As with most parodies, Purple Stain started out to be humorous. However, the lyrics took a turn toward the more serious aspects of life. Purple Stain was inspired by Holly at House of Heart in the Fall of 2020 when we were commenting back and forth on images and poetry. I thought for a long time about how to do a video to go with the song. I finally worked it out.
Many of us don’t fit “Normal” as defined by Miriam Webster*:
Conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern: characterized by that which is considered usual, typical, or routine.
According with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, procedure, or principle.
Approximating the statistical average or norm.
Generally free from physical or mental impairment or dysfunction: exhibiting or marked by healthy or sound functioning.
Not exhibiting defect or irregularity.
Within a range considered safe, healthy, or optimal.
For we who have fallen outside almost all of the above definitions of “normal” at one time or another throughout our lifetimes for various reasons that are often outside of our control, we have dealt with “normal” people who do not understand the issues surrounding the problems we have had, problems we have to deal with continually, and the problem of being different and trying to fit into a “normal” world.
Purple Stain By Timothy Price Inspired by Holly Rene Hunter
Cleverly we put off until tomorrow Wearily the things that make us go insane Fondly running into the waves and splashing Fondly raising our glasses, waking with a purple stain
Purple stain, Purple stain Are we insane? So insane Purple rain, Purple stain
So here we are scrubbing and washing out that purple stain.
Forever longing wanting to be like others Our sensitivities make us like the strangest friends Unfortunately we feel our sensibilities are plundered Again the same our glasses raised as we pretend
Purple stain, Purple stain Are we insane? So insane Purple stain, Purple stain
Funny how we see, we see how things are changing purple stain
You and I we need to live as two Look! Something new That time we had to greet her She stared at us like we’re insane I thought you were going to lose it As it was all about it was all about our purple stain
Purple stain, Purple stain Are we insane? So insane
Yeah!
Let’s get us out of here purple oh the pain Walking hand in hand
We only want, we only want our sanity
We only want our sanity
Storm clouds built up in the early afternoon, with a constant rumble of thunder as the clouds rolled in. I took the above photo at 1:30 pm and the temperature was 81ºF (27.2ºC). Thirty minutes later the clouds pelted us with hail and heavy rain that lasted for thirty minutes or so. The temperature fell to 55ºF (12.7ºC) in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, our poor peonies got beaten up by the hail.
I am super excited about this collaboration between Resa at Graffiti Lux Art & More and ArtGowns, and me. Resa mentioned that the construction project to replace the 130 year old sewer lines that run under the street in front of where she lives in the old area of Toronto, Canada goes on “all day and all the night through!” I told her that would make a good parody. Resa wrote the parody lyrics to go to All Day And All Of The Night by The Kinks. I go the music and recorded the first round with my vocals. I sent the music to Resa and asked her to try singing her parody. When she sent me the audio file of her vocals, I was like “Wow!” she sounded super good. I mixed her vocals in with the music, Resa sent me video clips and photos of the construction from her window, and I put the parody music video together. Laurie was reviewing the video and she thought there needed to be more desperation in the chorus, and asked if I could add construction sounds to the chorus. I pulled the scraping sounds off a backhoe video and added snippets of the scrapping and clanking to the chorus and solo. That was enough to give a better sense of desperation to the parody.
When Resa first told me about the construction I really felt sorry for her. When we lived in Madrid, Spain, the city constructed a new Metro stop about 100 feet from the apartment building we lived in. The construction noise went on 24/7 for a year. It was horrible. However, we were not in lock down, and so it was easy for us to simply go to parks, museums, and bars to get away from the noise. Toronto is still locked down with stay at home orders, so Resa cannot simply say the heck with it, go out and get away from it all. She can go on walks, but she is very limited in her activity under the lock down orders.
ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT THROUGH By Resa McConaghy
Oh they have got loud work to do in the day time Evac, jack hammers and backhoes too, all the night through There is no time nowhere to hide losing my mind too It’s cruel they pound and crash then roar all of the time
All day and all night through All day and all night through All day and all night through
I believe this crazy work will always be there Oh yeah all day and night time through – PTSD There is no time nowhere to hide losing my mind Evac, jack hammers and backhoes too, not a good time
All day and all night through All day and all night through
Oh go away
I just know that they will be here forever Oh yeah all day and night time through, fixing the sewer There is no time nowhere to hide losing my mind Oh they have got loud work to do in the day time
All day and all night through All day and all night through All day and all night through
Life’s Habit Music: Jefferson Airplane Lyrics: Timothy Price
One bill makes you wonder And one Bill makes you sad And the bill for the electric Only makes you mad Was in Corrales When I took the call
When climbing walls becomes a habit And there’s no paper in the stall You dream of hula and smoking hot chicks You have nothing left at all To call Corrales Where I take my calls
You see those men on the surfboard Hang ten got it all on GoPro They crash and burn like Max Headroom Now their moving very slow Was in Corrales I had seen the show
Sympathy nor restoration Dialog cut off is dead And the dark nights reel us backwards And feeling mad about what’s ahead Remember simple words you said “Try peace instead, try peace instead”
I recorded the music for Loki’s Beauty Rest in 2018. It’s a parody of Jethro Tull’s Locomotive Breath. I’ve been thinking about how to do a video for the parody for a long time, especially what to do with the long introduction and the meow meow solo. I finally came up with what I thought are decent solutions. Parody Lyrics at the end of the post.
