Twisted Mixed Tape: Goodbye!

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Alas, the “Goodbye” theme is appropriate this week, as this will be the last installment of Mixed Tape Tuesday for a while.

Before I reveal this week’s selections, I wanted to announce a new weekly musical blog hop. With Jen’s blessing, I am going to embark upon a musical A to Z. Obviously, this will get us through 26 weeks! (We’ll see how it goes from there — while the alphabet is limited, the possibilities are endless!) I have created a Facebook page and a Google + presence for it already. Also, Jen has been kind enough to agree to allow us all to continue meeting up on the Twisted Mixed Tape Facebook page, as well.

Each week the theme will be a different letter. You may choose five songs that begin with that letter or focus on a single group or artists or multiple groups who fit the category and choose five of their songs. If you like, you can even use the letter to tell us about bands/acts that you saw at a certain venue that begins with the letter of the week. Or, use the letter to create a theme — “L” for love or loss, “C” for covers. It’s up to you!

The first installment of MusicAtoZ will begin next Monday 4/21. Bring your “A” game!

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And now, onto this week’s Twisted Mixed Tape Tuesday theme: Goodbye!

Last Kiss, Pearl Jam

This is actually a cover of a 1961 Wayne Cochran song (I know, I know, I hadn’t heard of him either). The song is great and I’m glad that Pearl Jam put their spin on it. It’s sad and it’s beautiful. The plaintiveness of Eddie Vedder’s voice is perfect for a song that tells the story of a man lamenting the death of his girlfriend.

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Seasons in the Sun, Terry Jacks

This 1974 song is about a terminally ill man saying goodbye to his family. The rumor was that Jacks had written it because he was, himself, dying of leukemia. That was not true. It’s actually a remake of a Jacques Brel song. I’m happy to report that Terry Jacks is alive and well and has spent the last several decades as a record producer, a documentary filmmaker, and an environmental activist.

The fact that he is alive doesn’t make the song any less sad, though.

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Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word, Elton John

I don’t know why, but this song has always, at least to me, had a finality to it. I don’t think there is anything in the lyrics that indicates to the listener that Elton is signing about the end of a relationship, but that’s how I’ve interpreted it. And, let’s face it, “Sorry” often is the hardest word.

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Goodbye to You, Scandal

I just love this song. There’s nothing like an in-your-face, screw you song with a great baseline and a girl singing lead. Nope. Nothing like it at all. I’ll admit it, I have a bit of a soft spot for this song for personal reasons — when it, and the accompanying video came out, people said she looked like me and, truthfully, we did kind of resemble each other. I don’t know whatever happened to Patty Smythe’s musical career. All I know about her now is that she is married to John McEnroe.

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Closing Time, Green Day

I think it’s appropriate to close out this edition of Twisted Mixed Tape Tuesdays with this song. It signifies the end of something, but not its death. While it saddened me to hear it back in my drinking days, signaling as it did, the end of night, I knew that tomorrow was another day. Just like “Last call” closes the bar, these posts close out Mixed Tape Tuesdays for a while. Still, our music discussions don’t have to end. The venue may change, but the dialogue can continue! Don’t forget to join in to MusicAtoZ.

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