Taylor’s Day – June 26 2023 – A Lavender Haze Production
“I thought gardens were amusement parks
Spider webs were works of art
And war was just another game we played
Time just sent me off to bed
Love was just a word we said
I thought someone would always keep me safe
And that I might become an astronaut some day
But growing up is falling down and landing safely on the ground
Waking up in the dead of night
Thinking oh my God,
Joni was right”
~Marit Larsen, Joni Was Right
Taylor was right.
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“Dear Reader”
Taylor’s Day 2023
AKA Speak Now (Taylor’s Version): Sugar Man and a Dedicated Swiftie – A Visionary Musical Fairy-tale (and Documentary) (2023)
Originally know as: “The Singing Sticks And Seeds Of Big Tree Harare – A Musical Documentary (2023)”
Edit: Taylor’s Day: Soulful Seeds and Singing Sticks for the Serious Swiftie (a Fairy-tale Documentary)
Taylor’s Day: The Sacred Stones, Soulful Seeds and Singing Sticks of Big Tree Harare. The Loving Lavender Leaves of a Swiftie’s lyrics
aka “The Playlist”
aka “give the girls a chance”
aka “News from a Far Country”
aka “The Edge of Beyond”
aka “The Uncharted Backwaters: iNFO – a BaD Apple”
aka “Microsoft Windows and The Doors”
I just want to put in something like we wouldn’t be here without Taylor Swift
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“A Voice”
Before I spin you a yarn: A “voice” for the music or rather a “mic for the music” – we wouldn’t be here without it – and best wishes to Taylor Swift on The Eras Tour and the upcoming release of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – You rock Taylor – you’re my mentor and “imaginary” best friend!!
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Taylor Swift – “Speak Now (Taylor’s Version)”
“I wanna be defined by the things that I love
Not the things I hate
Not the things I’m afraid of, I’m afraid of
Or the things that haunt me in the middle of the night
I, I just think that
You are what you love”
~ Taylor Swift, Daylight
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Rodriguez – “Cold Fact”
“I’ve played every kind of gig there is to play now
I’ve played faggot bars, hooker bars, motorcycle funerals
In opera houses, concert halls, halfway houses
Well I found that in all these places that I’ve played
All the people that I’ve played for are the same people
So if you’ll listen, maybe you’ll see someone you know in this song
A most disgusting song”
~ Rodriguez, A Most Disgusting Song
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“Easter Eggs”
Without further ado let’s play the whiskey and blues – first, a few “Swiftie” Easter eggs…
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“These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That’s dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don’t cry baby, don’t cry, don’t cry”
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“We are the champions”
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“Do you ever feel like a misfit?
Everything inside you is dark and twisted
Oh, but it’s okay to be different
‘Cause baby, so am I”
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“A little blurry”
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“Some nights, I stay up cashing in my bad luck
Some nights, I call it a draw
Some nights, I wish that my lips could build a castle
Some nights, I wish they’d just fall off
But I still wake up, I still see your ghost
Oh, Lord, I’m still not sure what I stand for, oh”
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There’s no winner in music, the arts and film – only good scenes and bad, only high points and low points, high notes and low notes, trial and error, success and failure – and a bit of luck and unusual twists of fate.
“The bad that comes along with the good is a journey and I learned so much from that journey”
~ Katy Perry
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“The Backstory”
When I first caught a glimpse of this article in the corner of my mind a few weeks ago I felt like I’d just found the philosopher’s stone – a touchstone of sorts – or as we like to say here at Big Tree Harare, “touchwood.” It was only now a week or so later that I pieced together the wordplay of trees, wood and Woodstock and the local festival Zimstock of the last couple of years here in Harare. However, it was like I’d just hit gold.
When I say I “caught a glimpse” of this article I mean I didn’t even have the thought of writing anything – I was doing something else altogether. I thought of putting together a few videos of concerts off the net for my brother – who started me off on the path during our childhood all those years ago – to give something back so to speak. And in the process of downloading off Bittorrent and loading up a 64GB USB stick with a few favourite gigs the thought came too me like an angel on my shoulder whispering in my ear. And the more I watched and downloaded, I thought “how can the essential idea of what I’m doing here reach a wider audience?” It’s value in hindsight is as indisputable as the cover of Rolling Stone magazine.
Fast-forward to today and the basic essence in each “chapter” has materialized, as if by magic, and I find myself sitting down to write this intro. And the words are just flowing!
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“AKA”
And it is the hope that in the fullness of time people will come to name this document by a free and hopeful title of their own choosing. I’ll start you off – “The Red Letter,” “A Room of One’s Own,” “Etcetera,” “A Manifesto for the Age of Peace and Freedom,” “Taylor’s Day” etc.
Sorry if anyone’s been forgotten in the retelling! Choices had to be made along “the long and winding road” of this impossible tale. And I’ll add it’s not an easy tale to tell or to watch! “Viewer discretion advised.”
