My Favorite Singer

I look at music as something I “like” but not something that I’m really passionate about anymore. As a child, I worked so hard to try and fit in and be able to sing. Charlotte Mims, mother rest her soul, encouraged me to sing, even when I was slightly off key and just a tiny bit behind on the beat. It was okay with her because I was trying. I … am sorry to say that with Charlotte’s death, I quit trying in earnest.

My husband on the other hand, walks around singing constantly. Either an actual song or making one up as he goes along. HE has the voice for it. He was in choirs too as a teenager and while I struggled with it, he just gets it. Something to do with his 90% retention rate and his love of music. It's an important part of his life, and so, in some ways, he's helped to bring music back into my life. I don't know if he has one favorite singer, he likes sooooo many.

When I lived with Heather - her favorite artist is Celine Dion - and I was introduced to her. This is how much my hubby loves music - he has several Celine Dion cd's of his own. And he's not afraid to pop 'em in and listen to them! *grins*

But that is their favorites... lets talk about mine for a moment. I consider her to be an ‘honest’ singer. I have “luv bug” to thanks for my introduction to Ani (Aw-ne not An-E”) DiFranco.


If you can put aside the in-your-face-honesty (similar to deaf bluntness in my book) her messages are clear and unmistakable. I found this link http://www.mp3.com/ani-difranco/artists/30079/summary.html to one of her amazing concerts in ‘02. This one in particular is her second appearance at Carnegie Hall. You have to click on the green PLAY button to hear it. It’s worth the time and effort to stream and listen to [in my book]. One of her songs (about ten minutes in) about Families… just makes me smile and nod. I can empathize with the song. A connection has been made.

Ani makes mention to some of her songs being “not a family song”. One in particular starts at 27:00 - the back story to the song starts a minute before. One of the key lines is “please don’t, please stop, this is not my obligation, what does my body have to do with my gratitude”. Being a survivor of sexual assault - I have yet another connection to the music, at the very least, to this one set of lines in the chorus. It is by no means my favorite song, but I can understand the frustration she sings of.

Ani does a set at 56:12 that talks about how “we are all poems, 90% metaphors“… her reflection and anger over 9-11 is shared... It speaks for itself. You have to listen to it with an open mind, it comes across as negative and slanderous against ‘American Ideals’ but the line “take away our play stations and we are a third world nation”. She speaks of a more serene time, when people cared and did what was required. In the background, where the audience is normally boisterous and vocal - during this set, they are quiet and attentive, listening.

“10% literal, 90% metaphor, 3,000-some poems, disguised as people on an almost too perfect day”.

Unfortunately she didn't do my favorite song of hers during the performance. However, I'll share the words with you just the same.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
32 flavors

squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might wanna turn your head
'cuz some day you are going to get hungry
and eat most of the words you just said

both my parents taught me about good will
and i have done well by their names
just the kindness i've lavished on strangers
is more than i can explain
still there's many who've turned out their porch lights
just so i would think they were not home
and hid in the dark of their windows
'til i passed and left them alone

god help you if you are an ugly girl
course too pretty is also your doom
'cuz everyone harbors a secret hatred
for the prettiest girl in the room
and god help you if you are a phoenix
and you dare to rise up from the ash
a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy
while you are just flying past

i never tried to give my life meaning
by demeaning you
and i would like to state for the record
i did everything that i could do
i'm not saying that i'm a saint
i just don't wanna live that way
i will never be a saint
but i will always say

squint your eyes and look closer
i'm not between you and your ambition
i am a poster girl with no poster
i am thirty-two flavors and then some
and i'm beyond your peripheral vision
so you might wanna turn your head
'cuz some day you might find you are starving
and eating all of the words that you said


© 1995 ani difranco / righteous babe music