I get my best music recommendations from artists. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, I don’t actually have to know any hipster artists. An obscure cartoonist in Manchester, England, introduced me to this angel, and my last month or so has had its heavenly factor boosted by an order of magnitude. You can experience her alchemy for yourself by clicking around her site until music and images pour forth. Or you can watch these lower quality YouTube videos:
My favorite is Samson, which includes the following lyrics–made more poignant by Spektor’s ethereal voice:
You are my sweetest downfall
I loved you first, I loved you first
Beneath the stars came fallin’ on our heads
But they’re just old light, they’re just old light
Your hair was long when we first met…Samson came to my bed…
Told me I was beautiful and came into my bed
Oh I cut his hair myself one night
A pair of dull scissors in the yellow light
And he told me that I’d done alright
And kissed me ’til the mornin’ light…
At first I thought I had a CelebCrush on her, not unlike the my flings with Cate Blanchett (especially as Galadriel–*swoon*) and Audrey Tautou (of Amelie fame). But today I realized that when I hear Regina Spektor sing, I think about Jana. Her music makes me hyperaware of Jana’s presence in my heart, my mind, my soul.
People at Church seem to remember two of my pseudo-sermons across the pulpit. One was my apology-ridden ‘doubtamony,’ and the other was when I declared that Jana was my goddess.
Mormons take this god and goddess business serious–every one of us is a literal child of god and are therefore godlings, beings of Godly potential. And Jana has always been my goddess. In a life stripped of much of the divinity and meaning that it once had, Jana is my Ishtar, my Innana, my Isis. She is the one being left to me to invest all my irrational faith in, to spend my life in adoration.
I like to think that ours is a love of legends–that some day someone will write songs about it. When I listen to Regina Spektor, I feel like someone already has.
20 responses so far ↓
1 nee // Nov 22, 2006 at 5:58 am
Regina is one of the current “You oughta know” artists on VH1. This is the second time I’ve seen her mentioned on a blog in the last week. Looks like her star is rising.
Your thoughts on your wife, that’s exactly how a significant other should be thought of.
2 Ryan Heard // Nov 22, 2006 at 9:20 am
If you like her you might really like Joanna Newsom:
http://www.amazon.com/Milk-Eyed-Mender-Joanna-Newsom/dp/B0001KL526/sr=8-2/qid=1164215542/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/002-3375797-2649665?ie=UTF8&s=music
and perhaps Neko Case:
http://www.amazon.com/Confessor-Brings-Flood-Neko-Case/dp/B000CS4L1E/sr=1-1/qid=1164215966/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-3375797-2649665?ie=UTF8&s=music
3 Matt Thurston // Nov 22, 2006 at 11:10 am
Wow! I heard Regina Spektor on Conan O’Brian about six or seven weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with her. She played “Fidelity.” I listened to it twice in a row at high volume, and then yelled for my wife to come downstairs and see/hear her for a third time. I saved it on my TiVo to listen to again later. (I’ve since watched it a few more times.)
I like that Conan version better than the CD version because it is just her and the piano and the expression on her face (coy, playful, bemused, wise, perfectly “content”) is just priceless. She stares directly into the camera and directly into your soul.
4 Matt Thurston // Nov 22, 2006 at 11:24 am
Dang! Regina played in L.A. on Nov 2 and San Diego on Nov 5.
5 pilgrimgirl // Nov 22, 2006 at 11:58 am
Gosh, John…this is one of those entries that brought tears to me eyes. This world is such a beautiful place when one is loved.
In Mormon cosmology you, as my husband, are my Lord, my God, and my King. Though I love that I am sealed to you as your Queen, I like it best when we throw off the royal robes and curl up in bed together. My head on your shoulder, our bodies close. The deep knowledge that we are full partners in this venture together.
6 John // Nov 22, 2006 at 12:30 pm
I found out about the LA show after the tix were sold out, and had a conflict with the SD show. But the next time she’s in town we should organize a group excursion.
btw, Matt, we’re holding your peeps hostage…
7 John // Nov 22, 2006 at 12:31 pm
Jana, I’m too embarrassed to respond. *blushes* But I agree. The world is a beautiful place when one is loved.
8 amelia // Nov 22, 2006 at 2:02 pm
in this instance, you didn’t need a hipster artist friend–just me. plain, musically nascent (didn’t listen to anything but classical music til i was 15 or 16 or so), ordinary me.
i *love* regina. she’s absolutely incredible. if you want other musical recommendations, just let me know.
by the way, you have excellent taste in celeb-crushes. but that doesn’t surprise me.
9 Matt Thurston // Nov 22, 2006 at 2:40 pm
“we’re holding your peeps hostage”?? Huh?
10 John // Nov 22, 2006 at 2:55 pm
Amelia, such a resource, and right under my nose (that sounds funny, cause I think you’re taller than me). You’ll have to join us in our Regina worship, if she ever comes back into town. (though next time she’ll probably be famous, and not be in the intimate venues she was playing in this time…)
Matt, Kaimi gave us several boxes of candy ‘Peeps’ to give to you–he forgot to get them to you at MESG.
11 Miko // Nov 24, 2006 at 6:23 pm
nee: totally agree!
I never knew this about Mormonology…I could get into that. I always thought that Catholics were missing a huge opportunity since Jesus told us to call god “daddy” and named us his brothers & sisters…here’s to humanity’s godhead and to the union of one divine child and another.
12 Ryan // Nov 27, 2006 at 9:05 pm
Yes, definitely an incredible artist. Regina’s visual performance seems to match her vocal performance so well. Certainly not a “falling star” in the future.
13 Brynja Huld // Dec 4, 2006 at 5:15 pm
woooow, i heard this song in the end of a CSI:New York episode, fell in love with the song at the moments, got a few words from the lyrics and googled it and it led me to tour site, and here i found some of the lyrics:)
this song is so beautiful!
thanks a lot for the lyrics, Brynja Huld, Iceland:)
14 Brynja Huld // Dec 4, 2006 at 5:17 pm
do you know where i can download the song?
Brynja Huld, Iceland:)
15 Miko // Dec 5, 2006 at 8:07 am
Brynja: Regina’s site is ReginaSpektor.com and she has links to where to buy her music. I don’t know if iTunes has it or not. Good luck!
16 Grzegorz (Poland) // Apr 10, 2007 at 9:54 am
There is an tv advert (in Europe) - Saab with nice music in background very similar to those you recoment. It “Laura - Relase Me” - check yourself http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjQXMZe2ouk
17 Selina Edwards // May 3, 2007 at 6:21 am
Brynja - WOW - I must have seen the re-run of the same episode you saw in Dec 2006. I just saw it last night and heard the song - Samson- I also fell in love!!! WOW, she is awesome!!!!
18 Caroline // May 6, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Love that Samson song!
19 jeanne martinez // May 30, 2007 at 7:54 pm
i just want to ask the american singers’ who sang the song ILoved You First? because i can’t find the name of the singer who sang that song.
20 Croo // Aug 4, 2007 at 8:17 am
i was weeks looking for that samson song now i got it!! thank you so mutch!!
XXX
Leave a Comment