Season 225 - THE BUILDING CODE (2024)

geetee suggested i try this fab song for the season

"brokedown palace" by the grateful dead

THANK YOU, GEETEE!

there is a door in Singapore
i love to walk through it
it doesn't lead to anywhere
but i don't care

Love from j & j

Sorry about the length of this one, Pa, but as we were only allowed one song I thought I'd make the most of it.

Boulevard of broken dreams.
The most difficult thing is to keep the pace low and consistently

It has been "exam week" this week, so I have been invigilating exams or else marking exam submissions. But I finished last night and this morning I managed to film the song that immediately sprung to mind when I saw the title of this week's season. Right now I am about to head off to our band's next gig - which marks the official launch of our new CD "Any Saturday". I promise I'll get around to listening to some submissions once I get back from that!

Meanwhile, here is a song I wrote (before I had ever heard anything other than the hit "We don't need no education" from Pink Floyd's "The Wall". It was written at the height of "fame" of my old Catalan Rock band "Pere Flipat" (Stoned Peter). Hope you enjoy it.

Lyrics in the YouTube description

PS If you are interested in hearing the band's rather different take on it. Here's a link to that:

Honeymoon Hotel

I don't think I'd even heard of this song before digging around for something to play this week (having discounted "Blue Hotel" by Lene Lovich as too difficult given the time available, sadly). Anyway, I'm glad I found it as it's fun to sing and play.

Burning down the House

So, I managed to record something this week.

It has a house in it. Or had, before I burned it.
Here you go:

Didn't know if I'd finish this, given some health issues I've had this week, but here we go.

Since Madness was the subject of a 33-1/3 book, I'm offering a $15 gift card to Powells to the 60th subscriber to my YouTube channel. If you like this, please subscribe!

So... how about a Johnny Cash cover???

Original "House Divided"

Didn't have any songs that fit, but a new original came out of this theme. Started Monday on my lunch break.

"House Divided"

Wow did I learn a lot this week about how hard it is to learn a Willy Nelson song. I decided I'd learn a new song for this week, but while I cound get the chords down and got close to the rhythm, "Hello Walls" kicked my butt in trying to play and sing at the same time. I watched all the YT's of Willy singing this over ~30 years and he never sings it the same!

I fell back to an old standby to reinterpret The House of The Rising Sun. But my singing on this has improved a bit. I only cringe a few times when I listen to it.

OH, boy! This little number took me all day I wanted to do an extra special cover of a song that I found some years ago and it's one that I play all the time. I think it's a wonderful song by UkuleleZo. Don't know where she is or what she's up to these days for she hasn't put a video up in years. I hope she is well and gets to listen to this someday.

“Apartment in My Heart” by UkuleleZo

I will build you an apartment in my heartYou draw up the blueprints so construction can startCuz I don’t like the way that we’re apartYou’re so far away. You could move in any dayInto my heartOne Heart Place is prime real-estateThe floors are solid hardwood, not some cheap laminateAnd you won’t need to have another housemateThe neighbors are really cool and I’ll put in a pool if you’ll relocateAnd when it rains you can sleep lateWhen you wake we will play, daily, uku leleWe’ll drink coffee and read the newsYou’ll do the crossword, I’ll debate the cluesIt’s not a contest, but I will looseAnd it’ll have everything you likeMaybe a vintage muscle car or a pretty rad bikeThere’ll be a direct line to Music Guy MikeAnd you can have a hound,That you picked up from the pound, if ya likeAnd when it snows we’ll snuggle upI’ll make hot chocolate to fill your cup, till the snow lets upAnd when it does we will get dressedGo out walkin’ and chase our breath, and feel blessedIn my heartI will build you an apartment in my heartYou draw up the blueprints so construction can startCuz I don’t like the way that we’re apartYou’re so far away. You could move in any dayInto my heartI will build you an apartmentI will build you an apartmentI will build you an apartment in my heart

Although you might think a lime house is a dwelling of sorts, the reference in this song is to the Limehouse district of London, the name derived from the numerous lime kilns that once operated in the area. Lime is the key ingredient for mortar.

This song is usually considered the first jazz standard by a British composer.

Season 225. "Up On The Roof" by Gerry Goffin and Carole King