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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers – 229 “Borderline” by Madonna

Sometimes I feel there aren’t enough songs. It is a byproduct of a cover a day every day for year, twice. I don’t mind. Everything’s a choice. It’s what makes days like today more interesting, when it feels like there are too many perfect songs. How do you choose just one? Someone long ago said, “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” I didn’t really understand what that meant until recently. Bush guy spends a lot more days birdless. Time is like a bird. If it’s in a bush, it’s not your really, but if it’s in your hand. It’s precious. The point is…

So, I’ve recorded a bunch of tunes. There are a million ways I could tribute my wife on our second anniversary. So many transcendent love songs. Anyway, even though Madonna’s “Crazy For You,” is in the hopper, all but ready to go, I’m staying with “Borderline,” because it’s bounced and done. My wife’s birthday is in two days, so the celebrations keep coming and the quiet, alone time is scarce. So “Borderline,” today, and make no mistake, she does keep pushing my love over the “Borderline,” “Crazy For you,” That’s your Madonna 365 update for a Tuesday. Glad that’s been cleared up.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals – 229 “Anniversary One” by Jefferson Jay

So, today is my second anniversary. Is it odd that I still can’t believe this is all real? Last year, we spent it celebrating in Atlantic City. What’s more majestic than a New Jersey celebration? We’ll see. Ask me later. So last year, I sat in the window of our hotel room late at night, and I wrote Leanne this tune. Peace to everyone. Happy Anniversary to you, Leanne. I love you.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals – 229 “Anniversary Two” by Jefferson Jay

Surprise. I wasn’t crazy about the way the recordings of “Anniversary One” came out, so here is one day earlier than I expected, “Anniversary Two.” I improvised this but I was feeling the pretty chords and the tune’s vibe. I hope you, the people of the world and Leanne, the wife of me, love it. Happy anniversary!

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 229 “So, How’s Your Wife?”

I’m proud to answer, "great." It ain’t easy, folks. You ever been married? But, that’s what makes it all the more satisfying when things go well. You know you accomplished something. The streets are littered with the skeletons of marriages gone south. It can happen to the best of us. So when it doesn’t, we must celebrate. Taking greatness for granted is way to miss out on life’s great thrills. Nope, every day is full of challenges. Turning them to joy, each day we survive, much like the hokey pokey prior, that, my friends, that’s what it’s all about.

Wishing you the greatest glories God can offer. Peace and love, Jefferson.

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers – 228 “Good Riddance” by Green Day

I heard this song a million times but never knew it was called “Good Riddance” until someone suggested I play it at work the other day. I obliged. Well, I’ll be. “Good Riddance.” Shout out to them not calling it “The Time of My Life.” Way to show proper respect to Dirty Dancing. Challah at ya boy.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 228 “Bleak” by Jefferson Jay

San Diego is a wonderful place to live, but our sports teams tend to stink. The Padres this year exemplify that quite nicely and last year’s constantly threatening to move, 4-12 Chargers carried that torch too. This is a number I wrote awhile back for The Mighty 1090AM’s “The Scott and BR Radio Show,” three managers ago, right before they fired Bud Black. New owners, new players, no improvements. Well that’s San Diego sports for ya, but, no, it’s not bleak. We’re livin’ the dream here in SD. We may lose at sports but we win other ways. No, it’s not bleak. Also, let’s call this four straight Mondays with a Sports Song of the Week, for those of you keeping score at home.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 228 “What’s This Song About?”

So I didn’t post it as original yesterday, but here she is back as “Words” today, the song that’s searching for itself. What’s it about. No one knows. Schizosingia. It’s the newest thing. Snapchat it. Or whatever.

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 227 "Do Not Disturb”

Folks, some more helpful advice here. Never disturb the wife. She is a highly volatile species and can lash out unpredictably when caught off-guard. Always maintain a high level of caution when approaching the wife, particularly if she is in any way surrounded by Gray’s Anatomy. Consider yourself warned. Thank me later.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 227 “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall” by Bob Dylan

"Copyright music and lyrics reproduced by kind permission of Special Rider -- for original, exclusive performances by Bob Dylan, check-out the official channel at www.youtube.com/bobdylan."

Now I was pretty fired up to play the theme from the old 80s sitcom, 227 for Day 227 here today. I listened to the tune. Still funky. Alas, the chords were not handy and today is a long day already. We play in a couple hours from 7-9 with the band at a new bar in town called THC 1502. Then I’m staying late and hosting band and fun and games, so it’s a and extra special Sunday. So I think instead we’re getting some Bob Dylan tune instead. Oh yeah. Bob’s folks insist I add some verbiage. Let me find it and stick it in at the top there. 

