iPioneer: Mark Johnson's Blog

SodW: Kelly - Shoes (with Lyrics!)

Kelly shouldn't be introduced.  Her video is the best way to get to know her.  Oh.  Oh.  Oh, and by the way b@#%$, I do have a hula hoop, but I've never attached flames to it.  Stupid boy.  Let's party!

SodW: Shout to the Lord by "Various"

I am an atheist of the Nietzschean variety, despite the cross I bear.  Thus, many, including my ex-boss, can't understand my obsession with Christian Worship Music.  I love the simple chords, melodies and "sing-along" quality of the songs.  They remind me of the Catholic folk music of my youth.  I don't like Christian rap, alternative, rock, R&B or any other crossover music.  I only like the hardcore worship music that you see in commercials.  Even though Shout to the Lord was the song that originally put me over the edge, nothing can compare to Darlene Zschech (don't ask me to pronounce) belting out Shout to the Lord.  As with most worship music, the lyrics to this song are trite, hackneyed, and useless to analyze.  Thus, I'll leave you with the lyrics and encourage you to try out some worship music without throwing your hands up in the air.

SodW: Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash

The song of this week is Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash.  This song has always been one of my favorites because of the sonorous harmony, but I've never understood the lyrics.  How could you?  What the Hell is the Southern Cross?   And what's Papeete?  Fear not!  I've done all of the legwork for you.

The Southern Cross is actually an Australian ocean liner built after WWII.  It was unique, as the engines were aft, to make more room for passengers.  After the 747 was released, ocean travel rapidly declined and the Southern Cross was eventually sold and renamed.  Note that the Southern Cross can also be the constellation (used to find South), the stars in the flag of Australia, or many other things.  The ambiguity of the Southern Cross is one of the themes that makes this song so poetic.

Breaking away from songs like Brandy (You're a Fine Girl), which features a typical Don Juan sailor + wanton barmaid, Southern Cross tells the story of a sailor whose heart was broken by a girl.  The ship is a metaphor for dependability, since the girl doesn't know that "love can endure."  Check out the lyrics below, 'cause there are some real gems.  I still have a lot of questions, so feel free to comment!

SodW: Goodbye Stranger

Supertramp is probably my favorite classic rock band.  From the time I heard the clarinet rock out in first measures of School on "Crime of the Century," I've been obsessed.  This week, I've chosen Goodbye Stranger as my Song of da Week.

I wish there were a site that provided people's various analyses of songs like this.  Even after meditating on the lyrics, I'm not clear whether the song is about a whore, a one-night-stand, or drugs.  One can't discount the drug undertones, considering lines like "Goodbye Mary, Goodbye Jane." But, I don't think that's the only theme, any more than Bob Dylan's Just Like a Woman is an ode to Marijuana.  Maybe both songs are comparing marijuana to prostitutes.  Who knows.  In any case, this is a rockin' song.  Enjoy!

SodW: "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair")

The well-known lyrics are: "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair."  Since I move to San Francisco tomorrow and Kosmix launches next week, I won't have time to elaborate, but I think most people can figure out the psychadelilc undertones to this classic of the 60's. 

SodW: "Different Drum"

My newest blog feature will be my song of the week.  I often obsess about a song--so much that I'll play it over and over until everyone within a 10 megaton radius wants to hurl knives at me (if you don't believe me, ask my ex roommate).  So yeah, I'll post about my song of the week.  I might just post the lyrics, I might go on a post-modern (i.e. unintelligible) rant how the song deconstructs artificial dichotomies in society, or I might even relate it to Web 2.0.  Let's hope this tradition doesn't go the way of two martini Tuesdays.

My selection this week is: Different Drum, by Linda Ronstadt