Music Monday/Lyric Lundi

I can't believe that it's been nearly five months since I found out that my friend Danny's twin boys had been born very prematurely. Until then I had been eagerly awaiting the announcement of their birth sometime around Aug. 10th (their original due date), so excited for Danny, because I knew this was something he'd been wanting for some time. Here it was April. Suddenly, what had been a great joy had become dismally bleak. Dear little Oliver did not live even for 24 hours, dying in his parents' arms (as Danny told us), but his brother Charlie has been hanging in there ever since, and those of us who know and love Danny have been hanging in there with Danny and his wife and "big sister" Leah through multiple surgeries and months and months of life at Cedars-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit out in California. He's made it, though, and I cannot describe how I feel every time I read the words "my son" written by Danny.

Sometime back, I decided that when Charlie finally came home, in tribute to him, I would post my favorite Wilco song on the Monday that followed, since Charlie is Jeff Tweedy's nephew. Charlie came home this past weekend. Making that decision to post a song by "Uncle Jeff" was easy. Deciding which was my favorite Wilco song was much harder. I love Wilco. Finally, I settled on the one I've chosen below, because I'm hoping that "someday soon," I will get to meet Charlie. I love this song for all kinds of other reasons, though. It's one of those songs that hit me the first time I ever heard it, with its wonderful guitar work and very optimistic sound.

Meanwhile, I don't want to forget Charlie's brother Oliver, so I am also posting a song for Oliver. This is a song that helped get me through the death of another friend of mine's 8-month-old baby (who would be thirteen now, had he lived). I still cry every single time I listen to it, but it's a beautiful song by Eddie From Ohio, on their CD "Actually Not." You know, as absolutely horrible as it is for those of us on earth who know and love them to lose children, I know that heaven (despite the fact I have no idea what it is) would not be a place I'd ever want to go if there were no children there. Now, when I listen to this song, I think of both Baby Jeremy and Baby Oliver helping to make heaven a place I'd like to be.

To Charlie (Welcome home!):

Someday Soon

by Wilco

Wind will blow and the sun will shine

On that hill where we used to climb

I look in your eyes

And you'll be mine

Someday soon.

I won't even make a scene

That will be just like a dream

Cash will flow down by the old mainstream

Someday soon, someday soon.

You don't know me but I know you

(You don't know me)

You have no idea what I do

(What I do)

Make you mine and see you swoon

Someday soon, someday soon.

Sun's gonna shine, wind's gonna blow

On that hill where we used to go

I look in your eyes and down I roll

Someday soon,

Someday, someday soon.

Someday, someday soon.

To Oliver (please forgive the Christian reference to St. Peter. One thing I do know about heaven is that there are no such religious distinctions):

In Paradise

by Eddie from Ohio

i woke up this morning went to pick up the mail a routine that I always do

probably find bills and catalogues, full of junk i'd never use

as i reached in the box, i felt a sensation

i didn't know what it could be

then i pulled out a card and looked at the postmark it said p.o. cloud 23

and i thanked the heavens for sending this letter to me

dear mommy and daddy, i asked god if he'd let me write a letter to you

he said he felt bad about all of the sad things he was permitted to do

so he took me to peter and he asked him to help me

cuz i was too young to write words

so i climbed on his lap and i leaned over to hear him

and this is what st. peter heard

don't worry, don't you cry, don't waste the energy wondering why

the reasons are clear, safer here in paradise

each morning i wake up and the sun it shines brightly

and me and the other kids play

we eat lots of pretzels and watch lots of barney and sing-along songs all the day

and at night before bedtime i go visit grandpa who reads me a story or two

then i gather my blanket and lay off to slumber and dream about daddy and you

don't worry, don't you cry, don't waste your energy wondering why

the reasons are clear, safer here in paradise

i've got to get going st. peter is calling he's gotten a job for me

he says katy you make sure the stars are all lined up

and twinkling as bright as can be

so take comfort together that i'm doing fine

just lay your tears down to rest

my spirit is there and i'll always be with you

remembering two years the best

don't worry, don't you cry, don't waste the energy wondering why

the reasons are clear, safer hear in paradise