SUPERNOVA FORESHADOWED BY A SONG

The spectacular supernova discovered recently in the constellation Ursa Major appears to have been foreshadowed by a Steven Starjet song of mine titled "Big Dipper." The song goes "Big Dipper's burning down tonight", repeating this key line several times. As you may know, "Big Dipper" is more or less synonymous with Ursa Major.

The song is obviously referring to some spectacular, fiery, destructive natural phenomenon happening there and visible from Earth. That's precisely what this explosive supernova is--the brightest supernova seen in a quarter century. If this supernova happened to ber as close to us as the Sun,it would appear several billions of times of times brighter than our home star.

The song "Big Dipper" is on the cd Love Wheel by Steven Starjet, available at cdbaby website and elsewhere.. "Starjet" is a way of describing the explosive path of matter spurting out from supernovae, gamma-ray bursts and black holes (their accretion disks)--these are the most powerful natural events in the universe.

Here are the song lyrics for the first verse:
After dinner take a walk outside
and look up into the sky
there'll be tears in those pretty green eyes
Big Dipper's burning down tonight
Little Dipper's gonna lose a friend
someone better call the fireman
Big Dipper's burning down tonight.

Spanish Version of Take Me Out to the Ballgame

It would be cool if people here sang Take Me Out to the BallGame in Spanish every Cinco de Mayo.
However, most translations are unsatisfactory because:
*They don't get the correct meanings of some of the words, particularly the sports lingo--to "root" for a team doesn't mean to root around in the ground or trace one's ancestry.
*They lack a sense of rhythm, use too many words/syllables and so are clumsy/rushed when sung.
*They don't translate everything--leaving bits and pieces of English.

So here goes:

Llevame al partido de beisbol
Llevame con la multitud
Compreme cacahuetes y Galleta Jack
No me importa si nunca vuelvo
Rugir, rugir para los Cachorros/Diamantes/Atleticos/Nacionales/Yanquis/etc.
Si no ganan, que lastima
Porque es uno, dos, tres y ponchado
En el pasatiempo grandioso!

American Idol Contestant Goes Overboard for Sponsor

American I Dough
Crystal Bowersox's lyrical gaffe on Beatles' Come Together was mostly substituting "coca cola" for "mojo filter" in final verse. "Coca cola" was used earlier in the song correctly, so she evidently had the show's big sponsor on her mind.

American Idol Meets the Rolling Stones

Which Rolliing Stones songs should they sing on American Idol?
American Idol--week of the Final 12 (Pick 6)
Some Rolling Stones songs good for a female vocalist:
Wild Horses*
You Can't Always Get what You Want*
Heart of Stone*
Lies
Come On
Bitch
Gimme Shelter
Under My Thumb*
Paint It Black
Happy
Shattered
Tumbling Dice (it's already been covered by e.g. Linda Ronstadt)
Last Time
That's How Strong My Love Is

*Of course, several of these would need to have the lyrics modified slightly (to keep them heterosexual): for example "he's under my thumb". Actually, it's surprising just how many of 'em don't require any lyric changes, and the ones that do--not that much.

So how did it turn out?
They (the women) sang:
Wild Horses
You Can't Always Get...
Paint It Black
Ruby Tuesday
Play with Fire
Honky Tonk Woman
Pretty safe--they're all on Hot Rocks (I). I'm not sure they actually made gender change in lyrics in Wild Horses, Can't Always Get, or Ruby Tuesday (poss. not necessary in this one--or even the other two, for that matter). They did make the changes w/Honky Tonk.

Conclusion: Despite being at times quite sexist, the music of the Rolling Stones is surprisingly adaptable to a female singer. This is particularly so when you consider the possibilities of irony and parody--issues of a greater complexity than something like American idol presents, short of Adam Lambert.

Cover artists, and even original songwriters, might do well to contemplate greater unisexuality in this era of greater gender equality. Of course, it also doesn't hurt to have a ton of great songs to choose from, like The Stones.

Ditto as regards Bruce Springsteen--although his music is entirely different in tone from the Stones. A talented female vocalist could probably pull off a lot of it as there is a substantial amount of tenderness, pathos, sentimentality, melodrama, romanticism, etc. throughout his repertory.

Some good Bossongs for female vocalist: Factory, Cover Me, Price You Pay, Point Black, 57 Channels, Incident on 57th St., NY City Serenade, Dancin' in the Dark, Does this Bus Stop at 82nd St., Brilliant Disguise, Human Touch, 10th Ave. Freeze-Out, Kitty's Back, Rising, Bobby Jean, Ties that Bind, Two Hearts, Workin' on a Dream, Wreck on the Highway, The Way, Thunder Road, I'm a Rocker, My Love Will Not Let You Down, Car Wash...

Steven (Kearney) Starjet