Tunes Tuesday: Rod McKuen - I Looked At You A Long Time

It's actually Wednesday, shhh. But it's been a while and I have stuff on my mind, so I thought I'd stop here and dump another song off. Don't mind me.

In case you couldn't tell from my last post, I've been in an introspective mood lately. That's probably a bit stupid, but eh, I can't help it. I found myself thinking about a former lover from long ago (what do you call someone you were in a serious relationship with but not married to?) Not in a "I miss you" way, more in "I wonder whatever happened to that crazy so-and-so" way. And also in a "boy, I sure don't want to experience any of the stupid shit that happened in that relationship again" way. Let us all learn from the past and go on to have nice, uncomplicated lives.

And now for the song of the day: Rod McKuen - I Looked At You A Long Time (1970).


This song reminds me of that relationship. Partially because I remember listening to this record together once, but also because the sentiment reminds me of my ex-whatever. He didn't steal my Sunday paper, but he did steal some of my cutlery. True story. Not that that's what the song is really about—but I do find myself sometimes thinking about him when I shave (my legs, anyway). I could say more on the subject, but it's probably best left in the past. Just like that cutlery, whosever drawer it ended up in.

Tunes Tuesday: Lipseye - Don't Worry

I've been having a weird couple of weeks. Sometimes I go through phases where I wonder if I'm really putting my effort and energy into the right things—not that that's especially weird, I guess. I think most people probably experience those sorts of feelings at one point or another, but it's been hitting me extra-hard lately. I don't want to get into too many specifics about my personal life on this blog, but right now I'm earning a big chunk of my livelihood from writing, and when your creative mojo and ability to support yourself get conflated, it can feel... taxing. Someone once told me that the thing you spend the most time daydreaming about should be the thing you end up doing for a living, but churning out banal crap out of obligation is not exactly what I dreamed about way back when. That said, it's not all bad... so should I stay the course? Quit? Or find a new hobby to obsess over? I think I'll spend the day wallowing in bed while I try to decide.

The last time I felt like this was shortly after I completed grad school. I finished with good marks, but felt strangely regretful about the experience—missed opportunities and all that. The kinds of things that only students who are delaying the inevitable reality of WORK can do. Oh well—it was too late then, and it sure as hell is too late now. For those things, anyway. But what about now? What am I doing (or not doing) today that I will regret tomorrow?

OK, enough maudlin shit. Today's song is Lipseye- Don't Worry, a relatively unknown Italo Disco/ballad track from 1986 I came across during that period of post-grad woe I just described. I found it strangely uplifting at the time—galloping synth base + delicate pianos + a whole bunch of other synth sounds + constant changes might not soothe all souls, but it did mine. Also, I don't want to say outright where I was living at the time, but there were many seabirds flying around, so even the odd, shoddily-constructed jacket art spoke to me. What the hell is wrong with me? Maybe nothing. Listen and decide for yourself.


Don't worry, we'll live for... a brand new day....