• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to footer

The JackB

"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx

  • About Jack
    • Other Places You Can Find Me
  • Contact Me
    • Disclosure
  • About Jack
    • Other Places You Can Find Me
  • Contact Me
    • Disclosure

Music

Music Moves The Morning

September 26, 2013 by Jack Steiner 1 Comment

Jousting

The mix of pleasure and pain, profound and insightful drives me forward. You might not hear, see or feel what I do here.

Fact is I don’t expect you to catch the whiff of memory in the songs or be able to follow me as I race off into the dark after them, knowing that I can never quite catch them.

But I run after them because there in the ether are smoky trails that lead me into memories of such joy and show glimpses of what is lying around the bend.

Visions of a time when the current doesn’t tear us apart but instead pulls us together. It is a brief moment in time, a blip on a screen and a chance to take care of things that have to be done alone and apart not because of cruelty but reality.

Because the reality says these steps have to be taken care of before you can round first base and make your way to second. It is nothing but one more step in building the foundation that has to be created so that the building can not just stand, but withstand all that will come at it.

And that is ok because there are memories in the moments that sustain us because the remind us of what was, what is and what will be provided we hold fast.

The Voice- The Moody Blues

Tuesday Afternoon

Where The Streets Have No Name- U2

I love L.A. – Randy Newman

Come Live With Me – Ray Charles

Nashville – No one will ever love you

Filed Under: Music

What Are Your Favorite Song Lyrics?

March 15, 2013 by Jack Steiner 14 Comments

Microphone

Every so often we like to mix things up and run a lighter post and today is one of those days. What are your favorite song lyrics?

Here is a partial list of mine:

“Let the frozen cities crumble, crumble and fall
That’s alright, I don’t mind at all
Let ’em all tumble right into the sea
Well that’s just fine, that’s alright with me
Since you came down the line
I can’t sleep at night, I got one thing on my mind
That’s every day, every night
I wanna be with you”

I WANNA BE WITH YOU- Bruce Springsteen

“So you’re scared and you’re thinking
That maybe we ain’t that young anymore
Show a little faith, there’s magic in the night
You ain’t a beauty, but hey you’re alright
Oh and that’s alright with me

You can hide `neath your covers
And study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers
Throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now I’m no hero
That’s understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl
Is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window
And let the wind blow back your hair”

Thunder Road- Bruce Springsteen

“Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I’m just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
girl I want to know if love is real”

Born To Run- Springsteen

“Let us be lovers,
We’ll marry our fortunes together.
I’ve got some real estate
Here in my bag.”

America- Simon & Garfunkel

“They held each other tight as they drove on through the night they were so excited.
We got just one shot of life, let’s take it while we’re still not afraid.
Because life is so brief and time is a thief when you’re undecided.
And like a fistful of sand, it can slip right through your hands.’

Young Turks- Rod Stewart

“May you grow up to be righteous
May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the lights surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright and be strong
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.”

Forever Young- Bob Dylan
“And if you come, when all the flowers are dying
And I am dead, as dead I well may be
You’ll come and find the place where I am lying
And kneel and say an “Ave” there for me.”

Danny Boy

Related Links:

  • What Music Do You Dance To?
  • Songs That You Have To Sing Along With
  • The Worst Album Covers- Ethel Merman Disco Mix

Filed Under: Music

What Music Do You Dance To?

July 5, 2012 by Jack Steiner 9 Comments

‎”Hell, there are no rules here– we’re trying to accomplish something.” Thomas A. Edison

I haven’t decided yet if this post is going to be a mix of the mundane and the majestic or something entirely different. Don’t know that I need to make a decision because sometimes the joy of journey is in the walk to wherever it is I am heading.

Been listening to Springsteen sing Tunnel of Love all day and all night now. Never get tired of it. In between I have been listening the 1812 Overture and a bunch of other stuff as well.

Caught myself dancing last night, not just dancing but moving with reckless abandon. This doesn’t happen often.

You have to understand that I have a body built for demolition and not for grace. These aren’t words that I just use for writing either. They are as good a self description as you will find of how I see myself.

Someone once described me as a man who has meat paws for hands and said that I lumber through life. Now I don’t know that I agree with that. I am not clumsy and though I may not be Michael Jordan I am relatively athletic.

But my perception is that I look silly when dancing so consequently I am quite cognizant of space and light on the dance floor. That is a euphemistic way for saying that I am careful about when and where I will dance.

Still that doesn’t mean that I won’t dance or that there isn’t music that makes me move. Both of the songs above and the two contained here make me move. Maybe I am growing more comfortable with some things and less concerned about others.

Don’t know that it matters, I am just thinking out loud. Maybe I should read Julie’s post about signs again and think about it.

The Universe Is Speaking To Me & I Am Listening

In the quiet of the night I might admit to you that I have gone past the place where I say that I am agnostic about whether the universe speaks to us. I might admit to accepting there are more than a few things that I can’t explain or understand.

I am good with that. It is ok.

So I am just running with the feeling and sharing a few thoughts about this and that with you.

Blogging is not an obligation. It should be fun and if you aren’t having fun with it than I want to know what you are doing. Are you writing because you are getting paid for it? Are you writing because you think it will help build your business?

I do it because I have to.

Really. It is something that I am compelled to do because words are a part of me. I live and breathe them. I suspect that my friend Judy might understand that. I am sure that many others do too.

I am a professional writer.

Who I Was and Who I Am

Gini and Bill might tell you that I am Dear Abby but I am most definitely not. If you don’t read my blog you probably haven’t stumbled onto any of my professional work.

But I am working on changing that. Got things in motion that should do as Danny asks in this post. I would like to say that I am farther along than I am. I would like to say that but it is not true.

