Dream World

A few days ago I was doing some work on my computer. After working for a while I needed a short break. Instead of getting up I just leaned forward, placed my left elbow on the table and rested my head in my hand. As I did, my bookshelf came into view. The bookshelf is waist high and sits by my front door. It is accented by a platter of candles that sit on the very top. It contains two shelves. The bottom shelf is lined with books as you might expect. The top shelf however showcases a 3 dimensional sign that spells out the word “DREAM”.

As I stared at the sign I started to think about dreams. I tried to grasp the impact that dreams have on our very existence. There are the crazy dreams that we have that make sense while we are having them, but lack logic and reason when we try to explain them to others. There are dreams that wake us from a dead sleep. There are flying and falling dreams. I’ve personally had dreams with melodies that have been so strong that they have motivated me to wake up and capture the tune before it leaves me.

Dreams are not limited to our sleep time. There are of course day dreams that can take us away at any given moment. They can be just as motivating and just as powerful as the ones that we have during the night. I recalled thinking at one time how EVERY little thing that we see around us that was made by man was first a dream.  From the tiniest screw, to the largest rocket ship. They were all first created in the factory of the mind.

Dreams allow us to conceptualize things that may never happen. Right now, I’m recalling my dream from childhood in which I wanted to be an airline pilot. I was fascinated with planes. Little did I know color blindness would stop me in my tracks. Yes, I know, I could still pilot a small plane but that wasn’t my dream. I was going to work for Eastern and pilot a Boeing 727. To this day, I still feel a certain excitement when I enter an airport.

Dreams are a fascination to science for it remains a mystery WHY we dream. The study of dreams is called “Oneirology”. Sigmund Freud was a psychiatrist who studied dreams and the purpose behind dreams and had a belief that dreams represented our deepest inner desires. It has also been conceptualized by philosophers such as Parmenides that our very existence is a manifestation of a dream. “Ontology” or “Metaphysics” is the study of existence. Modern thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson , Phineas Quimby, Mary Baker Eddy, Charles Fillmore, Myrtle Fillmore and Ernest Holmes have redefined religious philosophy and lay their foundation in the idea that your thoughts (dreams) produce your experience.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Consciously or subconsciously, dreams are the catalyst for creation. Being a songwriter I have found myself many of times lost in thought trying to mold my ideas in the most concise manner. Writing a song is giving my thoughts and dreams the vibration of sound. The moment when the song goes from my head to the paper is that sacred moment of creation. The very act of writing a song has made me think of God and the moment the universe was created. Just like my song, it was an idea in mind put into motion.

As I continued to sit with my head in my hand, I started to recall a number of songs that were about our dreams, daydreams or imagination. After much consideration, I decided to put together my top ten list of the dreamiest songs:

#1 - Imagine  – John Lennon – upon its original release in 1971 it reached #3 on the US Billboard charts. Upon Lennon’s assassination in 1980 it topped the charts at #1

#2 - What A Day For A Daydream – The Lovin’ Spoonful (John Sebastian)  Reached #2 and was Sebastian’s attempt to rewrite Baby Love by the Supremes.

#3 - Dream A Little Dream Of Me – The Mamas and Papas – This remake of the 1931 song reached #12 in 1968. John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas was personal friends with Felix Andre. Andre was one of the songs original co-writers with Gus Kahn.

#4 - Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House – reached #2 in 1986. The song lyrics are non-rhyming lyrics. A feature I appreciate as a songwriter.

#5 - Pure Imagination – from Willy Wonka. (uncharted) Who can forget the scene at the end of the movie when Charlie gets to push the button and take off in the Wonkavator. Charlie (Peter Ostrum) declined a career in acting and is now a large animal Veterinarian in Lowville, NY.

#6 - Dreamboat Annie – Heart  - Charted at #42 and was frequently played as the intro to “Crazy On You” which itself cracked the top 40 at #35. The acoustic guitar in Dreamboat Annie and Crazy On You was played by Nancy Wilson. The skill and dexterity of Wilson was a tremendous influence to me in my early years of playing guitar. 

#7 - Dream On – Aerosmith  - peaked at #6 on its re-release in 1976. The song is one of the best Rock Anthems of all time and is the bands signature song.

# 8 - You Make My Dreams Come True – Hall and Oates – Reached #5 on the charts in 1981 and is by far my favorite Hall and Oates song despite having 6 songs that were #1.

#9 - The impossible Dream – from Man of La Mancha – Peaked at #35 on Billboard’s Hot 100 list but reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Jim Nabor’s did a stunning version of this song on the show Gomer Pyle USMC.

#10 - I Dreamed a Dream – from Les Miserables – There is only one thing to say about this song: SUSAN BOYLE. Her performance STILL brings tears to my eyes!

