I am obsessed with a song that came out in 1999 called “Senza Pieta” which means “Without Mercy” by an Italian artist I love named Anna Oxa. Somehow I never heard it when it came out so it’s like a new song to me. She’s always been one of my favorite artists because she’s always so unique and original. She always looks and sounds different but she is always beautiful and such a passionate performer. She’s been very successful in Italy and abroad for decades.

I was so thrilled to read that Anna actually won the grand prize at the festival of Sanremo which is an annual competition in Italy for music artists. She previously won the prize a decade earlier in 1989 with “Ti lascerò” which was a duet with Fausto Leali. She had placed 2nd at the festival in 1978 as a 16 year old so this was a wonderful achievement that took over 20 years to win completely on her own. What a song it is too.

The music video is just as enjoyable as the song itself. She looks amazing and I enjoyed the Gladiator and knights of the round table look and feel. Check it out below as well as her live performance of the song at Sanremo which she won in 1999.

Here’s her live performance that won it all. What a fantastic performer she is.

Here’s an interview of Anna after winning. It’s very funny…

Here are the lyrics translated (rather badly). The title translates to Without Pity but the meaning and spirit is more without mercy in the context of the story of the song.

We stop the swamps or snow,
your capital now glimpse,
day after day ride of your life …
Are generally more cruel face,
I do not make prisoners, and my sword is shining
land after land every attack your fortress I …
You’ll find …
I’ll take …
I’ll take you …
Forever with me …
You shake …
conquer …
protect you …
And without mercy
I will love you with all my love …
And without pity
will become a source
in the desert …
I quench its thirst …
My hands, your hands in this battle,
is a treacherous ambush this bush
roll along the river of feelings …
You’ll find …
I’ll take …
I’ll take you …
Forever with me …
You shake …
conquer …
protect you …
And without mercy
I will love you with all my love …
And without mercy
will become a source
in the desert …
I quench its thirst …
Do not be afraid of me …
even the deepest darkness
may be worth a gamble … the thrill … more
it’s you …
No mercy
I will love you with all my love
and mercilessly
become your kingdom
sweet dream …
I will win …
I will give myself and this heart of mine
and mercilessly …
I bathe her lips
with the lips
I quench its thirst …

I’ve always loved this gem from the Indigo Girls from way back in the day. It always makes me smile and feel inspired. How can you not love a song that mentions Rasputin and philosophy? Great lyrics with amazing harmonies and beautiful melody delivering an important message. What more could you ever ask from a classic song?

Enjoy!

Closer To Fine

Indigo Girls | MySpace Music Videos

“Closer To Fine”

I’m trying to tell you something about my life
Maybe give me insight between black and white
The best thing you’ve ever done for me
Is to help me take my life less seriously, it’s only life after all
Well darkness has a hunger that’s insatiable
And lightness has a call that’s hard to hear
I wrap my fear around me like a blanket
I sailed my ship of safety till I sank it, I’m crawling on your shore.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I went to see the doctor of philosophy
With a poster of Rasputin and a beard down to his knee
He never did marry or see a B-grade movie
He graded my performance, he said he could see through me
I spent four years prostrate to the higher mind, got my paper
And I was free.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I stopped by the bar at 3 a.m.
To seek solace in a bottle or possibly a friend
I woke up with a headache like my head against a board
Twice as cloudy as I’d been the night before
I went in seeking clarity.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

I went to the doctor, I went to the mountains
I looked to the children, I drank from the fountain
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine.

We go to the bible, we go through the workout
We read up on revival and we stand up for the lookout
There’s more than one answer to these questions
pointing me in a crooked line
The less I seek my source for some definitive
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine
The closer I am to fine

Amanda Marshall’s song “Everybody’s Got a Story” shares a great message about people and the dangers of judging books by its cover. We are all much more complex than meets the eye. Whether its the people we pass walking down the street, the neighbors we live near or the people we work with, we need to remember there is much more to them than we think.

With all the success of social networks this point become even more important. We must remember that there are living breathing human beings behind each and every one of those screen names and avatars. No matter how much they share online, there is always far more we don’t know about them in real life offline. We are much more than our tweets.

