(2) Reflecting on My Favorite Things

(image credit)

Then, morning rain and John Coltrane bring one of my longtime favorite jazzy voices to mind: Michael Franks. 

I lived in a painting by Renoir
Dined late in those sidewalk cafes
But lately I seem to be more inclined
For a walk in the rain

I dance to Grappelli and Django
Saw candlelight through beaujolais
But lately I seem to be more inclined
For a walk in the rain

We laughed at the weather
Out walking without umbrellas
How well I remember
Your face when we walked in the rain

You know I was crazy about you
Some sadness caused me to unwind
Maybe I will meet you (if fate is kind)
On a walk in the rain

A Walk in the Rain, by Michael Franks

I love how Franks sings with languorous pace and romantic longing, so words seem to hang in the air (e.g. more inclined) and they bridge together in very personal ways (e.g. umbrellas | How). Since my wife and I began dating in 1983, we have loved his music.  In fact, it was she, as I remember this moment, who introduced me to Franks.

Daddy plays the ashtray
Baby starts to cry
The lady wants to know
The reason why
Daddy's just like Coltrane
Baby's just like Miles
The lady's just like heaven
When she smiles

The lady wants to know
She wants to know the reason
Got to know the reason why
This man has got to go
This man is always leavin'
How he hates to say goodbye
What she doesn't know
Is there really is no reason
Really is no reason why

Daddy he hates airplanes
Baby loves to fly
And the lady wants to know
The reason why
Daddy's just like Coltrane
Baby's just like Miles
The lady's just like heaven
When she smiles

The Lady Wants to Know, by Michael Franks

It is natural, I suppose, to wonder about what it is the lady truly wants to know.  Daddy is a jazz musician, and plays at clubs across the country, and she and her baby come along.  Perhaps she wonders about this lifestyle and how it well it suits her young family.  Perhaps she wonders, too, what drives Daddy creatively and be a musician.  But there really is no reason for nature, because nature simply is.  Life for them is what it is. 

You see, one post, such as the above from Grant Snider, is rich with music and memories.  So if we were to pause at things we encounter, what reflections come to mind and what experiences seem to touch our face?