The Music Court

Today’s Word:

YES! A degree...Now what?

Matriculate (Verb): To enroll in a college or university as a candidate for a degree.

Musical Example: A timely SWOD. Let me offer a big congratulations to the graduating class at Binghamton University and all other universities. I will be donning the gown and cap next year. Students matriculated some years ago and after changing both physically and mentally now will enter graduate school or…gasp…the real world. Give it a few years and we will all be pondering where college went. Well, as Leslie Hartley said, “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” I always thought this was a telling quotation. So, to all graduates, good luck on your continuing journey down that narrow river of passing time. Hopefully you will all be able to accomplish what you have set out to achieve.

There are many songs about college days. But, I thought I would go a little unconventional today. Instead of entertaining you all with song, let’s go to some musical comedy. “Whose Line is it Anyway,” one of the funniest, nonsensical shows on television, has a great skit satirizing Time life CD Infomercials.  This is the “Greatest Hits of College”

Today’s Word:

Xbox: Distracting children since 2001

Vituperation (noun): The act or an instance of speaking abusively to or about.

Musical Example:

There are many examples of bands who can fit this word. Contumely is not uncommon in music. Yet, one band that specifically has a gift for vituperation is the classic nihilist dream-team, The Sex Pistols. Sid Vicious and Johnny Rotten are practically synonymous with anarchic lyrics and “I hate everything” punk beats. The song I specifically want to focus on appeared on the band’s first release in 1976. “Anarchy in the UK” is a great example of skilled vituperation and rebellion at its very best. Rotten sings:

“I am an anti-christ
I am an anarchist
Don’t know what I want but
I know how to get it
I wanna destroy the passer”

This is punk music at its very finest. Catchy, upbeat and sung in an appealing brusque manner. “Anarchy in the UK” is #53 on the Rolling Stone list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and it is well deserving of the spot.

Video:

Today’s Word

Empyrean: The highest heaven, in ancient belief usually thought to be a realm of pure fire or light. Paradise.

Musical Example:

Wow! That is a large picture. But, because it is supposed to resemble something heaven-like, I am going to keep it an enormous size. There are numerous songs about paradise. Heck, if I decided to document a Christian Rock song, I probably would be swarming in messages of heaven. But, I thought it would be a little more effective if I talked about a song that is a little more vague.

The Lighthouse Family – one of those great bands many have never heard of – were a British duo consisting of vocalist Tunde Baiyewu and keyboardist Paul Tucker. They became popular in the mid 1990’s and remained active through the early 2000’s. Their brand of soul/pop was both infectious and bubbly. One of their better songs is entitled “End of the Sky.” Baiyewu sings:

Would you like to go somewhere unbelievable?
Where the great big blue sky seems to last forever
Cos I feel like I’ll leave it all behind
Living’ in the sunshine, that’s where I’m going
And I don’t think there’s anything here that I’ll be missing, do you?
No, I don’t think there’s anything else to do

It sounds like he is singing about the Empyrean. I would assume that is what the end of the sky brings. Unless, similarly to the universe, it brings us an atypical restaurant; which to some may be considered an Empyrean. Anyway, the song is quite hopeful and Baiyewu’s voice is just wonderful. More people should listen to this band. Here is the video:

Today’s Word:

Does not look like much of a scapegrace here

Scapegrace (noun): A reckless, unprincipled person; one who is wild and reckless; a rascal; a scoundrel.

Musical Connection:

Let me start this SWOD with a little disclaimer. It will seem that there is a connection between Charlie Brown (the Peanuts character) and Charlie Brown (the musical scoundrel) in this post. There is not. It has been implied, but it is wrong. Charlie Brown may be a scapegrace in both cases but he is much more so in the song “Charlie Brown” by The Coasters, written by the songwriting duo of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. The song tells the story of Charlie Brown who “calls the English teacher, Daddy-O” and who is “always writing on the walls.” He is your classic school scapegrace, responding with a simple “why is everybody always picking on me” when he is called out on his reckless misdeeds. Or, is he getting framed. Da, Da, Da. That wasn’t very effective, was it?

Today’s Word:

Man, would this confuse me

Neologism (Noun): The use or creation of new words or expressions.

Musical Example: There has been a long and illustrious history of musicians thinking about made-up words and placing them into songs. And, this Neologism knows no bounds, extending from Broadway’s use of fantastical in Song of the South’s “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah” to Hanson’s “MmmBop,” which still baffles me. What were those kids thinking? But, what I believe is the best example of this art, is a band that successfully creates a brand new word and expression, “Californication”

Yes, I believe the song is supposed to portray the dark side of Hollywood, but that doesn’t leave it resistant to the fact that it is completely made up. The Red Hot Chili Peppers don’t seem to care. They like making up words (or at least combining existing ones). Their song “Quixoticelixer,” meaning an impulsive medicinal concoction if you separate the two words, is just another example of this Neologism

“Californication”