Honorable mention

California Dreamin’ – Mamas and the Papas

These Dreams – Heart

Dream Dream Dream – Everly brothers.

Imagination – Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra

Daydream Believer – The Monkees

Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

What are YOUR dreamiest songs? Write about it on my blog. 

NOTE: click the song titles to see videos of the songs

Humor in Religion

As mentioned in my last post, I was in Kansas last week. While traveling home my wife and I decided to take the back roads. We have always been the type who prefers the local landscape over the boring mundane interstate. It’s fun to see different houses and wonder how people live in remote areas. 

Faith is the one thing that shows up big in a small town. Rural Kansas is no exception. While making our way north on State Road 177, we came across a church marquis that displayed the very simple question “got Jesus?” It was obviously a spin, off of the famous milk commercials that asked “got milk?” The commercial as well as the sign suggested that these were essentials to basic survival.

Since I wasn’t in a hurry I wanted to take a picture of it to help preserve the memory of our drive.  Of course my wife thought I was crazy but that’s nothing new.  I turned around and hopped out of the car. I made my way to underneath the sign. My wife positioned herself roadside as I posed by holding up my hands toward sign. A few seconds late, SNAP! The moment was immortalized by the camera of her smart phone.

After we drove off I reflected on this very simple question and wondered how it might be answered by those who passed by. Would they ignore it? Would it make them think of the famous milk commercials as it did me? Would they feel any guilt? Would it bring a feeling of reassurance?

Later that day I posted the picture to my facebook account. I got an assortment of likes from my family and friends and most seemed to get the light-hearted nature of the picture and me being goofy. 

All was fine until I received a comment from now an EX-friend who decided to openly criticize me for the posting. His post were so toxic I deleted them. Basically he believed that I was mocking Christians and called me a "hater of the Christ." I was stunned, not to mention offended by this grotesque character assassination of me. REALLY? ..... And you are my FRIEND?  Whew!!  Who needs enemies with friends like you??   After a few heated exchanges, I decided to cut my ties with the person. He certainly has a right to his opinion but not on MY facebook page. It was the 2^nd time that he had done something like this and I wasn't going to tolerate it again.

It left me wondering though how Jesus might feel about this innocuous picture?

Then I thought, does Jesus have a sense of humor? Is humor in accord with Christianity?

Laughing Jesus by Gary Ellis

It’s an understanding of all factions of Christianity that Jesus lived a very human life. That being the case, one can assume that he experienced and expressed the whole range of emotions. He laughed, he cried, he was reflective, insightful and I believe FUNNY as well. Think about it; 13 guys roaming the Galilean countryside, there had to be times of gut splitting laughter.

Then my imagination kicked in......

what might happen in the absence of the multitudes. What if one evening Jesus looked over at Peter and said, “hey Pete, when James goes to sleep, let’s tie his feet together and then make a loud noise!”

It might have appeared in the KJV bible like this:

and lo, when night had come upon them, Jesus spake these words 

unto Peter, “Upon James’s slumber, thou shalt bind his feet with 

twine. Shall ye then make a joyful noise unto the Lord. He shall stumble from his sleep and bring laughter to the son of man….. 

Maybe Jesus placed a fish under his nose while he was still 

sleeping?  Maybe the disciples dunked Jesus in the Sea of Galilee on occasion? Who knows?

We will never know whether or not events such as these ever occurred but I believe they did. It would just seem consistent with our humanity.

Humor might be lacking in Scripture, but it is well represented in song.

Here are several funny songs about religion that have cracked me up over the years.

The most famous is “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” by Ray Stevens – This song provides great imagery of what MIGHT happen if a squirrel got loose inside a church. It is a classic for sure.

“The Snake Song” by Bob Jenkins available on his album "Flying Sheep" is a hysterical song about a back woods church where they handle snakes.

“The Wiccan Quarterback”  by John Mitchell– describes a professional quarterback who is a practicing Wicca, talking to reporters after a big game.

“The Armageddon Polka” – also by John Mitchell – describes the end of the world in a most light hearted way. I actually cover this song in some of my performances

These songs can bring a laugh but music is not the only vehicle for bringing a chuckle about the church experience. Take a look at this video of funny baptisms. (click here)

Maybe these are just wayward humans, but I think not. I think God wants us to laugh and I think Jesus would laugh as well.

NOTE: To hear the songs above, click on the title of the song and it will take you to a video or audio of them.  

As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls

I wish you could have been there. It was a late October day in 1982 when I was making my way home on a greyhound bus, traveling from Raleigh to Wilmington NC. The scene outside of the bus window was picturesque. Gold and red colors painted the sky, in front of the back light of an orange sun. The silhouette of a hot air balloon accented the sky, and as it drifted slowly, it seemed to carry with it all the day dreams that were on my mind.

