5 on Friday - Set 162

Travis at Trav's Thoughts invites everyone to lay down a short set of music that takes their fancies for his 5 on Friday meme.

When I was looking through the arts section of the paper yesterday after I finished eating supper, which is my chill out time between the day job and my evening writing shift, I noticed several event listings that featured World Storytelling Day.

What a great thing to showcase for 5 on Friday, I thought. So here are five story songs as we head into World Storytelling Day, March 20th.

1 - Rocky Raccoon - The Beatles 

2 - Famous Blue Raincoat - Leonard Cohen

3 - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald - Gordon Lightfoot 

4 -Darlington County - Bruce Springsteen

5 - Taxi - Harry Chapin

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend--I'll be at my second Women Making Waves conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Storytelling through film, television and digital media, by women. It's not a women-only conference, however--it's a film industry event attended by both genders. In fact, my fellow conference-goer this year is my husband Brad.

I'll share the highlights in next week's Thursday Thirteen.

Poetry Train Monday - 160 - I'm Your Man

I'm in a rather romantic state of mind after my anniversary weekend, so for today's post I'm turning to Leonard Cohen's raw passion and his masterful crafting of these lyrics.


For more poetry, Ride the Poetry Train!
















I'm Your Man


If you want a lover
I'll do anything you ask me to
And if you want another kind of love
I'll wear a mask for you
If you want a partner
Take my hand
Or if you want to strike me down in anger
Here I stand
I'm your man

If you want a boxer
I will step into the ring for you
And if you want a doctor
I'll examine every inch of you
If you want a driver
Climb inside
Or if you want to take me for a ride
You know you can
I'm your man

Ah, the moon's too bright
The chain's too tight
The beast won't go to sleep
I've been running through these promises to you
That I made and could not keep

Ah, but a man never got a woman back
Not by begging on his knees
Or I'd crawl to you baby
And fall at your feet
And I'd howl at your beauty
Like a dog in heat
And I'd claw at your heart
And I'd tear at your sheet
I'd say please, please
I'm your man

And if you've got to sleep
A moment on the road
I will steer for you
And if you want to work the street alone
I'll disappear for you
If you want a father for your child
Or only want to walk with me awhile
Across the sand
I'm your man

- Leonard Cohen



Illustration of Victoria receiving news that she is queen by H. T. Wells

Toni says That smokey voice and the stark black and white images....draws you right in.

Marinela says Lovely creative work, enjoyed it :)

Akelamalu says I so enjoyed that, thanks for sharing Julia. :)

Thursday Thirteen - 143 - 13 Songs About Canada By Canadian Artists

As we head ever closer to the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, here is a tour across the country I'm honoured to call home:

1 - We are First Nations, Inuit and Metis.

Hina Na Ho Ho (Celebration) - Susan Aglukark



2 - We love hockey.

The Hockey Song - Stompin' Tom Connors



3 - We stride through our days with our past in every heart beat.

Cape Breton fiddle music - Buddy MacMaster and Ashley MacIsaac



4 - We carve our future through The True North, strong and free.

Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot



5 - 'Mon pays, ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver' ('My country is not a country, it's winter')

Montreal -40°C - Malajube



6 - We stand on guard for thee.

Hero - Nickleback



7 - 'And for those who like to rock, a rocking chair in the middle.'

Oowatanite - April Wine



8 - We define who we are by who we are not.

American Woman - The Guess Who



9 - We show the kiddies how it's done.

YYZ - Rush



10 - We shrug off genius as mere poetry.

Dance Me To The End of Love - Leonard Cohen

CLICK HERE to watch Dance Me To The End of Love














11 - 'Car ton bras sait porter l'épée, Il sait porter la croix!' ('As in thy arm ready to wield the sword, So also is it ready to carry the cross.')

Time For Mercy - Jann Arden



12 - With glowing hearts we see thee rise.

Departure Bay - Diana Krall



13 - O Canada! Our home and native land!

Home - Michael Bublé



Janet says Thanks for the reference to the Friendly Giant - I always called for the rocking chair before my brother.

Anthony North says It's always good to celebrate one's country.

MommyBa says Canada's always been on top of my list as the best place to go to in the world.

Poetry Train Monday - 67 - Mission

Today's poem is dedicated to my friend Pam Langille, who passed away last July and whose memorial service is coming up this Friday. There are two services, actually, one at 4:00 pm at St. Andrew's United Church in Halifax and one at 6:00 pm at the North Street Church, also in Halifax.

I'm posting a poem by one of Canada's brilliant voices - Leonard Cohen.

The first picture shows the Hemlock Ravine in Halifax/Bedford, because Pam was a passionate advocate of the Acadian forest and spoke very lovingly of hemlocks. The second photo was taken of Pam's resting place at the foot of an old hemlock in the woodland of a great friend of hers.















Mission


I've worked at my work
I've slept at my sleep
I've died at my death
And now I can leave
Leave what is needed
And leave what is full
Need in the Spirit
And need in the Hole
Beloved, I'm yours
As I've always been
From marrow to pore
From longing to skin
Now that my mission
Has come to its end:
Pray I'm forgiven
The life that I've led
The Body I chased
It chased me as well
My longing's a place
My dying a sail

- Leonard Cohen