I like Dylan a lot, but I don’t really know “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall.” Can ya tell? Probably. My boy Scotty suggested I play this tune, I think he wanted me to sing it like Bob Dylan, but I don’t even know how he sings it, so, if I did, which is highly unlikely, it was not on purpose.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 227 “What’s This Song About?” by Jefferson Jay

It seems like there’s boatloads to do this week. I am trying to stay ahead, but I am a little fatigued as well. No sense lamenting things of this nature. It changes nothing. Better off to sing this song that I don’t even know what it’s about. Perhaps it reflects my rapidly revolving mind as it tries to keep track of all the things it thinks are important to keep track of. How is it supposed to know?

None of us know what tomorrow holds. How can we know which thoughts are important, what subjects are worth singing about? I don’t know. I know love rocks, but how many songs can you sing about that? 21,364, exactly. But you don’t want to use ‘em all up. Then there’s none left and you’re stuck singing about frogs and dogs and cats and whatever else this song is about.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 227 “Blue Hat Blues” by Jefferson Jay

Upon further review, “What’s This Song About?” may never be shared with the people of Earth. I’m undecided. Maybe another day. Maybe never. Who knows? Not I. In lieu of that made-up OK song, I bring another oldie. “Blue Hat Blues” is a song I wrote about a time when I lost my blue hat in my friend Blowski’s car and how he heroically returned it to me and how that made me happy and whole again. Thanks Blowski. Miss ya pal.

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 226 "They B the C”

Sometimes, folks, planes happen. Yes, you’re just sitting there, minding your own business, trying to get your videos done and then, once again, over it goes. Now, your plane might not be a plane. It might be a, uh, negative boss, or a failing relationship. It might be some nasty allergies or even the hiccups. Whatever your plane is, there are few choices, but to wait, rise and weather whatever challenges exist. That’s right. No choice. CB’s be danged.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 226 “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” by The Beatles

Hey! “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” has a really cool album cover and the music’s not bad either. In fact, The outfits they wear there are superb and sublime. So there. Busy days today. Celebration time, come on. Birthdays, anniversaries, all kinds of bits of fun, you see, coming to take you away. Well, so what I’m getting at is I need to buy a cake. So dig, what is. It’s really your best option. Always.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 226 “Our Way” by Jefferson Jay

Many fine visitors have been gracing us with their presence these last few days. Chase Livingston, our dear amigo, who has since departed for the enlightened pastures of Colorado, joined me today on all three of my videos. Thanks to him. It’s boatloads of fun to play music and spend time with friends. In other news, the sun is hot. Be careful. Don’t touch.

So I made up this tune and you too, can play it at home. It’s C G and F almost the whole time, with a cute little Am Em bridge near the end there. Hope this funds you exceptionally happy. Still gotta post all these videos and buy a cake. And shower. Gotta go. Tomorrow, yo.

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 225 “This Is How Kings Live” by Jefferson Jay

I wrote “This Is How Kings Live” on that there keyboard during a moment of profound appreciation late at night after a gig our Jefferson Jay Band played. We played ‘til late then socialized some and then crashed. But before I fell fully asleep, this song popped into my head. When those moments arise, I have learned there are only two choices. Either you get up and right hew song right there and then or it is gone forever and there is pretty much nothing you can do about it. Inspiration comes for a moment. Either you seize it, or it is just another line of a mental list of chores. That is not inspiration.

I took it one step further. I record the process if it’s late at night and I can because even sometimes getting up and writing the tune is not enough when you are fatigued. “This Is How Kings Live” means we are all kings. We all live in a blessed and wonderful way. Simply living is a gift and regular life, love and happiness is regal. Humble regal. Instead of singing about that explicitly in the lyrics I decided to instead focus on other humble regal things, like those we find in nature, Trees, mountains, the ocean. All regal. All humble. All inspiring. So it took me a few months to get the melody straight and be able to bust through these chords. It is easy to be humble when you play the keys like I do, but I made it through. So here it is for you. A moment of reflective inspiration and how much better we have it then we often realize. Hail.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 225 “Ol’ 55” by Tom Waits

At my work doing music with the special needs folks, they request tunes. It makes them happy to hear those tunes ,so through the miracle of the Internet, I look up the tunes and play them for them if I can, whether I’ve heard them or not. Recently this has led to me butchering some classic Spanish anthems by Roberto Carlos and Paolo Sergio. I’m embarrassed by my Spanish ,but you can’t be too proud to spread joy, so I do it anyway. I honestly learn about tons of cool tunes and other thing from my special friends each week. I am deeply grateful to know them. Just yesterday, someone suggested I play this song. I think they knew it through an Eagles cover. I don’t know. I love Tom Waits, but I’ve never heard this tune I don’t think. If I did, I don’t remember it, for whatever reason.

