The Regular Friday Post
Rando Lyric: Don't forget that I remember
Last week’s rando lyrics: The lyric, “And time is always pushing on” is from the song "Transient Whales”, performed by Toad the Wet Sprocket. Written by Glen Phillips, it is Track 2 on the album “Starting Now”, released in August of 2021 on the Abe's Records, The SRG/ILS Group label (Ed. …or labels? - dunno if that’s one or two labels….). Produced by Mikal Blue (Ed - interesting backstory to Mr. Blue - appears in lots of places…).
Welcome to The Regular Friday post!
So, when the biz can’t quite pigeonhole a band, it’s “alternative rock”. Thus, Toad the Wet Sprocket is an “alternative rock band” according to Wikipedia, but…
I suppose defining them in ambiguous terms is somewhat better than pigeonholing them in some odd term like “progressive folk funk psychedelia” or similar nonsense. In any event, Toad is a great band and frontman Glen Phillips is a great songwriter and musician - Link: Glen Phillips.
Link to Wikipedia's Attempt To Define Alternative Rock - Ed. so basically whatever isn’t some other kind of rock….I guess…
Mr. Phillips’ bio at the link is great and includes this gem: “Phillips is known for performing barefoot.[22]”
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Some Stuff:
A Song To Play:
Today’s “A Song To Play” is a great acoustic song by Toad the Wet Sprocket off the “Starting Now” album from 2021. 4/4 common time, a mid level tempo of 97 beats per minute, in the Key of DMaj.
Mr. Phillips had much to say about the meaning of the song in a November 2021 interview with American Songwriter Magazine with this quote:
“Transient whales typically travel in small groups hunting, gathering, and making their way. Perhaps a metaphor for how we move through life with one other, Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “Transient Whales” covers the moments in times, in life, that go away as fast as they’ve come in.” Link: AS - Transient Whales
While there are a lot of great songs on the album, I picked this one because it’s a great, fun song to …wait for it…fingerpick; or flatpick like Mr. Phillips is in the obviously-not-recorded-live video above if that’s your thing, or strum, or whatever. Great lyrics and a well written, mostly uncomplicated song. Great song to work on the F#m and Bm chords in a not-too-fast song. However you decide to play it…
…have fun!!
Chordify Link: Transient Whales
Genius Lyrics: Link: Transient Whales
I miss calling some place home
I miss thinking I could know
Where I would spend my final days
Or plant a seed and watch it grow
I don't like waking up alone
Don't like cooking meals for one
I miss the chaos and the noise
The family work that's never done
Now in dreams I swim with the transient whales
All we have is each other and the songs we share
The songs we share
We are never standing still
The Earth is spinning round the Sun
The Sun is swinging through the heavens
And time is always pushing on
But this body begs for comfort
And it groans with every change
Well it hopes it will not suffer
Prays in vain it will not age
And in dreams I swim with the transient whales
All we have is each other and the songs we share
The songs we share
I love jokes that last for years
And having people dropping by
I liked being at the center
Of a place that felt alive
Now my home is in the ocean
Where my song can travel free
Carried softly by the water
To wherever you may be
Now in dreams I swim with the transient whales
All we have is each other and the songs we share
The songs we share
All we have is each other and the songs we share
The songs we share
The “ME!” Section…..
What I’m Listening2: - “It's Just The Normal Noises”- 25 songs, some more playable than others… (Note - you may have to go to Ultimate Guitar or Chordify - subscriptions required, but worth it - to find chord charts for them)!
Shameless Self Promotion Section:
My song is out! Link: “>Long Road Back<”click on this link for streaming options, then scroll down for links (or just click on these links) to Amazon, Apple, Pandora, iTunes and even Spotify
If you’re enjoying our content, please let your friends and musician acquaintances know about us!!! Thanks for supporting this free newsletter!
Disclaimer Section
This Substack is free, I receive no compensation of any kind from companies or products I mention (except when you click on one of the links above for my song - then I might make 0.003 cents - yes 3/1000ths of a cent… just sayin…). Some linked or quoted material may be copyrighted by others, and I credit them. I rely on the “Fair Use” doctrine for educational purposes (Link: Fair Use). *I do not use AI for any of the text that’s found here, things I embed or link to (such as some images) might…
-Michael Acoustic
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This Week’s Conversation With Mika, The Cat:
Ed…. I had apparently fallen far short of her expectations….
Cheers and keep playing!!
Michael Acoustic
“It’s never really final - you just run out of things you can bear to change…”
I was so lucky to meet ttws at one of their shows years ago. Just the nicest people. Listening to them is one of my “comfort bands”. I love them so much.