Mistakes, a Playlist

This week’s theme for Twisted Mixtape Tuesday is “Past Mistakes.”  It’s open for interpretation as long as one comes up with a playlist of five songs sticking to the theme.

Don’t we often come up with excuses, or justification, for our past mistakes? 

“I shouldn’t have, but it looked so good”
“I would have, but I just couldn’t get all my ducks in a row before hand.”
“It wasn’t my fault.  They made me do it.  Plus I was under the influence.”

I’m starting my Twisted Tuesday with just that—excuses:

*It’s already well into Wednesday so I have little time to think of a clever interpretation.
*Although it has warmed up to 17 degrees, my creative brain has yet to thaw.
*I’m late on this.  All the good songs are probably already taken by other bloggers in the link up.

And so on…

And so on…

Infinity.

However.

I am committed to blogging regularly in 2014.  Responding to a prompt in a blog link up makes it easy.  Plus, I love music. 

Wait.  

Were those justifications to write something for Twisted Mixtape Tuesday?

Yes.  I think they were.

Mistakes.  A Playlist.

1 - Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Meat Loaf

This song, the Bat Out of Hell album cover, and this story of that most universal mistake were all very provocative to me as a child.  As an adult, the make-out portion in this video is just as provocative for its qualities of silliness, not for its qualities of greatness.  Although, I do find the theatrics to be highly entertaining.

“Stop Right There!” – Female vocals – hands down, my favorite part of the song.  I’ve always wanted to sound like that.  Just know, on the inside, I do.

2 – Cocaine Blues – Johnny Cash

I love Johnny Cash.  It’s difficult for me to leave him off any playlist, even a short one like this.  He was the best at telling us about his mistakes, lamenting, asking for forgiveness, never ashamed to own up to being human.

I am pretty sure that Cocaine Blues is fiction—and a great work of fiction, in my humble opinion (sorry Tolkien fans).  It is morbid to think of it as biographical.  Maybe metaphorical? Let’s just hear the tune.

3 – Up Jump the Devil – The .357 String Band

The man sells his soul to the devil and then hangs himself.  Sounds like a bad day to me. Nevertheless, I do love the sound of this punk-grass, old-timey, gritty song.  Plus, I traversed the Midwest to quite a few .357 String Band shows in the mid 2000’s.  They hold a special little space in my heart.

4 – Cheers Darlin’ – Damien Rice

I chose this for its clarinet intro.  My daughter plays the clarinet.  She was and is definitely not a mistake.  (That little description has nothing to do with the theme. Cue song).

5 – Nobody's Perfect – Hannah Montana

My girls were of the perfect age to be huge Hannah Montana fans.  This is one of my favorite songs from that time period in our lives.  It’s uplifting and provides a positive message for tweens. 

My girls are now teenagers.

 

The transformation of Miley from Hannah Montana to Twerk Queen has been uncomfortable to watch.  But I’m here to tell you, it is eerily similar to how it feels to parent teens.

Be kind.  Remember, everybody makes mistakes.

Don't try this at home:

"Over Monday and Tuesday, the Los Angeles Times counted at least 50 people on social media who reported burning themselves or their friends after trying to turn boiling water into snow. There were also several reports of people going to the hospital to receive treatment for burns."

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-boiling-snow-20140107,0,6070776.story#ixzz2ppmxx4VV