“Give peace a chance” – the War in Ukraine is not a Hollywood movie kids… and yet this is actually a Tarantino flick.
“This is the days of miracles and wonder”
“Love Jona” (Yours Truly – Master of Ceremonies btw Grammys and Oscars, Glastonbury and Coachella)
P.S. I found my muse (and voice) at the last moment!
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“Credits”
Credits – where credit is due (copyright belongs to the respective copyright holders)
“Pulitzer Prize winning journalism!”
“Big Tree – the heartbeat of Africa”
“The missing piece of world history”
“Canada Day and The 4th of July all rolled into one”
“A passing thought – Mayflies and June Bugs, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones – VW Beetles and The House of Stone”
“A baby of the 60s comes to light”
“It’s so subtle and quiet and so powerful at the same time”
“An obstacle is an inspiration”
“A massive achievement that every thinking person should experience for themselves once in their lives”
“Worth the struggle, BLM, MLK, civil rights movement, apartheid etc.”
“A freedom song!”
“THE eclectic music documentary ‘mix’ for our times”
“For a friend in need and a comrade in arms”
“What was once broken is now whole again”
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“The ‘Book’ Starts Here”
Introduction – A “Something” Song for the kids
- Soul (2020)
- Pitch Perfect (2012)
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Chapter 1 – The Dylan of the Millennials: Paris and a Big-Little “2020” Blank Space
- Taylor Swift – City of Lover Concert (2020)
- Taylor Swift – Miss Americana (2020)
- Taylor Swift – Folklore – The Long Pond Studio Sessions (2020)
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Chapter 2 – A True Hippie Never Dies: The Story of a Modern Prophet and a Pool of Tears for Africa
- Rolling Thunder Revue – A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)
- No Direction Home – Bob Dylan (2005)
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Chapter 3 – Psychedelics and Psychiatry: Outer-space and Spaced-out
- Pink Floyd Live at Pompeii (1972)
- Pink Floyd – The Story of Wish You Were Here (2012)
- Pink Floyd – The Wall – Musical/Drama (1982)
- Pink Floyd – Pulse (1995 film)
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Chapter 4 – “The Supporting Act:” Released Half a Century Too Late – But Better Late Than Never Starkey
- The Beatles – Get Back – (2021 series)
- The Rolling Stones – Shine A Light Concert (2008)
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Chapter 5 – Canada Day and The Fourth Of July: The 49th Parallel – “A Tribute” to Our Mutual Home
- Joni Mitchell – In Concert – 24-04-1983
- Leonard Cohen Live in London (2009)
- Leonard Cohen Tribute – Tower of Song – 06-11-2017
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Chapter 6 – “The Theme Tune:” Dancing in the Mud and Burning Guitars – 1999 the little-big full stop
- Woodstock – Three Days That Defined a Generation (2019)
- Monterey Pop (1968)
- The Last Waltz – Martin Scorsese (1978)
- Woodstock 99: Peace, Love and Rage (2021)
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chapter 7 – lowercase – give the girls a chance though the years betwixt us
- amazing grace (2018)
- billie eilish – the world’s a little blurry (2021)
- homecoming – a film by beyoncé (2019)
- katy perry part of me (2012)
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Chapter 8 – Trees, Walls, Windows And Doors – The Luck of the Witty Irish and a Voice for America and the World
- Classic Albums – U2 – The Joshua Tree (1999)
- U2 – BBC Special Edition – Abbey Road Studio – 16-11-2017
- The Doors (1991)
- When You’re Strange (2009)
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Chapter 9 – Hollywood – A Little Professional Acting and the Big Act of the Music Business
- Walk The Line (2005)
- Green Book (2018)
- Shine (1996)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
- CODA (2021)
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Conclusion – Zimbabwe: A landlocked African nation gains its independence and a taste of (and the soul of!) the Caribbean
- Marley (2012)
- Searching For Sugar Man (2012)
- Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
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Please note: all of the above (marked with dates) are films of concerts or music documentaries or movies with a musical theme.
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“Backstage”
AOB? aka “Backstage” after the show…
The Cranberries Ireland?
Linkin Park Rock ‘n Roll?
Aren’t you pleased we’re no longer in the 1990s kids, folks and fans?
Don’t cry for me Argentina.
Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika
If you’re going to San Francisco,
Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair
I think that’s the conclusion out the way Tay…tea with Queen one lump or two?
Dedicated to all the fallen soldiers of the Music Industry aka “unrecognized musical genii” Sugar Man my dear friend.
love, light and spiritual freedom for all
Chief Speak-a-little-French, Native American
aka “Makanaka” (aka Jonathan N. Wakeling)
on this day, June 26th 2023 – “Taylor’s Day”
at NASA at Big Tree Harare
P.S. Silent Night and The Sounds of Silence – Piracy is a Crime! Long Live the Pirate! Another One Bites The Dust!! Also Know As and Etcetera…