no God." Paul said, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools as they sought to change the glory of the incorruptible God and they began to worship and serve the creation more than the creator.

3. This is a reference to knowing God in a personal intimate way. In such a way as you carry on daily conversations with Him, and seek His advise before making any major decisions. You look to Him daily for comfort, advise, and strength, He is your closest friend and confidant.

B. How do you get to know God in this way?

1. By learning of Him. Jesus said, "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me."

a. There is only one textbook whereby you may know God in truth, and that is the Bible.

b. A lot of books have been written about man's concepts, and ideas about God, these can be very confusing.

c. The Bible is an autobiography in which God has revealed Himself to man. It shows how He has related to man through history, and how you can relate to Him.

2. Through Jesus Christ.

a. God who in different times and in various ways spoke to man through His prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His own dear Son-- Jesus is the final and perfect revelation of God to man, for He is God.

b. When Philip said to Him, just show us the Father and we will be satisfied, Jesus answered, "Have I been with you all of this time, and have you not seen Me, He that has seen Me has seen the Father."

c. In his latter years John wrote in his 1st epistle, "That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled of the Word of life. For the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us."

d. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh to the Father, but by Me."

e. Again Jesus said, "Neither knoweth any man the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son revealeth Him."

f. Jesus is the true revelation of God for He is God. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God, the same was in the beginning with God, and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth.

II. THE OUTCOME OF KNOWING THEIR GOD.

A. They shall be strong.

1. As we were sharing last week, we are in a spiritual battle in which physical force is ineffective, for we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but spiritual powers. In the context of this spiritual warfare mentioned in Ephesians Paul said, "Be strong in the Lord, and the power of His might."

a. Our strength is in Him, "Be strong in the Lord."

b. Our power comes from Him. "And the power of His might."

2. When Paul was praying for the Ephesians, he prayed that they might know the exceeding greatness of His power toward those who believe.

3. In his second prayer for them he asked that they might be strengthened by His Spirit in their inner man.

4. When Paul was praying for his own infirmity the Lord spoke to him and declared, "My grace is sufficient for you, My strength will be perfected in your weakness."

5. You can, as Isaac Watts, be a physical wimp, but a spiritual giant. He said as he stretched himself out to his full four foot eleven inch stature,

"Were I so tall to reach the pole,

    Or span the ocean with my hand,

I must be measured by my soul,

    The mind is the standard of a man."

6. You may be a physical giant, and a spiritual wimp.

a. Goliath was a physical giant nine feet tall, but he did not know the God of Israel, and he defied Him.

b. Goliath fell before a stripling of a youth, who knew the God of Israel.

B. They shall do EXPOITS!!

1. I would take you to Hebrews Chapter 11 to show you the exploits of the men and women who knew their God.

a. Gideon with his 300 men routing over 135,000 Midianites.

b. Barak with the help of Deborah, routing the forces of Sisera with his many iron chariots.

c. Sampson with a jawbone of a donkey as his only weapon facing and destroying 1000 Philistines.

d. "Out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

2. The Bible is replete with stories of the great exploits of those men who knew God and trusted in Him.

III. THE BOTTOM LINE QUESTION, DO YOU KNOW GOD?

A. Some people claim that He is unknowable, they claim to be agnostics.

1. This is a claim usually made by those who suppose that they are to intellectually sophisticated to believe in a personal knowable God.

a. It is the problem of starting with an earth base and seeking to reach heaven.

b. The finite, can never reach the infinite.

2. The friend of Job asked, "Who by searching can find out God to perfection?"

B. To know God is the most important thing in life.

1. Jeremiah said, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but he that glorieth let him glory in this that he knows Me, that I am the Lord that exercises lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the earth."

2. Paul told the Corinthians that God had not chosen many wise, or many mighty or many noble men, for He has chosen to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. And the weak ones of this world to confound the mighty, that no flesh should glory in His sight.

a. God wants to do exploits on this earth, but it is difficult to use the wise, for men will then glory in the wisdom of men.

b. It is difficult for the same reason to use the mighty and the strong.

C. There is no excuse not to know God. He has revealed Himself in nature, which should lead you to His word, which will lead you to His Son!