Everybody’s Got a Story

You walk up to me and say
“Feel like I know you baby”
And then take a sip of your cherry coke now
Now who drinks a cherry coke?
Maybe you’re nervous, I see that bead of sweat
Dancin’ on your cheek
Your words are like cheap champagne
I get the point but it’s much too sweet
I’m so tired of the dance
This carousel of superficial conversation
Gets me nowhere…
Chorus
So you can see my bra underneath my shirt
Watch the wind underneath my skirt
But that ain’t the picture it’s just a part
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my eyes, don’t see what I see
Touch my tongue, don’t know what tastes good to me
It’s the human condition that keeps us apart
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
Yeah everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
lalala lalana nanana nana na naaa
Verse
Now who can read the mind
Of the red-headed girl next door (mm)
Or the taxi driver who just dropped you off or the
Or the classmate that you ignore
Don’t assume everything on the surface is what you see
‘Cause that classmate just lost her mother
And that taxi-driver’s got a Ph.D
I’m so tired of the fear that
Weighs us down with wrong assumptions
Of broken hearts and natural function
Chorus
So you can see my bra underneath my shirt
Watch the wind underneath my skirt
But that ain’t the picture it’s just a part
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my eyes, don’t see what I see
Touch my tongue, don’t know what tastes good to me
It’s the human condition that keeps us apart
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my bra underneath my shirt
Watch the wind underneath my skirt
But that ain’t the picture it’s just a part
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart (your heart)
Solo
lalalala lalala ladada da da da
Bridge
So dig deep (dig deep)
Deeper than the image that you see (dig deep)
Lift the vail and let your true self breathe (dig deep)
And show the world the beauty underneath (she kills this note, haha)
Chorus
See my bra underneath my shirt
Watch the wind underneath my skirt
But that ain’t the picture, it’s just a part
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my eyes, don’t see what I see
Touch my tongue, don’t know what tastes good to me
It’s the human condition that keeps us apart
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my bra underneath my shirt
Watch the wind underneath my skirt
But that ain’t the picture, it’s just a part
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
See my eyes, don’t see what I see
Touch my tongue, don’t know what tastes good to me
It’s the human condition that keeps us apart
Everybody’s got a story that could break your heart
Outro
That could break your heart baby
Everybody’s got a story, oh yeah
lalala nanana lala nanana
lalala nanana nanana….

Spider was a band from the 80s that only released two albums but they sure left an impression on me. Holly Knight, the legendary rock songwriter was in the band which explains the quality of their songs. She went on to write a slew of classics for artists such as Tina Turner, Rod Stewart, Pat Benatar and many others.

I loved Spider’s music, especially their hit song “New Romance (It’s a Mystery)” and its wonderful music video which I’ve included here but the audio track is very low quality so you have to turn it up high to hear. I’ve also including another video from YouTube of the song with better audio but not the music video. I love Amanda Blue Leigh’s voice and she was such a beauty and a great performer.

Here’s Little Darling written by Amanda and Holly

Here’s another Spider song called “Better Be Good to Me”. Yes, the same song that Tina Turner made into a smash hit years later. It’s a Holly Knight song.

Here’s a 4th song. Everything is Alright

New Romance (It’s a Mystery)
Spider
I fell in love today
Never thought I’d feel this way
Been so tired of one-night stands
Now I’m ready for a new romance
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
I can’t figure it out
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
What I’m talking about
Do you love me?
Do you want me?
Maybe it’s crazy, give it a chance
I think I like this new romance
It was only yesterday
That love felt so far away
Then you smiled and asked me to dance
Now I’m ready for a new romance
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
I can’t figure it out
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
What I’m talking about
Do you love me?
Do you want me?
Maybe it’s crazy, give it a chance
I think I like this new romance
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
I can’t figure it out
Ooo, it’s a mystery, do you know
What I’m talking about
Do you love me?
Do you want me?
Maybe it’s crazy, give it a chance
I think I like this new romance
Do you love me? Do you want me?
Do you love me? Do you want me?
Do you love me? Do you want me?

I was blown away by this powerful song from Toby Mac featuring the amazing Kirk Franklen and sensational Mandisa (from American Idol fame a few years ago). I’m still numb from the experience and deeply touched and inspired. It’s a beautiful song first and foremost but the message is so important. Especially considering the current economy as so many of us struggle to make ends meet and survive.

The message is important even for those of us who have been blessed with some level of success. How much are we willing to sacrifice for even more success and financial gain? Are you willing to sell your soul to gain the world? I know that I don’t think it’s worth the cost.

I think the song is great no matter what your religious background or even if you’re a believer at all. The music is magnificent and the message so critical for us all to hear, especially for those experiencing tough times which can make good people do bad things.

The ending of this video is breath-taking. I get chills just thinking of it. I was on the edge of my seat and have to admit moved in a profound way. This song will stay with me a very long time.

Here’s a live performance with TobyMac, Mr. Franklin and Mandisa at the Dove Awards

I love Ne-Yo’s “Sexy Love” and totally enjoyed the performance by Alison and Ivan in season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance with this song. It’s a hip-hop number with a sweet story. The best part is the very end when he puts his coat on her and she opens her umbrella and uses it for privacy as they kiss.

If you’re a musician or represent any and you want to share your own music with the members of the wonderful Blip.FM community then here’s how to do it.

URL Method

1. Create a Blip.fm account
2. Login
3. Go to Settings
4. Go to Music
5. Enter the URLs to any songs you want and as many as you need. They will all be available for searching immediately by all Blip members.

Blip.FM Hosted Method

If you are an artist, label or Manager and would like Blip.fm to host your content  because your content isn’t hosted anywhere else, then contact artists@blip.fm and provide your name and full contact information, as well as a list of the content you want added to the Blip search engine.

The other way to do this is to use the music manager request form. Just fill out the form and if approved, Blip.fm will provide access to an online dashboard that will allow you to manage all of the songs and artists that you represent.

