Songs for everyone for Valentine's Day (free MP3 from Amazon!)

Amazon.com is giving a free download of Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get It On' only on Friday (2/13/09) and Saturday (2/14/09) in honor of Valentine's Day! Click the link to access the free download: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NTNJD2?tag=jenaraysweb-20.

And for those of us less lucky in love this Valentine's Day, enjoy the ultimate break-up song of all time, by Weird Al Yankovic. It's twisted and wrong, but it never fails to make me laugh, even on the heels of a fresh break-up. You have to love the sappy way Weird Al sings all these vile things... LOL

Sorry, no free download on this one, but you can watch the video at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAXutCG2h9E.

It's a lot better if you know the lyrics:

One More Minute
Weird Al Yankovic

Aahh....

Well I heard that you're leavin' (leavin')
Gonna leave me far behind (so far behind)
'Cause you found a brand new lover
You decided that I'm not your kind (aahh..)

So I pulled (I pulled) your name out (name out) of my Rolodex (oohh..)
And I tore all your pictures in two
And I burned down the malt shop where we used to go
Just because it reminds me of you (dippity dippity doo)

That's right (that's right) you ain't gonna see me cryin'
I'm glad (I'm glad) that you found somebody new
'Cause I'd rather spend eternity eating shards of broken glass
Than spend one more minute with you

I guess I might seem kinda bitter
You got me feeling down in the dumps
'Cause I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love
And I have to use the self-service pumps

Oh, so honey, let me help you with that suitcase
You ain't (you ain't) gonna break my heart in two
'Cause I'd rather get a hundred thousand paper cuts on my face
Than spend one more minute with you

I'd rather rip out my intestines with a fork
Than watch you going out with other men
I'd rather slam my fingers in a door (yah)
Again and again and again and again and again

Oh, can't you see what I'm tryin' to say, Darlin...

I'd rather have my blood sucked out by leeches (leeches)
Shove an icepick under a toenail or two
I'd rather clean all the bathrooms in Grand Central Station with my tongue
Than spend one more minute with you

Yes, I'd rather jump naked on a huge pile of thumbtacks
Or stick my nostrils together with crazy glue
I'd rather dive into a swimming pool filled with double-edged razor blades
Than spend one more minute with you

I'd rather rip my heart right out of my ribcage with my bare hands
and then throw it on the floor and stomp on it 'till I die...
*Squeak!*
Than spend one more minute with you

Dirty Deeds and the Thunder Chief

Recognize that line? For years I thought that the chorus to AC/DC's hit song Dirty Deeds was "dirty deeds and the thunder chief". It wasn't until a few years ago that I found out it is actually "dirty deeds and their done dirt cheap". Imagine my disappointment. I thought the 'Thunder Chief' sounded kind of hot. LOL Which is probably totally NOT what AC/DC was going for, I am certain.

But it doesn't stop there - I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who wondered why in the world Manfred Mann was singing about a douche in the song Blinded by the Light. I now know the line in the song reads "blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night" but I STILL hear the word 'douche' in place of 'deuce'.

Bonnie Tyler's hit Total Eclipse of the Heart was one of my favorite songs once upon a time - I still love it, actually. But it took years before I figured out that 'pollygag' was actually 'powderkeg' in the line "we're living in a powderkeg and giving off sparks".

Of course, the most infamous misheard lyric ever is probably from Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze. "Scuse me, while I kiss this guy" is what many people heard - still hear. The line is actually "Scuse me, while I kiss the sky", but it is rumored that Jimi Hendrix was known to fool around a bit with that line, feeding the 'misheard' lyric.

One of my favorite websites gets its name from that particular misheard lyric: http://kissthisguy.com. Sounds kind of dirty, right? But it is one of the net's most long-lived archive of misheard song lyrics. Visitors to the site can submit their own misheard lyrics to be enjoyed by all who come. Or you can simply have a good laugh browsing through the crazy lines posted by the rest of us fools! LOL

So c'mon, sock it to me. Share some of your favorite misheard song lyrics in the comments here... You know you want to!

Jennifer Ray guest blogs on vampire fiction

Join Jennifer Ray from Wild on Books as she guest blogs all day at Lori Devoti's blog during her '30 Days of Vampires' celebration!

http://loridevoti.com/blog/

When life hands you lemons...

When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

When it hands you ear worms, pass them along to your friends! LOL

I saw ISAAC at Harris Teeter!!!

OK, so maybe it was a cardboard cutout of him promoting a luggage contest...

STILL. I was very surprised to see our very own Love Boat bartender being used in advertising today, in full cruise ship uniform, no less!

And I've been singing that theme song ever since I saw it a couple of hours ago.

Oh, watch the guest stars closely in the video. Yep, that IS sweet little Kim Richards you see there, aka Paris Hilton's aunt. Who knew that the precious little girl who played Tia on the Witch Mountain movies would ever be related to something like Paris...

Jennifer A. Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/
http://www.wildonbooks.com/
http://www.messageboard.wildonbooks.com/

New reviews: Izze Sparkling Juice, Jackie Greene, & Bikini At Home Groomer

I've posted several new reviews for Amazon Vine! Last month, I found a great new musical artist to enjoy, was refreshed by a sparkling fruit juice, and tried my hand at cordless bikini grooming...