"And this is life eternal, that they may know You the only true God and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

PEACE

SONGS THAT TELL A STORY #4: "The Partisan" by LEONARD COHEN, 1969

THE PARTISAN

 

 

Albie's Note:  I have always liked this great song from Leonard Cohen's 1969 album SONGS FROM A ROOM ever since I first heard it back in college in the '80s, but only when searching for info to do this blog did I learn some of the more fascinating details about the composition.  Apparently the tune was adapted by Cohen [a Jewish French Canadian himself] from a song called "La complainte du partisan", written in London during 1943, by Emmanuel D'Astier de la Vigerie (called "Bernard" in the French Resistance) and Anna Marly.  

 

Cohen had apparently heard the song many years earlier on the BBC airwaves and grew up to give it new life as a '60s folk story-song.  In any case I always enjoyed this tribute to the men and women who fought a fierce guerilla war against the invading Nazis, 1940-1944.  Enjoy.

 

 

When they poured across the border
I was cautioned to surrender,
this I could not do;
I took my gun and vanished.
I have changed my name so often,
I've lost my wife and children
but I have many friends,
and some of them are with me.

An old woman gave us shelter,
kept us hidden in the garret,
then the soldiers came;
she died without a whisper.

There were three of us this morning
I'm the only one this evening
but I must go on;
the frontiers are my prison.

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
through the graves the wind is blowing,
freedom soon will come;
then we'll come from the shadows.

 

Les Allemands e'taient chez moi, (The Germans were at my home)
ils me dirent, "Signe toi," (They said, "Sign yourself,")
mais je n'ai pas peur; (But I am not afraid)
j'ai repris mon arme. (I have retaken my weapon.)

J'ai change' cent fois de nom, (I have changed names a hundred times)
j'ai perdu femme et enfants (I have lost wife and children)
mais j'ai tant d'amis; (But I have so many friends)
j'ai la France entie`re. (I have all of France)

Un vieil homme dans un grenier (An old man, in an attic)
pour la nuit nous a cache', (Hid us for the night)
les Allemands l'ont pris; (The Germans captured him)
il est mort sans surprise. (He died without surprise.)

Oh, the wind, the wind is blowing,
through the graves the wind is blowing,
freedom soon will come;
then we'll come from the shadows.

 

 

PEACE

 

Just For Fun: Christian quotes about being BEARDED!

Albie's Note:  I thought these were interesting and a bit amusing.  As a bearded guy they maybe made me chuckle more than some of you clean-shaven fellas will!  Please know I do not actually find facial hair to be a spiritual issue... :)

I really thought the quote from Spurgeon was the most interesting.  I know LOTS of Male Baptists today and at least a good 95% of them are clean shaven, although most of them do love Spurgeon.  Anyway, its interesting to see how times have changed with regard to this.

How womanly it is for one who is a man to comb himself and shave himself with a razor, for the sake of fine effect, and to arrange his hair at the mirror, shave his cheeks, pluck hairs out of them, and smooth them!…For God wished women to be smooth and to rejoice in their locks alone growing spontaneously, as a horse in his mane.
But He adorned man like the lions, with a beard, and endowed him as an attribute of manhood, with a hairy chest–a sign of strength and rule. 2.275
This, then, is the mark of the man, the beard. By this, he is seen to be a man. It is older than Eve. It is the token of the superior nature….It is therefore unholy to desecrate the symbol of manhood, hairiness. 2.276
It is not lawful to pluck out the beard, man’s natural and noble adornment. 2.277  – Clement of Alexandria

And the Prince of Preachers said:

‎Growing a beard is a habit most natural, Scriptural, manly and beneficial. – C.H. Spurgeon

And more:

The beard must not be plucked. ‘You will not deface the figure of your beard’.  – St. Cyprian, 5.553

The nature of the beard contributes in an incredible degree to distinguish the maturity of bodies, or to distinguish the sex, or to contribute to the beauty of manliness and strength. – Lactantius (c. 304–314, W), 7.288

There are some details of the body which are there for simply aesthetic reasons, and for no practical purpose—for instance, the nipples on a man’s chest, and the beard on his face, the latter being clearly for a masculine ornament, not for protection. This is shown by the fact that women’s faces are hairless, and since women are the weaker sex, it would surely be more appropriate for them to be given such a protection. – Augustine of Hippo, City of God (c. 410) book 22, chapter 24

Men may not destroy the hair of their beards and unnaturally change the form of a man. For the Law says, “You will not deface your beards.” For God the Creator has made this decent for women, but has determined that it is unsuitable for men. – Apostolic Constitutions (compiled c.390, E) 7.392. (1)

 

Peace