Hello Cruel World

Don't be scared away by the hoary aspect of the title of this post. It's just been too long since I posted anything. The other day I posted a quote from the movie Harold and Maude on the Fishfry (by my hip and sweet stepdaughter Daphne Duke {Daisy's long lost cousin?}). Anyway, I stayed away from the actual snippet I originally wanted to post because it's kind of gross. If you've seen the film you may recall that it's got sort of haphazard editing, that is, it jumps from scene to scene with a fair amount of discontinuity. That filmic gizmo seems right at home with the inherent shock value so important to the plot. In my favorite scene you're suddenly in a claustrophobic room with Harold and some kind of priest. The scene is short and it's obvious that Harold has just related the extent of his love interest in Maude to the padre. Here it is in full:

Priest: I would be remiss in my duty if I did not tell you that the idea of intercourse - the act of your firm, young body... comingling with... withered flesh... sagging breasts... and flabby b-b-buttocks... makes me want... to vomit.

Then it probably cuts to a scene without conversation and with Cat Stevens blaring on the soundtrack. I was into Cat Stevens a long time ago. It was because of my late brother Spencer. He's shown here with our neighbors Beth and Becky Cowan and my sister Greta in 1959 probably in the spring in Minnesota on Eagle Lake. Anyway, when Spence went to L.A. in the 60s to college he came home for holidays and stuff with a lot of new albums. One time he had Deja Vu by CSNY and Mona Bone Jakon by Cat Stevens.

Now that I play guitar I wish there were some Cat Stevens songs that I could play but alas, it takes some real pipes and usually some piano to make that sound anywhere near nice. Instead I'll just post the lyrics as I'm wont to do here at The Wicked Messenger. This song was not in the movie Harold and Maude but is first rate nevertheless.

Sitting

Oh I'm on my way, I know I am, somewhere not so far from here

All I know is all I feel right now, I feel the power growing in my hair

Sitting on my own not by myself, everybody's here with me

I don't need to touch your face to know, and I don't need to use my eyes to see

I keep on wondering if I sleep too long, will I always wake up the same (or so)?

I keep on wondering if I sleep too long, will I even wake up again, or something

Oh I'm on my way I know I am, but times there were when I thought not

Bleeding half my soul in bad company, I thank the moon I had the strength to stop

I'm not making love to anyone's wishes, only for that light I see

'Cause when I'm dead and lowered low in my grave, that's gonna

be the only thing that's left of me

And if I make it to the waterside, will I even find me a boat (or so)?

And if I make it to the waterside, I'll be sure to write you note, or something

Oh I'm on my way, I know I am, somewhere not so far from here

All I know is all I feel right now, I feel the power growing in my hair

Oh life is like a maze of doors and they all open from the side you're on

Just keep on pushing hard boy, try as you may

You're going to wind up where you started from

You're going to wind up where you started from

Nice isn't it? I'm going to have to give that one a try on the old guitar one more time.