That doesn’t mean that I am denying my urge to climb or that I have declared myself done because I am just getting started. You see it took me a few years to figure out what I was supposed to be doing and then a bit more to set things in motion so that I could make it all happen.

I suppose that you could say it has been slower because there isn’t a map for me to follow or a guide that I can use for a quick and easy install. There is just me learning as I go along.

These lessons cover a wide variety of topics. Some of them are simple things about writing. There is a story and stories that I have to tell that surprise me because this is not something that I ever thought would be part of my writing. But when I write about these tales people respond.

They ask questions and make requests for more.

I wrestle with some of this. I can provide more. It comes out of me far more easily than I ever would have guessed and I wonder why people don’t get bored with it. And then I wonder why ask why. If people like it and want it than I should write it.

Why?

Because I am a writer and I want to tell and sell my stories.

I know a few things about social media too. Sometimes I write about that because it interests me and it interests you.

Mostly I listen to the music inside my mind and try to let that out so that you hear what I hear. It is what makes me dance.

What about you?

Filed Under: Life, Music

7 Songs On A Monday Afternoon

May 7, 2012 by Jack Steiner 2 Comments

There are bills to be paid, questions to be answered and plans to be made but I am not doing any of those things. That is because my gut aches and the hair on the back of my neck is raised and I am not quite sure why.

Maybe it is nothing more than something I ate or maybe it is a premonition. Maybe it is something different altogether, but whatever it may or may not be it doesn’t really matter because I am taking a moment.

Said moment is designed to try to capture, contain and correct whatever it is. I feel like I can see something or someone out of the corner of my eye. It irks me. It is like trying to catch smoke with my hand, I can’t quite wrap my hand around it. I can’t quite grasp it.

For some reason I feel a bit like I am in that scene in Ghostbusters where they are advised not to cross the streams. So I am taking a moment to share 7 songs with you. They are the first seven songs from my Google Music library. I should add that I have shuffled the deck so I don’t know what I will get. Can’t say if it will be representative of anything or significant.

Here they are. Take it however you will:

  1. Home To Emily (Theme To The Bob Newhart Show)
  2. Generations- Immediate Music
  3. No Limit– 2 Unlimited
  4. Your Song– Elton John
  5. What Would I Do Without You -Ray Charles
  6. Crystal Ship– Duran Duran (frankly I would have grabbed The Doors version, but this is what came up. Weird.
  7. I’m So Bad– Oingo Boingo

And just because I am curious to see what will come up here are some more from the shuffle.

  1. Goodnight My Love– Benny Goodman
  2. A Foggy Day– Frank Sinatra
  3. Poker Face– Lady Gaga
  4. I Melt With You– Modern English
  5. Hallelujah I Love Her So– Ray Charles
  6. Intro (Dream Sequence)– Alice Chains
  7. Bushfire– B52s
  8. Soul Deep– The Box Tops
  9. Artibeus– Batman Begins soundtrack
  10. I Will Survive– Gloria Gaynor

And there you have one of the oddest collections I have seen.

Filed Under: Music

The Story of My Life Told Via Music

April 15, 2012 by Jack Steiner 11 Comments

The story of my life as told via music- A five minute writing exercise. I guarantee this will be incomplete and that there are many songs that I will leave out, but… Bear in mind that due to time constraints I may not have linked to my favorite version of a particular song.

Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture Part 2– From about 3:40 to the end- that is me. There are no words, but it just works. The full versionwould work too.  Go hear this live. It is amazing.

The Lord of the Rings SymphonyFull length- Love, love, love this.

Last of the Mohicans – Promontory– So many images in my head.

The Planets – Mars, the Bringer of War- Gustav Holst – Energy

Cats In The Cradle– Harry Chapin

And So It Goes– Bill Joel

Mess Around– Ray Charles

Night Time Is The Right Time– Ray Charles

It Should Have Been Me– Ray Charles

Where The Streets Have No Name– U2

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For– U2

All I Want Is You / Where The Streets Have No Name– U2

May It Be– Enya

I Am The Walrus– The Beatles

In My Life– The Beatles and Johnny Cash

I Won’t Back Down– Johnny Cash/Tom Petty (both versions work for me- same goes for song above.)

Time is up. So much more should have been included here, but this is a decent start.

Filed Under: Music

Another Musical Intermission

March 10, 2012 by Jack Steiner 6 Comments

English: Tree and pond on farm track near Marr...
Image via Wikipedia

It is just another day in paradise here. 75 degrees, clear blue skies and endless possibilities for fun.  Sadly I have to spend a portion of my day at the computer working on a couple of projects.

Oh the joy of deadlines. But since I know many of you want to know what music is accompanying me this morning let me provide you with a quick rundown of song and artist.

Against the Wind– Bob Seger

We’ve Got Tonight– Bob Seger

She’s a Butterfly – Martina McBride (daughter loves this one)

Kashmir– Led Zeppelin

Immigrant Song-Led Zeppelin

Old Alabama– Brad Paisley

Brilliant Disguise– Bruce Springsteen

Secret Garden- Bruce Springsteen

Bulls On Parade– Rage Against The Machine

Sabotage– The Beastie Boys (someone somewhere has footage of me jumping off the second story of a building with this song playing. FWIW, I was a twenty-something year old kid who had no responsibilities. Ah, the stunt man days are long behind me.)

Just for kicks here are a few old posts you might like reading

  • She Dances
  • Advanced Potty Training Techniques Needed
  • A Little Digestive Distress- Chicken Vindaloo
  • The Blogger I Want To Be

 

Filed Under: Music

  • Page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Page 38
  • Go to Next Page »

Footer

Things Someone Wrote

The Fabulous Archives

Copyright © 2025 · Jack Steiner

 

Loading Comments...