Father’s Day Edition – Daily Dose: Hayden, “No Happy Birthday”

A beautifully conceived song about fatherhood written by a criminally underrated singer-songwriter for his daughter.

I’ve been waiting, I’ve been thinking.
I’ve been wanting to sing you this song
I know you may not, understand my thoughts,
but you will know where it’s coming from

Grab your guitar. Or your maracas.
Play with me on your wooden drum
It’s no Happy Birthday, but it’s my way,
maybe one day you’ll sing along

And as you go through life, they may be unkind.
I won’t always be there by your side.
That’s on my mind, yeah, that’s on my mind.
That’s on my mind almost all of the time.

We’re always walking, in the morning,
and you look up with your beautiful stare.
And you start talking, and there’s no stopping,
you say so much you run out of air.
And then we’re running, to tell your mommy. We never make it back to our street.
There’s where I wake up. Always the same spot. My heart singing a song so sweet.

And as you go through life, you will bring such light.
That’s how I picture it most of the time.
That’s how my mind, yeah, that’s how my mind.
That’s how my mind keeps my heart in line.
Yeah, that’s how my mind, yeah, that’s how my mind.
That’s how my mind keeps my heart in line.

Grab your guitar. Or your maracas,
play with me on your wooden drum.
So Happy Birthday, but it’s my way,
maybe one day you’ll sing along.

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Nostos Nic and her father, c. 1985.

Daily Dose: Caroline Rose, “America Religious”

My intent was to feature the song “When You Go”, off Rose’s album I Will Not Be Afraid; BUT, that wasn’t readily available for publication and I’m not that kind of blogger, so here you have “America Religious” from her album by the same name. Everything about this video feels right to me: scattered ephemera and composition notebooks, horses and oversized sweaters, bars, sunsets, art and the artful–America as some of us see it set to clever lyrics snuck into a catchy, driving song. Love it, and love her. Love, love, lovelovelove.