I had been in Raleigh to receive my physical examination for entrance into the Navy. I was young, apprehensive, and feeling like I was alone in the world. I was scared, worried and wondered if I had just done the greatest thing in my life, or the worst.

Instead of engaging in meaningless chatter with other passengers, I remained lost in the scene outside my bus window for as long as sun light would let me. Before the trip I had thought to bring along my stereo headphones. These were the kind that were big and bulky and only provided you with radio station reception. They predated CD’s. YES CD’s!! (I feel old all of a sudden) These bulky headphones only seemed to serve my young self with an even more awkward appearance.

As I flipped through the low end of the dial where all the weird cool channels are, I stumbled across the college station WKNC 88.1 broadcasting from NC State. It happened to be their jazz hour. The DJ was introducing a song by Pat Metheny titled “September 15^th”   and mentioned it was a song dedicated to Bill Evans who is a legend in jazz circles. 

Bill had died on September 15^th 1980 from a drug overdose and on this 1981 album “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls”, Pat Metheny paid this musical tribute to him.

The music accentuated the experience of the balloon and the sunset. In some cosmic way, it was like the two were linked together. The music gave the beautiful view out my window its very own sound track. My words pale in comparison to the actual experience but maybe the fact that I am recalling the experience 31 years later, gives an indication of its impact on me. It was one of those moments I wish I could relive.

This memory came back to me last Sunday when I visited Wichita, Kansas for the first time. As I recalled this memory, I was transported back to that late October day, sitting on that greyhound, remembering the ethereal moment. As my mind continued to drift I started to wonder about the title of the album. Why would Metheny choose such an unusual name for his album? Taking this thought a step further into my humoristic mind, I asked myself the question; Would Wichita Falls really fall if Wichita fell? And in turn, if Wichita Falls fell, would Wichita also fall? Are you with me? 

The 2 cities are 299 miles apart and it just doesn’t seem logical that one city would have to suffer just because the other one did! RIGHT? Is there some cosmic connection happening between these two cities that we just don’t understand?

I decided to have a little fun and investigate this idea. I started at the source; Pat Metheny. I posted a question on his fan forum in hoping to find out more about the origin of the title. So far NO RESPONSE!!!

According to other sources, the title came from a bassist named Steve Swallow. I found Steve Swallow’s website and sent him the same question. Again I received NO RESPONSE!!!

I started to become curious. Why won’t these guys acknowledge this question? Could they be hiding something? What do THEY know that the rest of us don’t know?

Like I said, I was having fun!

My next stop was to contact the local governments of Wichita and Wichita Falls to see if they had any inkling of such a notion. So I emailed the mayor of Wichita, Carl Brewer to ask if he was aware that he was not only responsible for the good fortune of his city, but for Wichita Falls as well! 

NO RESPONSE!!!  DAMN!! (MORE FUN!!)

I also emailed the city of Wichita Falls and their city manager Darron Leiker. He was out of town but he was kind enough to pass this off to his Asst. City Manager, Jim Dockery. 

This was Mr. Dockery’s response:

Chris, Darron is out of the office this week and forwarded your email to me last night.  Interesting questions that you have, but in my opinion, Wichita Falls is connected to Wichita, Kansas is name only.   No one to my knowledge has ever passed any ordinances or legislation that would require the City of Wichita Falls to go belly up if something dreadful happened to our bigger brother in Kansas or visa versa!  If that were to happen, however, then maybe our citizen's mail wouldn't end up in Kansas anymore. 

Thanks for the email and good luck with your story.

Jim Dockery
Assistant City Mgr/CFO
City of Wichita Falls, TX

So there you have it. Official word from Wichita Falls that denies the claim that the album title implies.
(A LOT OF FUN!!!)

I admit that this was a funny example of examining the obvious. I’m probably the only one that would bother to follow this rabbit trail to the end. That said, there is something to be learned here.

We can sometimes allow the failures of others to keep us from realizing our own potential. If something bad happens to someone who is close to us, it can give us license to fail. This was never more evident to me than my very own Uncle Tommy.

Tommy was a talented artist, and a dancer. Tommy had it all, or should I say COULD have had it all. Tommy suffered from the disease of alcoholism and it claimed not only his life but his soul. He died in his late 60’s, losing everything to this dreadful disease, and falling painfully short of utilizing the full potential of his God-given talents.

Tommy would always tell people that he was an alcoholic “because my daddy was an alcoholic”. He was perfectly content not taking responsibility for his own actions. It was frustrating to those around Tommy who had reached out to him to try and help him. He lived a sad life when he didn’t have to. Out of 8 children, he was the one who possessed the greatest talents but also the only one who let the sins of his father, dictate his fate. Metaphorically, my grandfather was Wichita and Uncle Tommy was Wichita Falls and sadly for him, this title exemplified a very dreadful path.

