Tears in Heaven

When I was in my teens, I took guitar lessons, and one day, while I was taking a lesson, I asked the teacher if he could show me how to play "Tears in Heaven." He said he could and immediately taught me how to play the opening riff. The riff wasn't that hard and playing it, even sometimes imperfectly, was very rewarding because what I was producing sounded very similar to what was on the record. Then came the verse, which was a little more difficult because Eric Clapton plays several fills. However, to motivate me, my teacher said, "Sure, we don't need to play these fills—they are tricky and the song would still sound great without them—but if Eric Clapton can play them, I like to think we can too.'"

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

I was in the locker room at the pool today, about to go swimming, and next to me was a guy who had just finished changing back into his street clothes. I took note of him because he was singing to himself. He was singing Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." It was kinda nice listening to him, but when he got to the chorus, here's how he sang it: 

"So goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Where the da da da da da da da. Ya can't bah bah da da da house/ I'm da da da da da." 

It made complete sense to me that this man didn't know all the lyrics. I mean, have you ever heard "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"? The chorus is super hard to make out. However, because I really like the song, I know the text by heart. 

Anyway, after I heard how this guy sang the chorus, I kept going back and forth with myself: "Should I tell him the lyrics? Should I just keep my mouth shut?" 

By now, he was looking at his phone, so I thought maybe the moment had passed. But then for some reason, I thought, "Nah, fuck it," so I turned to him and said, "Do you know what the lyrics actually are?" He looked up at me and smiled, and before I let him say anything else, I said, "So goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Where the dogs of society howl." 

He kinda of stopped me there and said, "What exactly is it? 'Growl'"? I shook my head and said: "Where the dogs of society howl." I then continued: "You can't plant me in your penthouse/I'm going back to my plough." 

"My what?" he said. "I didn't get that."

"My plough, like a farmer." 

He caught on immediately, "Ah,  my plough...like going back to the roots."

"Exactly," I said.

In the end, I was glad I said something. 

Branding

One pack of Bicycle Playing Cards costs $3.54. 

One pack of Bicycle Playing Cards with a Star Wars theme costs $12.92. 

The eye-popping discrepancy underscores the power of branding. There is basically no difference between the plain Bicycle Playing Cards and the pack with the Star Wars theme. 

Branding really bypasses logic. 

Just think about: The Star Wars cards cost nearly four times more what the plain cards cost. Imagine paying $30,000 for a gray Honda Civic versus paying $120,000 for that same Civic because it had a cool color.

Playing with Matches

Once when I was 11-years-old I went over to the house of a boy I knew from school. I remember that we went up to his room, and once we were there, I began playing with matches that he had. I was lighting a few and then quickly putting them out. I guess his mom was in the hallway and somehow smelled the smoke through the door. She stormed in and asked us what the hell we were doing. The boy just pointed at me, essentially saying, He did it.  

I decided in that moment that I would never play with that boy again. I would never be his friend.

Enjambment

There's a nice use of enjambment in Phil Collin's song "Against All Odds." 

verse

How can I just let you walk away?

Just let you leave without a trace?

When I stand here taking every breath, with you, ooh

You′re the only one who really knew me at all

How can you just walk away from me

When all I can do is watch you leave?

'Cause we′ve shared the laughter and the pain and even shared the tears

You're the only one who really knew me at all

chorus

So take a look at me now

Oh, there's just an empty space

And there′s nothing left here to remind me

Just the memory of your face

Ooh, take a look at me now

Well, there′s just an empty space

And you coming back to me is against the odds

And that's what I′ve got to face

verse

I wish, I could just make you turn around

Turn around and see me cry

There's so much I need to say to you, so many reasons why

You′re the only one who really knew me at all

chorus

So take a look at me now

Well, there's just an empty space

And there′s nothin' left here to remind me

Just the memory of your face

Now take a look at me now

'Cause there′s just an empty space

But to wait for you, is all I can do

And that′s what I've gotta face

Take a good look at me now

′Cause I'll still be standing here

And you coming back to me is against all odds

It′s the chance I've gotta take

outro

Take a look at me now