I played it on guitar a couple of times yesterday. Today, I needed a tune and was hovering near my keys so I transposed it to C, the easiest of all keyboard keys. Then, I played it wrong a bunch of times and then I somehow made it through. Some of the versions were OK, but for some reason I kept going. It inspired that next rant, about doing just that. Thanks for listening.

As I did that, I sang in more and more of a Tom Waits way. I was asking for feedback from a friend on all this video stuff as I get lonely once in awhile feeling like this is not being received. He thought I meant I wanted constructive criticism, which is feedback technically, so he told me to sing the songs more the like the artists who sang them. So I did. I do appreciate the feedback. In music, like life, it feels better when you feel you’re not alone. I feel great today. I plead the 5^th,  August 5^{th, that is}.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 225 "Cone of Joy"

I was fired up, powering through a few tunes on the old keys. Here, I rant and rave and scream and shout about picking one’s self up, not fearing failure,  and some of my favorite recent Netflix programs. 

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 224 “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama

Sometimes, life can be cruel. For instance, devotees of the Operation 365 and Bananarama-philes may find themselves deeply disappointed that I only sang a small snippet of this 80s anthem.

Another option, I suppose, is maybe folks are busy and they love love love watching each instant of the 365, yet they struggle to find time to fit it all in each day. I hear ya. I struggle with the same thing. Perhaps to those folks, for whom the 365 is a lifeblood, or a type of video oxygen, if you will, perhaps those folks will appreciate the brevity personified in this heartwarming film of man and pooch.

Hail Angel. It’s been a year since my bestest pooch pal passed. I miss ya, Ainge. So does Nige (pictured here). Love you. Thanks

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 224 “Luke Luke” by Jefferson Jay

When one door closes, another opens. Sometimes profoundly, sometimes on the same day. One year ago today, my new nephew, Luke was born. As I do for all my uncle offspring, I wrote the boy a tune. I crooned the tune in the room where he was born with his Aunt Leanne. Here is never before seen footage from inside the hospital room. Hospital rooms are actually nothing like they seem on General Hospital, ER, Nurse Jackie, Scrubs, St. Elsewhere, and 40 other shows. They actually have my family in them. It’s crazy. Hail Luke. Happy Birthday. Hope to see you soon!

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 224 "A Cowboy Song"

Songs are words in the sense that, words are in songs. The music, like words, also speaks, so I bare no noteworthy hesitation when I pop a tune into this here Words space. It’s been a slightly heavy day. I was very grateful to have the chance to work with my special people. Interacting with them and making music helps me maintain a positive mental space. Songs, like words can hold transportive qualities that put you elsewhere and allow you a break from one’s thoughts, feelings, opinions, and ideas.

So while this here, improvised number might have fit quite nicely as tomorrow’s original. I would gladly trade an original tomorrow for some “Words” and a chance to enjoy the rest of my day more privately today. Thank you.

Love for the ones you love. Believing in who you believe. Grieve.  

Onward and upward.

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Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Covers - 223 "Chantilly Lace" by The Big Bopper

It’s nice to be able to put on a different face for a moment, or a day. Actors do it professionally. It can be so liberating to get away from one’s infernal mindset for a time. We can do this other ways as well. Meditation, I suppose. Vacation. Disguise, perhaps? The Big Bopper did it. I doubt his friends called him “Big” or “Mr. Bopper.” Nope, that was a character he created and that’s what made the “Chantilly Lace” song so fun. It’s a silly song. Being silly is another great way to ge relief form the mundane nature of being serious.

I am feeling world better today. Still not so ready to let y’all see my face from yesterday, so I painted it colors. I made it extra ghastly actually. I don’t know why. Somebody must go the extra mile to try to entertain. You try, every day. It’s not as easy as you might imagine. This is especially true, when we’re dealing in the currency of music, of which I’ve recently been told, no one is listening, until they are. Can’t do stuff for others. Got to do it for you. I love others. I want to help, but everything happens for a reason and I must remind myself that I am doing exactly what I am meant to do. In this case, Day 223, Operation 4652, that happens to be “Chantilly Lace.” Hail Bopper.

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Originals - 223 "Forward Run" by Jefferson Jay

The other day, I wasn’t feeling it, so I turned in uncharacteristically early. I couldn’t sleep though. Perhaps, because it was so darn early. So eventually these chords popped into my head and I got up and wrote the tune. Then I recorded it. This is that. Then I went to bed for real. Love to you. To great days. 

Operation 365 2 - Jefferson Jay - Words - 223 "Don’t Be Scarred"

Folks, this is good advice every day. No matter how you get there. We all have some lingering woe. To that woe, though, I say “Whoa.” Whoa, Yo. No need for all that. Too much to celebrate. Too little time. Destiny can be peculiar. We must hang on and enjoy the ride. Let it go, said that show. Fro – Don’t Be Scarred.

Love is everywhere.