Chelsea Morning

I was jogging Saturday in the 75 degree weather while Doc. B. was attending a yoga class. I was all set to go to the gym for a good sweat until I stepped outside and felt the sun smile on my face (this is not to be confused with the prior Saturday when our friend did the Oakhurst 5K without us - we just couldn't see joging in the 20 degree weather we had last weekend). So I grabbed my iPod mini, programmed it to shuffle the 1000 or so songs that are on it, and set out on my standard three mile route. The first song that popped up in the random play mode was Joni Mitchell's "Chelsea Morning". I've always loved the creative lyrics in this song and love her even more. But it got me thinking about how important music is to me, what a role it's played in my life, how some songs remind me of the past (some pleasant memories and others not so much so), and how just "one good line" from a song writer's head can make my day.

So, here's the newest blog idea..."one good line" from a song every day that I hear one. An excellent challenge for 2007 I'd say. We'll see how far I get. But in the meantime, here are the full lyrics to "Chelsea Morning".

Oh, and maybe Mary Cheney will name her baby "Chelsea", after this song, just like Hillary and Bill did?

"Woke up, it was a chelsea morning, and the first thing that I heard
Was a song outside my window, and the traffic wrote the words
It came a-reeling up like christmas bells, and rapping up like pipes and drums

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
And we'll wear it till the night comes

Woke up, it was a chelsea morning, and the first thing that I saw
Was the sun through yellow curtains, and a rainbow on the wall
Blue, red, green and gold to welcome you, crimson crystal beads to beckon

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
There's a sun show every second

Now the curtain opens on a portrait of today
And the streets are paved with passersby
And pigeons fly
And papers lie
Waiting to blow away

Woke up, it was a chelsea morning, and the first thing that I knew
There was milk and toast and honey and a bowl of oranges, too
And the sun poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses

Oh, won't you stay
We'll put on the day
And we'll talk in present tenses

When the curtain closes and the rainbow runs away
I will bring you incense owls by night
By candlelight
By jewel-light
If only you will stay
Pretty baby, won't you
Wake up, its a chelsea morning"