James Taylor - Not Fade Away

So today's song is a little different. The coolest thing for me was that little Jack was moving all around inside Laurette when this song was playing. I think after Paul Simon (post coming later) and now this song it is safe to say for sure this kid is going to have my love for music.

Another great thing about this song is that it is a cover. When a band or an artist chooses to cover a song it can go really really good or really really bad.

"Not Fade Away" was written and recorded by the great Buddy Holly. If any of you are like me for many years I just thought of Holly as that guy with funny glasses and would sometimes get him confused with Roy Orbison..again another guy with funny glasses. There is still much for me to learn about Buddy Holly and his band The Crickets, but the longer we live in Nashville and the more trips to Roberts Western World (the best damn Honky Tonk in the world!) and the Country Music Hall of Fame, the more I understand the magnitude of Holly's influence on Country, Blues and Rock and Roll music.

He was only 22 when he died in an awful plane crash with two other great artists of their day, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens. The crash was the subject of Don McLean's American Pie. The song that Madonna just butchered in the link above.

In his 22 years he recorded three albums, was one of the first artist to write, produce and perform his own songs and has been sited as a major influence in the careers of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, and any one musician worth a damn in the last 50 years. Remember also that Buddy Holly's international career only lasted maybe 2 years at best and he was still able to make this kind of impact on people.

The reason I love this song is because it has a simple Bo Diddley beat.. another artist that Jack will be hearing soon. You can't help but tap your foot to the guitar riff and the lyrics are simple and to the point. When you tell a woman that your love is bigger then Cadillac, I think she gets it..especially those colossal 1950's model caddy's.

And since this song was a cover another fun part was discovering on YouTube, just how many covers of this song exist including a jammed out Grateful Dead version, a very high pitched Tom Petty version, and a Bruce Springsteen version from way back in the day....see even in 1978 he was a little pretentious. BRUUUUUUUCE

My favorite has to be this really old version below from 1964 by The Rolling Stones. Last year Buddy Holly's band The Crickets were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame here in Nashville. Keith Richards thought the evening was so important that he threw on a suit, found his best pairs of trinkets or whatever the heck it is he puts in his hair and came to our fine city to present the honor and jam with the band onstage. He said during his speech mumbling that there would be no Rolling Stones without Buddy Holly and The Crickets.

It is amazing to think that such a legendary bands like the Stones and the Beatles were once upon a time just kids that loved to play American rock and roll and listen to Buddy Holly & The Crickets records.

Even the great Bob Dylan couldn't help but seem like a little bubbling teenager when it comes to icons and their music. Here is what he had to say during a 1998 Grammy acceptance speech...
And I just want to say that when I was sixteen or seventeen years old, I went to see Buddy Holly play at Duluth National Guard Armory and I was three feet away from him...and he LOOKED at me. And I just have some sort of feeling that he was — I don't know how or why — but I know he was with us all the time we were making this record in some kind of way.

The importance of Buddy Holly on our music today could be the subject of a much, much longer entry, but let's just say that there is a reason he was one of the first picked to be added into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.


(side note - watch Mick's little leg jive at the 0:55 mark and listen to the crowds reaction)

I wanna tell you how it's gonna be
You're gonna give your love to me
I'm gonna love you night and day
Love is love and not fade away

Well love is love and not fade away
And my love is bigger than a Cadillac
I'll try to show it if you drive me back

Your love for me has got to be real
Before you'd have noticed how I feel
Love real not fade away
Well love real not fade away

I wanna tell you how it's gonna be
You're gonna give your love to me
Love that lasts more than one day
Well love is love and not fade away

OCMS - Were All In This Together

One of greatest memories from the past year was New Years Eve. Laurette and I had the privilege of going to the historic Ryman Auditorium for the Old Crow Medicine Show NYE Show. This is a band that we both love listening to so we were thrilled to go to this show.

The one issue was Laurette was just getting out of her first trimester and we really didn't want to push keeping her out all night and ringing in the new year with a bunch of drunkards so after the first half of the show we headed home. It is very odd being on the road at 11:20pm on New Years Eve. Everyone was either at there parties or downtown. We honestly were the only people on the road.

Luckily the show was broadcast on 650 WSM so we had the chance to listen when we got home, but my big stereo wouldn't pick up AM stations. We actually rang in the new year listening to my clock radio. We both found it funny that in this day and age when we were supposed to be driving around in flying cars we were actually ringing in the New Year on an am clock radio listening to an old time string band.

We danced to Wagon Wheel as the the clock turned over to 2010 and with so much change about to happen in our lives this year, it was a nice way to start things off in a simple, calm way.

This song is one of my favorites from OCMS. We will have a few more on the list as Jack grows, but the lyrics for this song are wonderful. Take a look at this amazing song about life struggles, supporting loved ones, and redemption.




