Greetings from Laurel Canyon!
I often make my morning coffee to a much-loved Spotify playlist I named “The Cellar Door.” Its contents are many of my favorite folky gems that often help fill up the first twenty minutes of an Idelic Hour. A few mornings ago this Tim Hardin classic mixed well with my “bullet proof brew.”
It seems the songs we’re singing / Are all about tomorrow / Tunes of promises you can’t keep / Every moment bringing a love I can only borrow / You’re telling me lies in your sleep
Tunes of promises? Besides my parents owning this album, it turned 50 this month. Turns out there are a tons of songs about promises. As I dug through my crates, many of my favorite musical genres appeared to be making promises—maybe the most famous, “(I Beg Your Pardon) I Never Promised You a Rose Garden.”
My favorite of this set, “The Witch’s Promise” is a Jethro Tull song. I’ve always loved Tull and believe Ian Anderson was one of more underrated songwriters at the turn of the ’60s. The concept of a witch making a promise?
Lend me your ear while I call you a fool. / You were kissed by a witch one night in the wood, / And later insisted your feelings were true. / The witch’s promise was coming, / Believing he listened while laughing you flew.
Dope.
Funny, I wasn’t thinking about any promises—no one seems to promise me much of late. I guess it’s my turn to sing that song.
I promise. Enjoy.
The Idelic Hit of the Week: Ed Harcourt – Nothing But A Bad Trip