In the bustling catness Loki needs his beauty rest He’s the all-time snoozer Awakened nonetheless
Oh, I hold the dish a scraping Tie hanging off my brow Spunk’s playing with the candle And Loki won’t stop snoring No, he won’t come down No, he won’t come down
He sees those pens to knock off From the table one by one He doesn’t have to pretend In bed he’s having fun
While I’m standing in the corridor Cameras hanging on my knees Spunk’s playing with the candle And Loki won’t stop snoring No he won’t come down
[meow meow solo]
He hears the Spunk a howling Killing lids as he calls Silver the all-time whiner Has gone and lost his balls
Oh, he licks his ridiculous rival Both lying in the sun I think Spunk’s playing with the candle and Loki won’t stop snoring No, he won’t come down
No, he won’t come down No, he won’t come down No, he won’t come down No, he won’t come down No, he won’t come down
This video goes out to Brian who has the Wildlife Intrigued blog. Although Brian’s photography is exemplary, he has more than once mentioned having some fear and mistrust of felines. Spunk, the Wild Cat, will certainly confirm Brian’s suspicions. However, we cannot assume all cats are alike based on Spunk’s behavior.
As you can see from the photo below, Spunk helped me put the video together and approves the content in the video. He certifies the authenticity of all his wild catness depicted in the above video.
Wild Cat Parody Lyrics: Timothy Price Music by The Troggs
Wild cat You stomped my heart flat You make everything scary Wild cat
Wild cat, you know I want you To lie on my lap and purr So come and curl up alright? I want you
Wild cat You stomped my heart flat You make everything scary Wild cat
Wild cat, why did you claw on me? I know I petted your fur Please don’t kill me alright? You’re toothy
Wild cat You stomped my heart flat You make everything scary Wild cat
Go on, go on, wild cat. Oh don’t shake your tail. Oh please? Don’t shake your tail! Oh! You shook your tail!
I made this video in 2017 with some really bloody awful vocals. I just recorded a new vocal track and updated the vocals so now they are just plain bloody awful.
Silver: “Ah! Oh my! You had to remind me!” Loki: “It was a sad time for both of us. I got blackballed or de-blackballed on the same sad day if you recall.
When he was a young cat He had big silver balls He laid out on the counter On display to one and all Ain’t seen nothing like them In any amusement hall
So guess what the vet did? She cut off his silver balls.
He laid there like Adonis He licked his silver things Feeling proud and smug He always kept them clean His pride and intuition He showed them off to all
So guess what the vet did? She cut off his silver balls.
He was a big balled wizard But with an evil twist The big balled wizard he lost his catliness
Why did we have to do it I don’t know His balls they looked so good
He didn’t have no distractions Didn’t care about buzzers and bells Surgery lights were flashing He thought he was in hell Doesn’t want a replay He never saw them fall
So guess what the vet did? She cut off his silver balls.
So we had to take on the big bally king We just took away his big ball crown from him
When he lays out on the table He doesn’t get no rest He’s cute when he’s all sprawled out You can see he’s lost his best His tail’s like a crazy weiner He never saw them fall…
So guess what the vet did? She cut off his silver balls.
When I went out on a walk this morning, I found Daddy Owl in the tree he sits in when he watches over the owlets. Mama Owl’s ear tufts barely stuck up above the edge of the hole in the tree. A few cranes flew over close to the tops of the cottonwood trees. Most of the cranes have headed north. Only a few cranes are holding out.
Then I saw something moving in the cottonwoods. It was a female Wood Duck hopping and flying around between branches. A male Wood Duck soon followed. That was the first of three pairs of Wood Ducks I saw in the cottonwoods as I walked in the bosque this morning.
A couple of months ago there were some birders looking for the elusive Wood Ducks. I told them they were too early. They looked at me like I was crazy. The birders acted like the Wood Ducks are rare. Well, they were quite rare in the middle of the winter, but they are not rare now.
I took a lot of photos of the Wood Duck pairs. I was thinking about the best way to show a lot of Wood Duck photos and decided I’d write a song and put the photos to music. The song is not very polished, but I had fun doing it. I hope you enjoy Wood Duck Daze and the all photos of the Wood Ducks.
I presented my paper Quinientos años de lágrimas: The persistence of La Llorona — 16th Century to Present at The 52nd Annual Convention of the Northeast Modern Language Association this afternoon. The convention was scheduled to be held in Philadelphia, PA, but like so many things in our world of covid cooties, the organizers decided it was best to do a virtual conference. That was a wise decision, but it certainly changes the dynamics of a conference. I thought it was fitting to add the above parody I posted last year.
The last warning sliver moon in March.Sasha: “Do you like my La Llorona eyes?”
Marble: “No Sasha! This is how you make La Lorona eyes!”
Neither of you has it right. You need to be crying. Sasha & Marble: “Cats don’t cry! Stupid La Llorona!”
Silver: “La Llorona? Meh!”
Spunk: “No stinking La Llorona will get to me behind these bars!”
Glenda: “What’s that you say?”
“La la la La Llorona?”
Loki: “I’m not impressed!”
“Talk to the paws and claws La Llorona!”
Gwendolyn: “Yeah! Talk to the paws!”
Daddy Owl: “I don’t see no stinking La Llorona! What’s that you say? La Llorona can shapeshift into an owl? Ha ha ho ho hoo who. That’s a Hoot!”
This is the time of year to kiss calves and enjoy that sloppy taste of hairy bovine.
I originally posted this video in December 2017 on T&L Photos. I did not have the recording software and equipment I have now, so I made a new recording of the music and updated the video with the new audio.
Off Center & Not Even 