Gardenia

Sans the sweetness of "Candy," the grace and beauty still shines through.

"Well, I put so much thought into getting ready --

Now I know that was the best part.

It's so easy to get caught up in what I'm regretting,

Forgetting what I got from a wounded heart.

It's been good

Getting to know me more."

Adele

Bobby D should be honored to have such a talented lady cover a song of his.

The Ebb and Flow of Your Love

The short-term unpredictability like that of a wave,

Yet the long-term predictability like that of the tides.

The cycle repeats itself

Until

It's done.

But, so long as the tides rise

and fall,

Your love remains.

Embrace it.

Sade Rocks

This goddess does no wrong, further exemplified by her cover of Thin Lizzy's "Still in Love with You." She adds a sense of soul...of passion...a personable touch that no matter what the circumstance, you can somehow relate to it. Timeless.

Soul

After hearing "Nothing But a Miracle" for the first time, I was hooked on Diane Birch. Her voice seemed to transcend me to a different era, one where music is the only means of communication from soul to soul. Recently while mindlessly applying to jobs, I put on Bible Belt and let the whole album play through. When this particular song came to an end, I scooped up the remote and replayed it again. And again. And again. As she strikes the opening keys on the organ-like piano, it blankets a calming sensation over me. Her voice, well, it speaks for itself. I give you "Ariel."

"I've been cryin' on the pillow where you lie
For the past, for the future and everything in between.
Oh, does it hurt more to lose you or hurt more to love you baby?
Or does it hurt more to look at you on my screen?

Am I a fool to think I know you well?
Do we see the same stars?
Cause sometimes, baby, those green eyes just don't tell."

Lesson to Make a Guitar Weep

Isn't it a pity
Now, isn't it a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Some things take so long
But how do I explain
When not too many people
Can see we're all the same
And because of all their tears
Their eyes can't hope to see
The beauty that surrounds them
Isn't it a pity

Isn't it a pity
Isn't is a shame
How we break each other's hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other's love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity

Forgetting to give back
Isn't it a pity
Forgetting to give back
Now, isn't it a pity

What a pity

Ordinary Magic

"While the astronauts, heroes forever, spent mere hours on the moon, I have remained in this new world for nearly thirty years. I know that my achievement is quite ordinary. I am not the only man to seek his fortune far from home, and certainly I am not the first. Still, there are times I am bewildered by each mile I have traveled, each meal I have eaten, each person I have known, each room which I have slept. As ordinary as it appears, there are times when it is beyond my imagination." -Jhumpa Lahiri, Interpreter of Maladies, "The Third and Final Continent"

There is a slightly magical connection I can make with this quote. As I closed in on the final sentence, I knew at that point that I should not become disheartened by paths that may seem misleading at the time. For they are not leading me astray, and ultimately will guide me towards the path of my life. My. Life.