Izze Fortified All Natural Sparkling Juice, Clementine, 8.4-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24)

Giving Up the Ghost by Jackie Greene

Bliss-Philips Bikini Perfect Deluxe HP6378 Spa-At-Home Grooming System




My previous Vine reviews:

• Windows Vista Ultimate with SP1
• Tripping the Rift: The Movie
• P2 (Widescreen Edition)
• Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser, Pink
• Mockingbird by Allison Moorer
• Almay Smart Shade Blush, Pink 010, 0.5-Ounces (Pack of 2)
• Logitech Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote
• Revlon 3D Extreme Mascara
• Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator, The Anti Aging Power Treatment Kit
• Beauty Bureau Stick Scents Holiday 3 Pack Of Reed Diffusers, 1 Each Of 8-Ounce Holiday Spice, Winter Forest and Candy Cane
• Corel Painter Essentials 4
• Homedics SBM-300H Therapist Select Shiatsu PLUS Massaging Cushion with Heat
• Logitech QuickCam Pro for Notebooks
• Logitech MX Air Rechargeable Cordless Air Mouse
• Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush
  

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/
http://www.wildonbooks.com/

New Amazon Vine Reviews - Movies, Cosmetics, and a CD!

Hi All!

I have a few new reviews I've posted for Amazon Vine recently. I enjoyed a couple of movies, tried some blush I didn't much care for, listened to a good singer in a mediocre album, and found that I prefer my Neutrogena Rejuvenator to the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser.

With no further adieu...

P2 (Widescreen Edition)

Tripping the Rift: The Movie

Mockingbird by Allison Moorer

Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser, Pink

Almay Smart Shade Blush, Pink 010, 0.5-Ounces

I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Jennifer A. Ray
http://www.jenaray.com
http://blog.jenaray.com

Baby Got Back - A Folk Rendition

OK, this sounds wrong, but this guy actually performs it really well. I never before thought of this song as a folk tune! LOL

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

The Carousel by Buffy Sainte-Marie

When I was a kid, we listened to a lot of folk music - I still do, actually. My music collection boasts tons of Simon & Garfunkel, Loggins & Messina, Cat Stevens, and more.

My Mom had a lot of Buffy Sainte-Marie albums and one of my favorites from her was The Carousel. I just found that song at Amazon.com's MP3 store, so of course I had to buy it! It is hauntingly beautiful and sad, and I still enjoy it. I hope you do too.

If you have sound on your computer, the song should have begun playing in the background a moment or two after you loaded this page. :-)

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

The Carousel
Buffy Sainte-Marie

I'm a horse on a carousel,
plaster mask but who can tell;
angels in heaven and devils in hell,
watch me round and round.

When the children 've had their ride,
they can go, but I must bide,
up on a pedestal, nowhere to hide.
watch me round and round.

Flying horses they are just
little girls who wish too much,
to be loved when they grow up.
watch me round and round.

Merry-go-rounds they are merry for those
who are free to come and go;
I'm bolted down to the merriment show,
watch me round and round.

My prayers were answered the same way I'd planned.
I got my status there's nowhere to stand;
I've got my wings now there's nowhere to land,
watch me round and round.

Wished I may, and wished I might,
wished my fun could last all night;
chains of tinsel caught me tight,
watch me round and round.

When the children 've had their ride,
they can go, but I must bide,
up on a pedestal, nowhere to hide.
watch me round and round.

80’s Music Videos & Stars Before They Were Stars

I love watching old 80's music videos. Not only to reminisce, but it is really neat to catch stars before they were stars acting in these videos!

It was just a few years ago that I saw Bryan Adam's video for 'Summer of '69' again and realized that actress Lysette Anthony starred in it!



And just the other day I looked up the old Kenny Loggins video for 'I'm Free' and realized that Virginia Madsen played Kenny's love interest in that one...


Who could forget that Courtney Cox was the dancer that Bruce Springsteen pulled up on stage in his video for 'Dancing in the Dark'?



Let me know what videos you guys have caught stars before they were stars in!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Jingles & Theme Songs

Hardly anyone has original commercial jingles or theme songs any more. I miss them. Today, they all use clips of hit songs in place of a real commercial jingle, or just a few notes of music with the opening credits instead of a theme song.

I still hear the 'muncha buncha, muncha buncha' lyrics from the old Fritos commercial when I see Fritos. I loved that commercial and when I was a kid, my little sister and I would time it so we'd eat a Frito on the 'Crunch' part of the song! LOL

And who can forget the Oscar Mayer Wiener jingle? I know plenty of people who still sing it and think of Oscar Mayer hot dogs.

Then take shows like Three's Company, The Facts of Life, Gilligan's Island, and The Brady Bunch. I have known every word of those theme songs ever since I can remember. Sometimes those songs come to mind and bring back fond memories of those shows.

Even better example: The song 'Believe it or Not.' You know the one I mean - the chorus goes "Believe it or not, I'm walking on air, I never thought I could feel so free..." Remember the song?