Quick and Dirty Method

If you just want to share a few songs that you can’t find anywhere on blip.fm then use this method:

Just type the URL (starting with ‘http://’ or ‘https://’) into the search bar and hit “SEARCH”. Blip.fm will automatically grab the ID3 tags (if they’re available) and make the song available to the blip community.

KODA

I think blip.fm is one of the best social music sites available today. There are still a lot of little things that irk me and things I wish they would provide (such as customizable playlists, ability to upload mp3s, ability to chat live, etc.) but over-all they’re still great fun if you’re into sharing music online.

By the way, there are many sites that will allow you to host your own music files if you don’t want to host your own web server. Try Box.net, Microsoft’s SkyDrive, and many others.

Life is full of goodbyes as people come and go in our lives. This amazing song from Amanda Marshall captures the bittersweet sting of these exits. Sometimes we don’t realize it’s a farewell. Looking back, I’m grateful for each and every beautiful goodbye I’ve experienced because it made me who I am today. Even when they seemed ugly at the time, they are beautiful when you look back at it with perspective.

Here’s the music video which is just as beautiful as the song itself.

Beautiful Goodbye

Fed up with my destiny
And this place of no return
Think Ill take another day
And slowly watch it burn
It doesnt really matter how the time goes by
Cause I still remember you and i
And that beautiful goodbye
We staggered through these empty streets
Laughing arm in arm
The night had made a mess of me
Your confession kept me warm
And I dont really miss you, I just need to know
Do you ever think of you and i
And that beautiful goodbye
When I see you now
I wonder how
I couldve watched you walk away
If I let you down
Please forgive me now
For that beautiful goodbye
In these days of no regrets
I keep mine to myself
And all the things we never said
I can say for someone else
Cause nothing lasts forever, but we always try
And I just cant help but wonder why
We let it pass us by
When I see you now
I wonder how
I couldve watched you walk away
If I let you down
Please forgive me now
For that beautiful goodbye

SuperTramp is better known for many other songs like “Breakfast in America”, “The Logical Song”, “Goodbye Stranger”, and many others. However, this little pop song always makes me feel better when I hear it. The music video is good too as it demonstrates how we all endure some rough weather from time to time. The trick is to pick yourself up and keep on fighting.

I love this part of the song the most:

C’mon you little fighter
No need to get uptighter
C’mon you little fighter
And get back up again.

Here’s Roger Hodgson performing the song live a couple of years ago.

Oh, it’s raining again
Oh no, my love’s at an end.
Oh no, it’s raining again
and you know it’s hard to pretend.
Oh no, it’s raining again
Too bad I’m losing a friend.
Oh no, it’s raining again
Oh, will my heart never mend.
You’re old enough some people say
To read the signs and walk away.
It’s only time that heals the pain
And makes the sun come out again.
It’s raining again
Oh no, my love’s at an end.
Oh no, it’s raining again
Too bad I’m losing a friend.
La, la, la, …
C’mon you little fighter
No need to get uptighter
C’mon you little fighter
And get back up again.
It’s raining again
Oh no, my love’s at an end.
Oh no, it’s raining again
Too bad I’m losing a friend.
Oh!Oh!
La, la, la, …
C’mon you little fighter
No need to get uptighter
C’mon you little fighter
And get back up again
Oh, get back up again
Oh, fill your heart again …
(It’s raining, it’s pouring)
(The old man is snoring)
(He went to bed and bumped his head)
(And he couldn’t get up in the
morning)

I just learned that the Knack’s leader singer Doug Fieger died at the age of 57 from lung cancer on February 14, 2010! Ironically, the girl he loved that inspired his biggest hit, My Sharona, was by his side during his final days. Here’s an excellent piece from NPR about the real Sharona.

I loved The Knack who blasted all the way up the charts thirty years ago in 1979 with “My Sharona”. It was a steamy and infectious song that became the number one song of the year according to Billboard Magazine thanks to its six week reign at the summit.  The leader singer wrote the song about his then girlfriend with the unique and unforgettable name, Sharona. Sadly, their relationship didn’t last much longer than the song’s popularity but the memory of the song will last forever for many of us. The good news is that they always remained friends until the very end.

By the way, 15 years after the song originally hit the scene, the song enjoyed renewed success when it was used prominently in a movie called “Reality Bites” (1994) starring Ethan Hawke, Winona Ryder and Janeane Garofalo.

Here’s My Sharon by The Knack (You’ll have to watch it on youtube)

Good Girls Don’t (But I do) was their follow-up hit single. Top 10-ish song, but not a number one blockbuster.

Baby Talks Dirty was the lead single off their followup album to their debut. I remember being disappointed and knowing deep down that it was the end for the Knack when it came to long-term commercial success anyway.

By the way, a few years ago they performed on an ill conceived reality show called “Hit Me Baby One More Time” where former popular acts competed against one another and the audience picked the winner. They each did their biggest hit and a version of a modern hit. The Knack did My Sharona and then a fabulous rendition of Jet’s “Are You Gonna Be My Girl”. Unfortunately, they lost to Vanilla Ice! Ouch.