The title of this album now serves as a reminder to me that failure is not due to an association with someone or something. No one is born under a black cloud. No one controls your destiny except YOU! Failure is a choice and playing a victim is an easy way and sometimes the most destructive way out!  So in conclusion I surmise that “As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls”, ONLY if you let it.

The Most Depressing Songs Of All Time

I was lucky enough to have a great experience yesterday performing with my son at Unity Village Chapel in Lees Summit, MO. We did an instrumental version of the song “America, The Beautiful”. The quiet reflective way that it was performed received for us a standing ovation. My son’s last note not only pierced the air but pierced the hearts of every soul in the place. For me it was the added joy of seeing my son being praised and well received after his hours and hours of hard work and practice.

But music has dark side. And for a few weeks now I have thought about some songs that bring out the sadness in us. Why, you asked? Well it all started with me being perplexed by what I call one of the most interesting #1 songs of all time. It has one of the most beautiful melodies that I could hum all day, but yet its message wants to make you run to the kitchen and grab the butcher knife and just end it all. It is none other than Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “Alone Again Naturally.”

From a musical standpoint, the melody is as interesting to me as anything Jimmy Webb ever wrote (whom I love by the way). Jimmy wrote a lot of the Glen Campbell hits; “By The Time I Get To Phoenix”, “Wichita Linemen” and others and some of his songs could be on the short list of most depressing songs, but they fall miserably behind Gilbert. 

Alone Again Naturally starts out with the idea that I might as well just go kill myself. I just got stood up at my wedding. So I’m going to go to a nearby tower and throw myself off!  You know life sucks and now looking back at it, it has ALWAYS sucked! And I’m alone again! NATURALLY!

The chorus reads:

“It seems to me that there are more hearts

 broken in the world that can’t be mended

left unattended

What do we do? What do we do?"

Well you don’t kill yourself cowboy! Get some counseling, seek some therapy, or talk to a priest. If all else fails, go out and just get shitfaced drunk. The Tower, NOT such a good idea.

But alas, Gilbert is not as “ALONE” as he may think. There are a few other songs making my short list of “Woe is me” songs!

#2 - “The Diary” by Bread – It is another beautiful melody whose subject realizes that his love is in love with someone else. Of course she was probably super pissed at him that he infringed upon her privacy and read about her inner most thoughts. Maybe his insecurity was a way of pushing her toward a REAL man that didn’t have such deep insecurity issues. Message to subject: Grow some balls, stop being an insecure wimp and STOP reading other people’s private stuff!

#3- “Honey” by Bobby Goldsboro. Now this song came out in 1968. I was 4 at the time. I remember literally crying when I heard this song. Any song that makes a 4 year old cry has got to make some kind of list. It does make #1 on my most sappy love songs of all time.

#4 - “Angie” – by the Rolling Stones – Gotta throw a rock ballad on this top 5 list. Two lovers who have exhausted all they had on each other only to see all their “dreams go up in smoke”. But darn it, we tried girl and I’m done now. I can’t give you another ounce of my life.

#5 - “The Last Time I Saw Her Face” – by Gordon Lightfoot. – Although this song makes my top 5, it has my full respect as a songwriter. This song possesses some of the most beautiful lyrics ever written. It is composed in such a way that you feel you are there on the scene, taking notes on what is going on. It also pulls off something that I love as a songwriter, that being the verses do not rhyme. The melody is equally as beautiful and although I love Gordon’s version of the song, it is Glen Cambell’s version of the song that is just so unbelievable. 

I consider this song Gordon’s greatest work, and THAT is saying something from the guy who gave us “If You Could Read My Mind”, “Rainy Day People” and “The Wreck Of the Edmund Fitzgerald”. Lyrically it is one of the finest songs ever written. The words are so beautiful they are worth sharing in entirety:

"The last time I saw her face,
her eyes were bathed in starlight and her hair hung long
The last time she spoke to me,
her lips were like the scented flowers inside a rain-drenched forest
But that was so long ago that I can scarcely feel the way I felt before
And if time could heal the wounds, I would tear the threads away that I might bleed some more

The last time I walked with her
Her laughter was the steeple bells That ring to greet the morning sun
A voice that called to everyone To love the ground she walked upon
Those were good days

The last time I held her hand,
her touch was autumn, spring and summer, and winter too
The last time I let go of her,
she walked a way into the night I lost her in the misty streets,
a thousand months, a thousand miles
When other lips will kiss her eyes
A million miles beyond the moon, that's where she is

The last time she kissed my cheek
Her lips were like the wilted leaves Upon the autumn covered hills
Resting on the frozen ground The seeds of love lie cold and still
Beneath a battered marking stone It lies forgotten "

In closing, Let it be known that I love all these songs and have listened to them thousands of times and I thank the hands that wrote them.

What are some songs that you find depressing?

Write about it in the comments section below.