Most people do. A lot of people even remember it was the theme song to the tv show The Greatest American Hero, a largely forgettable program. But it achieved and maintained a greater fame because of its popular theme song.

In my honest opinion, tv producers and product manufacturers are missing the boat by not having original songs that customers and viewers will long associate with their show. Why use a pop hit that sounds cool but already has a place in the pop culture psyche that is not tied to their program or product? I know someone has used one of Supertramp's hits in their commercial, but can I remember who it was or what product? Nope. I still think of Supertramp when I hear any of their songs.

Alright, I'm off my little soapbox... Feel free to chime in with your opinion or just your favorite theme song or jingle! I'll be off singing today's earworm, sparked by mention of George Clooney on the radio this morning...

"You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life, the Facts of Life..." (Yep, George C. was on that show in the later years! Remember the hunky neighbor sporting a mullet?)

Jennifer Ray
www.jenaray.com

Songs that always cheer us!

My iPod loves me, it's very obvious to see. It just decided to play one of my all-time feel great songs - Bare Necessities from Disney's movie The Jungle Book.

Doesn't matter what kind of mood I'm in, I can't help but smile and wiggle around when I hear this one!

And since I was taught to share... I would love you to post what your favorite feel-great songs are!




Lyrics

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
The bees are buzzin' in the tree
To make some honey just for me
When you look under the rocks and plants
And take a glance at the fancy ants
Then maybe try a few

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

Now when you pick a pawpaw
Or a prickly pear
And you prick a raw paw
Next time beware
Don't pick the prickly pear by the paw
When you pick a pear
Try to use the claw
But you don't need to use the claw
When you pick a pear of the big pawpaw
Have I given you a clue ?

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!
So just try and relax, yeah cool it
Fall apart in my backyard'
Cause let me tell you something little britches
If you act like that bee acts, uh uh
You're working too hard

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Kajagoogoo sings in Simlish

A handful of popular musicians have recorded some of their hits in Simlish, the language the Sims characters use in Electronics Arts' game by that name. One of my favorites is Kajagoogoo's recording of their song Too Shy.

What's really funny is to play my music with friends around who aren't familiar with the game, mixing it up with normal songs in English. You should see their faces when they hear a familiar tune in a language not so familiar!

By the way, Too Shy should be playing in the background of this blog, assuming you have your PC sound turned on. I've also posted the lyrics in Simlish for you below... Now wouldn't it be fun to perform it at karaoke this way? You think anyone would notice the difference after they've had enough drinks?

I guess this all proves that I am very easily entertained... LOL

Kajagoogoo - Too Shy (in Simlish)

Glund-bibe, (ine) vorba glepps, do-neeva bibe
Gry na bibble quarbler
Zubby stonk, voo bon gobeen, voo tamby gronk
Gow, nooboo, gow
Vay zork, booga linny vobler.

Flerb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
Wush wush

Gomber blenicork nall vorky boo noo-zeets
Ooh, booga linny vobler
Norb oonie vipp terbits, wo boo doo-neet
Nooboo boog
Vay zork, booga linny vobler.

Von flerb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
wush wush, eeb lo jeeb
Boo neeb neeb
Wush wush

Return to Pooh Corner

Loggins & Messina has been a favorite band of mine as far back as my memory goes. Their hits House at Pooh Corner and Return to Pooh Corner have always brought me a sense of peace and calm. Return to Pooh Corner just came on my iPod and I had to share it with you all... The lyrics are posted below the video, just in case you've got the urge to sing along. I always do!

Enjoy!

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/



Return to Pooh Corner
Kenny Loggins

Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
As our days disappeared all too soon
But I've wandered much further today than I should
And I can't seem to find my way back to the Wood

So help me if you can
I've got to get back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
You'd be surprised
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

Winnie the Pooh doesn't know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
And from here no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the Owl if he's there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear

It's hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all's said and done I was watching my son
Sleeping there with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that the old bear whispered
"Boy welcome home"

Believe me if you can
I've finally come back
To the House at Pooh Corner by one
What do you know
There's so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh

Today, I learned what a ’Bald Monkey’ is...

And subsequent to that, I started hearing the Beastie Boys in my head singing 'Bald Monkey' to the tune of their hit Brass Monkey.

Don't know what a Bald Monkey is? Think Brazilian.

And now, for your listening enjoyment...



Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

U & Ur Hand

I saw P!nk on Ellen yesterday and LOVED the song she performed! And it struck me that I've actually heard and loved several of her songs. I need to go order some of her CDs...

She reminds me of Pat Benatar: Powerful presence, amazing vocals, lots of attitude and a 'you can't hold me back' rebelliousness. The songs are pretty dang good too.

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/

Music can change your mood...

I have to say, I am very susceptible to music as a mood enhancer. Feeling a bit down lately, I finally put my iPod on my favorite folk music playlist, and have listed to it for days. Something about great folk music heals my soul. Especially great old folk music like Cat Stevens, Peter Paul and Mary, Simon & Garfunkel...

I'm feeling much better now.

Jennifer Ray
http://www.jenaray.com/