earlier this week, i droned on in a post about my ears being blessed with the sweet sound of william fitzsimmons. from there, a twitter exchange began between myself and two other ladies, janey and mia, a blogger, writer and interview-extraordinaire for all things music, tattoos and lesbians (read some of her interviews and hilarious quips here: afterellen.com and chicagonow.com — am i missing any?)
what i found out during this exchange: apparently, i have a penchant for bearded men. and thus, this week’s top 5 bearded beasts of wanderlust was born.
joe cocker :: delta lady
i would be remiss to not include the legendary joe cocker. my absolute number 1 of his, is delta lady. in fact, if ever my buds and i step inside the infamous dive bar tin-n-lint here in ‘toga (THE very spot where don mclean wrote american pie. no foolin’.), i MUST play this song on the jukebox. if someone threatens to leave before it plays, all hell breaks loose. viva el cocker!
ray lamontagne :: jolene
(come on, you obvy knew i’d include him.) jolene was my initiation into ray. it is what made me fall madly in musical love with him, and i will never forget how it hit me right in the ticker with such a powerful thud. i mean, who writes this beautifully? “a man needs something he can hold onto / a 9-lb hammer / or a woman like you / either one of them things will do.” STOP IT.
the black keys :: things ain’t like they used to be
this song really needs no explanation. maybe it’s the emotion behind his voice, maybe it’s just the incredible way he manages to soothe a broken heart. all i know is that i play it over and over and over and …
bob schneider :: a long way to get
i posted this song before, i know. but yes it’s so good, it deserves a double-take. when i think of schneider, i think of home. and i think of her. but mostly, i think about how much life–even at 31–is left to live. this song just manages to keep my head above water, and there are many days when i need that as much as leo needs to drop boonies in eli’s box immediately upon arrival at aunt carey and uncle robby’s.
the black crowes :: nonfiction
if i would be remiss not to include joe cocker, i would be a bloody fool to leave out the man, chris robinson. this beauty of a song makes me want to lie down in the warm summer grass and make out between sips of beer.
enjoy, friends. and happy friday.
amanda d. murphy :: writer 