Well my friends, I see your face so clearly
Little bit tired, little worn through the years
You sound nervous, you seem alone
I hardly recognize your voice on the telephone

In between I remember
Just before bound-up, broken-down
We drive out to the edge of the highway
Follow that lonesome dead-end roadside south

(Chorus:)
We're all in this thing together
Walkin' the line between faith and fear
This life don't last forever
When you cry I taste the salt in your tears

Well my friend, let's put this thing together
And walk the path with worn out feet of trial
'Cause if you wanted we can go home forever
Give up your jaded ways, spell your name to God

All the hour there's a picture in a mirror
Fancy shoes to grace our feet
All there is is a slow road to freedom
Heaven above and the devil beneath

Travis - Love Will Come Through

Besides having the absolute coolest band name ever, without these Scots from Glasgow you wouldn't have bands like Coldplay or Keane..well Coldplay probably would have blown up anyway, but this band certainly helped pave the way for them.

Is this the second most important song on the list? No, but this band does have a pretty special one that we will play a little later on to Jack. The chorus of this song is great, but what i love most is its waltz feel. These guys know how to write a song that goes well with hoisting a drink in the air at a Pub and singing along. To prove that point watch the beginning of this live performance below.

I wish I knew some deep meaning behind this song, but I just don't. Wiki says it is about an everyday real kind of love and not the hollywood movie kind. I dont really see that in the lyrics and have never really attempted to look into the meaning behind this one. I just like to keep to the fact that it just sounds great. It is a good song, period. Enjoy.




If I told you a secret
You won't tell a soul
Will you hold it and keep it alive
Cause it's burning a hole
And I can't get to sleep
And I can't live alone in this lie

So look up
Take it away
Don't look da-da-da- down the mountain

If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return
Anyone, anything, anyhow

So take me don't leave me
Take me don't leave me
Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you

Well I stand at the crossroads
Of highroads and lowroads
And I got a feeling it's right

If it's real what I'm feeling
There's no makebelieving
The sound of the wings of the flight of a dove

Take it away
Don't look da-da-da down the mountain
If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return anyone anything anyhow...

So take me don't leave me
Take me don't leave me
Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you

So look up
Take it away
Don't look da-da-da- down

If the world isn't turning
Your heart won't return anyone anything anyhow...

So take me don't leave me
Take me don't leave me
Baby, love will come through it's just waiting for you

Love will come through

Fernando Ortega - Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

This is the single most important song in my life and I can think of no other song for my future son to hear first. The greatest memory in my life so far was at our wedding singing this song with the whole congregation with tears running down mine and Laurette's faces. I am sure this memory will soon be in second place once Jack arrives, but I still cherish that memory. The lyrics in this hymn are simply amazing and honestly bring me to tears every single time I hear it.

The background on this song and the author draws me even closer to it. If you have the time, be sure to check out the author's, wiki page to learn more...because seriously, everything is true on that site right??

It is an interesting tale, but what I love most is his conversion and the songs reflection on the massive scope of God's Grace.

I also love the story of the Ebenezer from 1st Samuel-7. At work I have my own little "Stone of Help" on my desk and it has always been a comfort for me during stressful times.

So here it is the first song for little Jack to hear... I have a few different versions I love, but since I don't want my son arriving into this world in skinny hipster jeans and galoshes...I decided to skip the Sufjan Stevens version for right now and stick to the plain jane Fernando version.

I promise that not all these posts will be as deep as this one, but you gotta start strong out of the gate, right!

1. Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.

2. Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.

3. O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

The Boy in the Bubble

So it is Travis and I believe it is about time for me to take over this here blog for a while. If anyone is still out there....hello...is this thing on?

I have decided to do a special project. For the past month I have been playing music to Jack. Each night when it is time to go to sleep, I bust out the headphones and play something for our future son. I am about 25 songs deep now and I think it is time I start cataloging them.

Now I am not promising that I have the best taste in music, but I do hope to give little Jack some insight on the music that has shaped me.

This is not only something that Laurette and I really enjoy every evening, but I also see it as an investment in the future. As my father can tell you, I wasn't the most athletic kid in school, and I am not sure if that kinda thing skips a generation, but I do love me some music...so the future for this kid has to be in music. After all, Jackson Wolfe just sounds like an awesome songwriter name, don't you agree? Anyway, suggestions are welcome and I hope you enjoy.

Apologies on the front end for the terrible grammar.

Best, Travis

It's a.....

