On the ninth day .... came the guide

Stairway to Heaven

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know,
The pipers calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Somewhere over the rainbow

One song among the timeless

A very few songs have a quality that gives them life for decades, possibly, maybe, even forever. A person who once listened to this song, posted here today -- August 6, 2009 -- made the following comment about it: "Timeless, in a time when songs come and go like the rain."

I agree, and for anyone who missed the 1970s, this song pretty much explains the best of that decade. This song is "Layla."

Today, August 6, happens to be the birthday of a certain, very special, young lady. Instead of a rendition of "Happy Birthday" to note the occasion, I decided to offer this song, one of the most beautiful from the rock and roll era, as commemoration of her arrival upon Earth.

"Layla" originally was performed by Derek and the Dominos, who were Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Carl Radle and Jim Gordon. Although not a member of the band, Duane Allman played guitar on a number of songs in the group's one and only album. The piano and guitar work in the second half of the piece is exquisite.

On this version, only Clapton is present from the original cast. It was recorded on June 28, 2008, at the Hard Rock Calling Festival at Hyde Park in London.

And, to the young lady whose birthday we observe, I make this toast: May the year be a ride upon a rainbow to the place of your dreams.

Another Lake Superior message

The young lady of whom I speak sent me a video featuring still photographs of Lake Superior. Although it is not my birthday, I welcome her gift and convey a very sincere thank you. Some might recognize the first lighthouse shown as Split Rock Lighthouse, the same landmark in Minnesota I used for illustration in a post last week. I also am nearly certain the "black rocks," shown in other photos I have used from Michigan are present among these stills.

The song accompanying the photos is "Dante's Prayer," performed by Meav of Celtic Woman. The music and the photos seem to go very well together.