Rain, Paul Simon, Graceland and Ladysmith Black Mombaza...

and still it rains. After two beautiful days the rain is back in buckets. It has been a constant deluge since about 9 this morning. For me, this is a good thing. I abhor the heat and humidity and love the cool, rainy, breezy weather. Even cold and snowy weather. But heat.. no way.

Since it is a slow day and I haven't anything much to say at all I thought I would post one of my favourite songs. It is from The African Concert in Zimbabwe in 1985. From the Graceland Album by Paul Simon.


The Boy in the Bubble Lyrics

It was a slow day,
And the sun was beating
On the soldiers by the side of the road,
There was a bright light,
A shattering of shop windows
The bomb in the baby carriage
Was wired to the radio,
These are the days of miracle and wonder,
This is the long distance call,
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all,
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky,
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby don't cry
Don't cry,

(Pause)

It was a dry wind,
And it swept across the desert
And it curled into the circle of birth,
And the dead sand,
Falling on the children
The mothers and the fathers
And the automatic earth,
These are the days of miracle and wonder,
This is the long distance call,
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all o-yeah,
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky,
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby don't cry
Don't cry

(Pause)

It's a turn-around jump shot
It's everybody jump start
It's, every generation throws a hero up the pop charts,
Medicine is magical and magical is art think of
The Boy in the Bubble
And the baby with the baboon heart

And I believe
These are the days of lasers in the jungle,
Lasers in the jungle somewhere,
Staccato signals of constant information,
A loose affiliation of millionaires
And billionaires and baby,
These are the days of miracle and wonder,
This is the long distance call,
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all o-yeah,
The way we look to a distant constellation
That's dying in a corner of the sky,
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don't cry baby don't cry
Don't cry don't cry

oooooooooEmmmmmmmmmmm........

These are the days of miracle and wonder. Everyday something new and amazing is created or discovered. This is also the long distance call.... someday we may be the distant planet dying in the corner of the sky... dark and damaged by those who called it home for so long. Nothing lasts forever if it is not taken care of and we, all of us, haven't done a very good job of looking after our own back yards let alone the world. These are the days of miracle and wonder... make them last as long as you can.

I have watched the video a hundred times, easy and love it every time. I became a big fan of Ladysmith Black Mombaza and have several of their tapes as well. Their music is very soothing and relaxing. I think it is the tone of their voices. Even when the songs and music are not slow the rich, deep, tones of their voices kind of lull you into a state of relaxation. They're awesome

I leave you with a piece from one of Paul Simon's songs, Homeless, sung by Paul and Ladysmith.

Strong wind destroy our home
Many dead, tonight it could be you
Strong wind, strong wind
Many dead, tonight it could be you

And we are homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake
Homeless, homeless
Moonlight sleeping on a midnight lake