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Clouds resting over the West Philippine Sea, shot by Myra Lambino, shot 3 days ago. #NowPlaying #Inaugural2016 #Oathtaking2016 #Playlist Joni Mitchell: Both Sides Now (Clouds)

Clouds resting over the West Philippine Sea like a cotton canopy (South China Sea to some), Philippine territory, shot by Myra Lambino three days ago — who says this isn’t worth fighting for?

My Inaugural Playlist

Now playing: Both Sides Now (Clouds) by Joni Mitchell

♥♥♥ ♥♥♥ ♥♥♥

Background of the song as documented by various news reports, anthologized in songfacts.com: From the songwriter herself: ” “I was reading Saul Bellow’s Henderson the Rain King on a plane and early in the book Henderson the Rain King is also up in a plane. He’s on his way to Africa and he looks down and sees these clouds. I put down the book, looked out the window and saw clouds too, and I immediately started writing the song. I had no idea that the song would become as popular as it did.”
“Joni Mitchell had been through a very difficult time when she wrote this song’s lyric. In 1965, she gave birth to a baby girl, but struggled as a single mom (the father was an old boyfriend who left soon after Mitchell got pregnant). She married a musician named Chuck Mitchell that year, but soon after the marriage, gave up the child for adoption. Soon, her marriage was on the rocks and in 1967 they split up.
“This won the 1968 Grammy for Best Folk Performance.
“This is Joni Mitchell’s most-covered song; with over 1000 versions recorded, it could be considered a standard. Some of the luminaries to record it include Frank Sinatra (on his 1968 album Cycles), Bing Crosby, and Ronan Keating.”

music, News, The President

#NowPlaying #Inaugural2016 #Oathtaking2016 #NewPresident #Playlist Lupang Hinirang as interpreted by Mindanaoan Joey Ayala

My Inaugural Playlist

Now playing:

Lupang Hinirang (the national anthem, the title roughly translates: “Our Cherished Land”, translation with apologies; the traditional translation is: “Land Dear and Holy”:

This version is a reinterpretation of the national anthem by Joey Ayala, who hails from Bukidnon, lived and performed in Davao City and now composes and performs worldwide:

(i’ll be playing music from our brothers and sisters in Mindanao in the run-up to the inaugural; it’s about time we had a President from Mindanao — one would just wish that civil liberties would not be violated; the peace talks would prosper; and there would be immediate economic relief for many of our countrymen who are starving, homeless, dying, have no access to clean running water, electricity, and health care):

#NowPlaying #Goodbye #Playlist

My Goodbye Playlist

Now playing: a Michelle Branch cover

Of all the things we believed in
This should be long over with
No tears form behind our eyes
And no one, nobody cries
Counting the days that pass by
Searching deep down in my soul
Your words are starting to get old
It feels like starting all over again
The last six years were just pretend
And I say…