#AtoZChallenge: W — “Welcome 2 America” by Prince

Posted on April 27, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

My song choice for this post is one I am guessing all but the most hardcore Prince fans aren’t familiar with but should be. Prince was a groundbreaker his whole career, everything from his style to his music not fitting neatly into any single genre to being apologetically sexual to reinventing himself over and over again as time and society required and still staying relevant to talking social issues. My favorite Prince song is one his most popular, “Little Red Corvette,” but one of his most thoughtful songs is this one.

“Welcome 2 America” is an uncomfortable commentary on everyday life in the United States. If it makes you cringe, I think it’s supposed to. If it makes you angry, I think it’s supposed to. It it offends you, I think it’s supposed to. If it makes you pause and think, I think it’s supposed to. He drops truth nuggets throughout the song. Things like being distracted by our phones, having an app for literally every situations, losing actual physical human contact to virtual contact, digs at Google, taxes, modern music, the ignoring of truth, education, social media celebrity, and hosts of other topics. He’s not kind, and that’s okay. I think a lot of Americans need a little tough love, and Prince delivers it.

Take a breath, and take a listen.

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#AtoZChallenge: V — “Everybody Wants Some” by Van Halen

Posted on April 26, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

Van Halen is one of the most popular and prolific rock bands in music. Their song catalog is extensive and rich with mega hits. But one of my favorite songs by them is from the cult classic movie Better Off Dead. There’s a great fantasy sequence in that movie where John Cusack’s character dreams into existence and singing hamburger, and it features this song. It makes this scene in the movie a real standout! I used to think the song only worked in the context of the movie, but once I started to listen to the song on its own. I decided it works on its own — it’s a fun, rollicking tune that oozes classic Van Halen sounds!

Have a listen and check out this video. It has the fantasy sequence from Better Off Dead as well as other scenes from the movie. And if you haven’t watched the movie, do it! It’s got some of the best quotable lines!

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#AtoZChallenge: U — “Up and Down” by The Cars

Posted on April 26, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

I know I am a day behind in my posts — I will end up posting on Sunday to get caught up!

One of the best band from the ’80s is The Cars. Ric Ocasek had one of the most identifiable and distinctive voices in rock ‘n’ roll. The Cars had plenty of mega hits — but by fat, my favorite song by The Cars is this one, “Up and Down.” It’s the last track on the album Panorama, and what I love most about it is the hard driving beat of the song. The guitar and drums in this song just fill my head, especially at the end of the song. It’s just such a great, rocking tune that sounds better the louder you play it!

Give it a listen, nice and loud!

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#AtoZChallenge: T — “Truck Stop Sally” by Pray for the Soul of Betty

Posted on April 24, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

It will be nothing short of a miracle if anyone reading this post will know the song I am sharing! Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who knows it haha!

I used to be a pretty avid watcher of the TV show American Idol when it was at its height of popularity. One season, one of the contestants was a singer named Constatine Maroulis, and I fell immediately in love with him! He was sexy and cool and I loved the edge he had to his singing. So I found myself going down a Constantine Maroulis rabbit hole and discovered he had been in a band called Pray for the Soul of Betty. One of that band’s songs was this one, “Truck Stop Sally.” Of course, I listened to it because it was Constantine Maroulis and I was fangirling on him, and I loved the song right away! It’s still in regular rotation on my playlist. I loved the edginess of the song as well as the strong imagery and story the song tells. And I’m not gonna lie, Constantine Maroulis still sounds sexy as hell to me when I listen to it!

Enjoy this video of the song — Constantine is pretty easy on the eyes LOL!

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#AtoZChallenge: S — “The Famous Final Scene” by Bob Seger

Posted on April 22, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

Bob Seger, in his heyday, was a powerhouse. He had a musical style and voice that were unique and distinctive, and he became a mega star after “Old Time Rock & Roll” was featured so prominently in the movie Risky Business. One likely can’t hear that song without picturing Tom Cruise dancing around in his underwear! But that’s not my favorite Seger song.