Well, what a weekend. We got about 6" of snow which started coming down in the middle of our appointment Friday morning. I had told my 1st graders on Thursday that if it snowed that I might not be able to get to the doctor Friday morning to find out what the baby would be. This really confused some of them. Jusbin wrote in his journal, "I hope it doesn't snow so Mrs. Wolfe can have her baby." Jusbin, thankfully that was not the case! They are so obsessed with this baby and are constantly asking me questions about it and telling me how big my stomach is getting! We have been studying penguins, and La'Dayshia brought a book up to my desk with a picture of a male penguin incubating the egg on his feet. "Look, Mrs. Wolfe, that pooch looks just like your stomach." Thanks, La'Dayshia! I asked them to write in their journals Thursday morning what they thought I was going to have and what they wanted me to name it. Tripper wrote, "Mrs. Wolfe will have a boy becuas boys are good. I will name him Spik." He ment to write Spike...we are still working on the silent e. La'Dayshia wrote, "I wont Mrs. Wolfe to have a gurl becus gurls are not hrd heded. And I love baby gurls. She will nam her KK Wolfe." That was "hard headed" to translate 1st grade-eese. So the boys will be excited and the girls will be sad because Baby Wolfe will be wearing blue!

Jackson Walters Wolfe will be here in June.

Jackson is my mother-in-law's maiden name, and Walters is my mom's maiden name. I just love family names because I am named after both of my grandmothers. So little Jack Wolfe will be terrorizing Maggie before she knows it! We are so blessed because our ultrasound was "perfect" in the words of our doctor. She said it was an A+! And Travis was relieved that he would not have to watch girl sports....really....I was just excited he has 10 fingers and toes!

In other news, I thought I was going to be a single mother this morning after our good friend Randall and Travis decided to "snow ski" down a hill in our neighborhood using water skis and some sort of poles - correction, broomsticks. I stayed inside most of the time with Paula and Annelise, Randall's wife and daughter. At one point I saw Randall running full speed down the hill to a parked truck with a ski right beside it. I was certain that Travis had skied under the truck....heart attack one of the day! They are so ridiculous. Here are the rednecks playing....





























Back to baby news....I called Mary Peyton to tell her the news. I thought she would be disappointed, but I think little boys have started to grow on her.

Me: Well, we found out today what our baby is going to be.
MP: What is it?
Me: Guess
MP: I think it's a girl, no a boy. It's a boy.
Me: yep you are right.
MP: I wanted a boy, but can you make sure it's not as wild as ours? He is chaos and destruction!
Me: well, they can just be wild together. We are going to name him Jackson and call him Jack.
MP: I will call him Jackson Destruction!

Where does she come up with this stuff? That's all for now.

"Who has a baby?"

Thursday was a great birthday...number 27 for me. Travis and my friends at school did and awesome job, and I have to say this was the best Nashville birthday yet! I always miss my family on my birthday, but this year I had PLENTY of birthday wishes. Our Assistant Principal always announces the teachers' birthdays in the morning announcements, "Today is Mrs. Wolfes' birthday, so if you see her in the hall wish her a happy birthday!" Let me tell you that kids take this seriously...they may not hear anything else that is said all day, but they are going to listen for the birthday announcement dead gummit! So to say that I heard "Happy Birthday, Mrs. Wolfe!" 200 times would be NO exaggeration!
It was also a fun week because Tuesday we got to hear our sweet baby's heartbeat! 162...my sister is predicting a girl. Everyone asks me if I have a feeling to which I answer yes, nausea! It hasn't been too bad, but I can definitely tell that big business is going on inside me! We found out Oct. 12th, but wanted to wait a while to share our news. To say we are excited would be an understatement but I must add shocked and nervous as well. My dear friend Paula assures me that God gives you 9 months for a reason. I agree. So far everything looks healthy, but we certainly covet your prayers. Oh, I almost forgot to write about telling my students. I have been stuffing my face in class for weeks now...food is the key to avoiding the puke for me. So since I reached 12 weeks on my birthday, I thought it would be the perfect day to tell my kids. We have been playing "Shark Attack" which is my more politically correct version of "Hang Man." I usually get them to guess the title of a book, so a sentence was a bit of a stretch. Well, Rontaz finally guessed it with one letter missing..."I have a baby in my t_mmy."
Rontaz: I have a baby in my tummy.
Rontaz: (2nd time more fluently) I have a baby in my tummy.
Rontaz: Who has a baby in their tummy.
Me: I do, I am going to have a baby!
Class: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! (16 kids went NUTS!)
It was awesome! They were so excited and wanted me to bring it to school...Uh, hello, it's right here. They were a little disappointed to know that Baby Wolfe would not make his/her appearance until after we get out for the summer. They want to see him/her when they come back next year...are you kidding? My child will not be visiting that germ factory! I am already looking into getting my dad to build me a sanitation chamber at the front door. Speaking of, can you guess what I got for my birthday from my school friends? Six bottles of Bath and Body Works moisturizing antibacterial hand soap. They know me so well.