Operation 365... Blog 326

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Archives - 332 Destructo Bunny with Jason Burleson 2-3-09
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r7jrE45acE


Here are two of my great pals, Destructo Bunny and Jason Burleson from my Open Mic on 2-3-09. The Bunny is playing a gig tonight in his hometown of The City of Mercy, Merced, CA. He has put a nice group together with Apaulo8 and Mark Boyce on keys, two awesome guys. I saw their group Thursday at Winston's and they had some sick thick grooves going. It was righteous.

Jason Burleson, I haven't seen as much lately. I miss him an his unique perspective on things. Hopefully, we will be able to reconnect soon. I have to go help make sure a little girls' birthday party rocks out in Balboa Park here in a few, so I am going to cut this short. Peace Everywhere to Everyone Always.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 332 "Spirit In the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMlIAhEkm0g


I decided today would be a great day to appreciate three-chord tunes. So I did a little search for three-chord tunes and I wound up at this page: http://chainsawguitartuition.net/blog/learn-to-play-20-easy-three-chord-guitar-songs/

There are links to some nice three-chord tunes there. I had actually already done most of them, but not "Spirit In the Sky." "Spirit In the Sky" is a beloved song. I was kind of surprised it only had three chords. I have always thought it was weird that a song that features Jesus in a such a central way was written by a dude named Norman Greenbaum. Norman Greenbaum is the most Jewish name, this side of Shlomo Schwartz. Well, now I finally do that research and find out what's up with that and report it directly to you. I have wondered this for some time.

With the aid of wikipedia, this is what I learned,

He (Norm) was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner on TV singing a gospel song. Greenbaum later said : "I thought, 'Yeah, I could do that,' knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song. It came easy. I wrote the words in 15 minutes."[1]

"Spirit in the Sky" contains lyrics about the afterlife, making several references to Jesus. However, Greenbaum, who is Jewish, stated that he had no particular religious intentions with the song.[2]

Kind of anti-climactic. And this is why we sometimes let the songs speak for themselves.

Operation 365 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 332 "Love Will Lead the Way"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdog-imuHUE


Continuing with three-chord fun day, I wrote this little number after I hit record. I like it it. It is another one of those with potential. I can write a song on the spot in a few minutes, but polishing it and getting it to be exactly the way you might want it can take a bit more time. There is not time for that time in this here 365. I'll have the rest of my life to revisit these tunes after Thanksgiving.

I named it "Love Will Lead the Way" after considering "Migrate to the Music" and "Dabba Dabba Doo Doo," my neighbor's suggestion. I chose "Love Will Lead the Way" because I did "Spirit In the Sky" today on my three-chord appreciation afternoon and I dug the slight similarity there. Love WILL lead the way. I hope all these politicians AND protestors remember all this as they set about working out their differences in the weeks, months and years to come. A plan built on anything else will be incomplete at best. Love is the foundation for positivity in this world. It is the only way.

NOTE on the 365: 332 days in. What I've learned (in part). What you do is what you do. Every single day.