My favorite is the last track on the album Stranger in Town called “The Famous Final Scene.” The first time I heard this song was when I was in high school. My best friend Jennifer and I would cruise around in her mom’s red Camaro. That car had an 8-track player and one of the 8-track tapes in the car was that album. “The Famous Final Scene” isn’t a rock out song — it’s a ballad that’s an extended metaphor for a breakup. In fact, that extended metaphor is what made me fall in lover with the song.

Seger uses multiple metaphors to explain to us, the listeners, and the woman he is in the relationship with, that the relationship has ended. There are so many powerful lines in this song. The metaphor builds to multiple references to the end of a play or a movie, representing the end of the relationship.

“Now the stage has all been set
And the nights are growing cold
Soon the winter will be here
And there’s no one warm to hold
Now the lines have all been read
And you knew them all by heart
Now you move toward the door
Here it comes, the hardest part
Try the handle of the road
Feeling different, feeling strange
This can never be arranged
As the light fades from the screen
From the famous final scene”

To me, when I hear this song, I picture all of these things happening — the stage being set, people finish reading their lines, the heartbeat before the play is done and the audience recognizes it, and the lights fade and it’s over. I thought the metaphor was so vivid that when I taught high school, I used this song as an example of extended metaphor when I taught poetry.

If you like “We’ve Got Tonight,” chances are you’ll like this song because it has the same, sad feel to it. This song is just a hidden gem. Hope you love it as much as I do!

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#AtoZChallenge: R — “Ring of Fire” by Grace Jones

Posted on April 21, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

The song “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash is iconic. You would be hard pressed to find someone who isn’t familiar with that song. But I’m going to piss some people off big time right now.

As much as I love the OG “Ring of Fire,” my favorite version is the one I am sharing today by Grace Jones.

Her version keeps the passion that is in Cash’s version, but the flavor is totally different as it has a reggae beat to it with a healthy dash of rock ‘n’ roll added to give it a really fun vibe.

The first time I heard this version was on an episode of ER. Carter was staying at Carrie Weaver’s place and she woke him up one morning while she was making breakfast and just blaring this song. I immediately had to do some research to see who did it and then discovered it was none other than the unique artist Grace Jones! I tried playing the song really loud for myself and it has become a staple in my “Blast It!”playlist!

Give it a listen and tell me if it will make your playlist!

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#AtoZChallenge: Q — “It’s Late” by Queen

Posted on April 20, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

My all-time favorite song by Queen is “It’s Late” from the album News of the World. Most people are familiar with this album because the mega powerhouse hits “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions” are on this record. Those songs are on side 1, tracks 1 and 2. But if you flip over to side 2 and get to the second to last track, you will discover my favorite.

“It’s Late” tells a story of a relationship from thrilling beginning to the breakdown in the middle and the melancholy end. And I think that’s what drew me in to this song, was it clearly told a story, a sad love story, and I wondered what happened to make the relationship go bad. It was lines like, “After all this time, the more I’m trying, the more I seem to let you down,” “I’ve been wrong but I’ll learn to be right,” and “You say what game are you playing? What’s this that you’re saying? I know that I can’t reply. If I take you tonight, is it making my life a lie?” made me wonder what went down between these two people who seemed to have great passion for each other — maybe too much passion. I’m a bit of a sucker for a cryptic, sad love song because I end up imagining a story to go with the song. In fact, this was probably the first song where I did that (other songs followed over the years, probably most notably “Hands Tied” by Scandal and “Fortress Around Your Heart” by Sting).

Give the song a listen and let me know if it makes you feel sad for the lovers that their relationship is done. I couldn’t find a video for the song that I thought was any good, so this is just the audio.

