Music Man

I don't consider myself musically inclined, and marvel at the skills of my offspring in this area. But it's clear to me that music has powerful mood-altering attributes.

Louis Armstrong's "It's a Wonderful World" moves me, as does Aerosmith's "Dream On". This eclectic combination of songs both put me in a great mood.

I also have an affinity for songs about rain with "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head" chief among them. The Beatles "Fixin' a Hole" is in the top rungs of this category. A special nod goes to Dylan's "Rainy Day Women" which has nothing at all to do with inclement weather, so a better choice would be his "Buckets of Rain" ditty. There's also "Bring on the Rain" by Eddie Money, "Riders of the Storm" by the Doors, and CCR's classic "Who'll Stop the Rain?".

Songs about doing absolutely nothing fascinate me. "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" (watching the tide roll away) makes one take pause from busyness. Again, Dylan scores in this category with "Watching the River Flow". Nice.

As I contemplate a retirement a few years out, it's hard not to react to the lyrics in yet another Dylan song, "Maggie's Farm":

I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
No, I aint gonna work on Maggie's farm no more
Well, I wake up in the morning
Fold my hands and pray for rain
I got a head full of ideas
That are drivin' me insane
It's a shame the way she makes me scrub the floor
I ain't gonna work on Maggie's farm no more.

I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
No, I aint gonna work for Maggie's brother no more
Well, he hands you a nickel
He hands you a dime
He asks you with a grin
If you're havin' a good time
Then he fines you every time you slam the door
I ain't gonna work for Maggie's brother more.

It's OK if you're humming now.