The Talkin’ Headline Blues is a weekly series of recordings using unedited headlines from CNN.com written as a song. This week’s topic: Lazy Beef.
Lazy couple shakes teen twerks.
Native beef a slur.
Word choice or a farm gay?
Bias!
Tag Archives: chicagofolkmusic
The Talkin’ CTA Blues (Rahm Emanuel Version)
Same Old, Same Old
Well, this is another Chicago-inspired tune that I wrote several years ago. In 2008! But, the more things change, the more they stay the same, right? The CTA is still crashing trains, but instead of Mayor Daley making things right, we’ve got Rahm Emanuel.
I wrote the original version about a CTA crash on the blue line, but since there was just recently this one (or, even this one that I saw happen), I figured I better update the song a little. You can read about the original version and listen to it here. Or, if you feel like supporting a local musician, buy the song here. You’ll notice the differences.
For one, Chicago isn’t trying to get the Olympics any more, but Mayor Rahm does want to use our hard earned dollars and change to build a shiny basketball arena for DePaul University. They MUST need it bad, huh? Go ahead and read up on it. The Chicago Reader always has some good points.
Anyway, I always enjoyed this song. Singing it, performing it. I’m adding it back into my lineup. Maybe you’ll catch a show where I play it sometime soon?
Hey! You can now download this song by clicking here.
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The Talkin’ Headline Blues #93
If you’ve been reading my Medicated Artist posts, then you’ll know why it may have been such a struggle for me to record this song. I’m not really sure why, but it took every ounce to just do it.
Weird.
Anyway, this is the 93rd version of this series and I don’t see any point in stopping. Sometimes I think I should, but can’t after reading a headline like this:
Miss America: Butt glue and more highlights
It’s funny on it’s own. Someone took the time to write that. Someone brought home the bacon by writing that. But then, also think about how, maybe, the same person wrote this headline:
Multiple bodies inside navy yard
See how it becomes even more insane? Why do I need to know about both of those things in such close context?
Is someone who’s really excited about Miss America also going to be interested in reading news items about death? It’s possible, I guess, but I wonder….
Can you retain any of that information that your bombarded with? And how would you even read the thousands of different headlines that are on CNN.com every single day? IMPOSSIBLE.
Even if you just skim the brief, somewhat-vague-somewhat-descriptive headlines, you’ll never remember more than one or two. I can’t. But, maybe my memory just isn’t good.
Are one or two headlines all the information you need to make it through the day? Maybe so.
Usually, I just want to drink coffee all day and be left alone to think about donuts and when I should get a haircut. So, I can get by on one or two headlines.
Sometimes I wonder about everyone else, though. How does everyone else see this world? How do they navigate it? What are their relationships like? What do they hold close? And how much do they let out?
And then I go back to considering sprinkles or no sprinkles or an afternoon haircut or an evening one.
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The Talkin’ Headline Blues #92
Hmm…this did not come out of my mouth as smooth as intended. It did not roll off my lips and teeth like a talkin’ blues song usually does. It does not sound like the Columbia River.
My voice sounds beat up. Bruised. Hurt.
Really it’s just over-rested. Unused. Hurt.
But anyway, here are the tip-top very-best headlines for the week from CNN.com. They just never quit over there (down there?) in Atlanta, huh?
Keep churning them out, okay? Because it just keeps me giggling. And keeps me in practice.
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New Song: I need to have a name
Okay. Here’s the second song of the one-song-that’s-only-one-line-every-one-day thing that I’m attempting.
One!
I recorded the harp first for this one. That melody was in my head. I had no One Line. So I laid it down (or is it layed it down?) as they say.
Then I put in some guitar. This was tricky because I did not play the harmonica at an even tempo or an even time signature. Go figure. (This is why I use a harp rack most times. I don’t know where that is, though.)
They I added two tracks of vocals after coming up with a line of words. Might not seem like much now. Just want, though, until I put together all the different one line parts. Then it’ll seem like, well, a longer nothing.
But I’m entertained at the moment. Try not to stare with your mouth open.
(Please listen close on the vocal track. Do you hear that? That’s either my voice going because I’m out of practice, or because I’m coming down with a head cold. Your pick.)
Music Vomit 