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#AtoZChallenge: P — “Faith in Angels” by Peter Mayer

Posted on April 18, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

The song I am sharing today is probably known to you if you’re a Jimmy Buffett fan as it is performed by Peter Mayer, who was one of the Coral Reefers backing up Buffett for many years. His song “Faith in Angels” was introduced to me many years ago by my friend Sarah, fellow Parrothead, and it spoke to me immediately and it has been a staple in the background of my life every time I am facing tough situations. My dear friend Cathy, also a Parrothead, calls it my “strong song” and she’s right. I derive such emotional strength from this song.

It’s a sweet, simple song that implores us to “have a little faith in angels — you never know where they might be.” And I have found this to be true. Sometimes these angels are of the spiritual kind, providing me divine intervention when I need it the most. Sometimes it’s people who show up in my life when I need them most or know just the right thing to say or do to get me through a situation. When I feel like I am at my lowest, it always seems like this song will show up in my life, and I stop to remind myself that I need to have faith in angels because I may not see them at that moment, but they will be there. Maybe I am so lucky to have so many angels in my life because of another beautiful line from the song: “What you dream, you’ve got to live. The love you want, you’ve got to give.” I do try to live up to my dreams and aspirations, and I do try to put plenty of love out there in the world, so maybe some of it comes back to me.

Take a listen and share your thoughts. Maybe this will be the emotional hug you need today. Maybe it will become your own personal anthem to carry you through hard times. Maybe it will just be a pretty song. Regardless, heed the message because it’s a good one.

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#AtoZChallenge: O — “Out Here on My Own” by Irene Cara

Posted on April 18, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

One of my favorite movies is the movie Fame. Irene Cara became a household name because of that movie mostly because she sang the blockbuster title song from that movie. And I agree that song is a good one, but my favorite song from that movie is a different Irene Cara song — the one I am sharing in this post.

I love the sadness and wistfulness of this song, but mostly I love the poetry of the lyrics. It is just a raw expression of what it is like to become an adult, always wondering if you’re doing the right things, always trying to prove yourself, alternating between feeling like you’re all grown up and still a kid.

I also like how this song shows Cara’s character in a vulnerable light in the scene from the movie, which is the video I share below. Everyone seems to focus so much on the song “Fame” that this beautiful little song gets easily forgotten as some small, unimportant track from the movie. But honestly, to me, it’s the most relatable song from that movie.

Let me know if you like it as much as I do.

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#AtoZChallenge: N — “Never Say Never” by RomeoVoid

Posted on April 16, 2025 by renbog

This month, all my A to Z Challenge posts will feature a song that is on my personal list of “deep cuts.” These are songs that my husband often razzes me about, that there’s no one else who has ever heard of them or is listening to them, or they’re songs that possibly are just not that mainstream. If we are of the same era or run in the same musical taste circles, none of these may seem that off the beaten path, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fun songs! Enjoy!

if you were into the alternative scene in the ’80s then you may already know the song “Never Say Never” by RomeoVoid. I can remember listening to it on WLRA (I mentioned this college radio station in a previous post) and loved when it showed up in the little-known ’80s movie Reckless, which starts Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah as the oldest-looking high school kids you’ll ever see! (That was one of the fin things about all those ’80s teen movies, how the high school kids looked not at all like they were in high school haha!)

Probably the more well-known song from this movie is “Kids in America” by Kim Wilde, and I will concede that the scene where that song is used is pretty damn iconic. But for me, the song and scene that stands out is “Never Say Never.” Beside the fact that it cracks me up that that song would be allowed to be played at a high school dance, I love the way Aidan Quinn and Daryl Hannah dance to the song — it’s so quintessentially ’80s! — and I love the way the scene is filmed, obviously having the camera on a circular track.

I appreciated the fact that the lyrics were a bit on the racy side, with the chorus, “I might like you better if we slept together.” For the time this song was out, those lyrics would be positively scandalous — I can remember not wanting my mom and dad to hear me playing the song for fear they would take the album away from me! It seems silly, considering what music today is like, but I digress.

I’m sharing 2 videos below — one is the official music video for the song; the other is the dance scene from Reckless. Let me know if this is a song you could rock out to!

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