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Today's random bit of procrastination: Catholic prayers. This may sound really odd, but these days Mass--whether in English or Vietnamese--is often heard wafting through the house. Floating up to my room today was the "Our Father" being chanted, which immediately transported me back to masses in PA where we did chant the "Our Father"--and without the hand-holding. (Our parish church wasn't shaped like a cross either, but I did love the choir section in the back of the church with its high vantage point and view of the pews. I loved that church when it was empty, with the light pouring through the incredibly thick stained-glass windows... I always fail to describe them, but they weren't very detailed blocks of glass. They were literally blocks of glass, not even smooth, abstractions of the images of Christ and the Beatitudes written beneath the pictures. I remember those times when, if I were participating in the Mass, we would be allowed to go there alone before Mass time and "practice" and without the lights on it would just be the filtered light.)

I'm amazed how after years of not saying them, I can still recite my prayers. "Our Father" (in both English and Spanish), "Hail Mary," "The Glory Be," "Hail Holy Queen" (which we were forced to learn way back when in elementary school just to pray the rosary), though I'm blanking on the "Apostle's Creed" and the "Act of Contrition." I can even remember the "Guardian Angel" prayer... I guess saying it everyday before we were let out of school will make it stick. Heck, of not only saying them, but in actively leading prayers... ah, memories of saying the rosary as a class (I used to know all my Mysteries, as well--the Joyful Mysteries, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Glorious Mysteries) and counting out the beads so that you knew what you had to lead when it was your turn and could zone out.

Most of all, though, I remember all those church hymns. What were those booklets of hymns we had to bring to mass called? I just remember that they were dearly falling apart. "Glory and Praise"? ("Glory and Praise to our God" is also a great simple song that everyone knew the words to and thus it would ring with even our student voices--"Glory and praise to our God, who alone gives light to our days! Many are the blessings He bears to those who trust in His ways. We, the daughters and sons of him, who built the valleys and plains...") "Though the Mountains May Fall" was another one of those roof-raisers... by the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, we didn't even need music accompaniment to just belt it out. (Oh my god, there are midis! I feel like I'm ten again.) I could go on all day about the hymns I loved and which would get stuck in my head for the rest of the day since we had mass before lunch (had to fast before receiving the Eucharist, of course).

It's not May yet, the month of Mary, but there were a lot of great Mary songs. YouTube actually has a rendition of Hail Mary: Gentle Woman. I have this vivid memory of being in one of the lower grades and listening to the eighth grade choir, all girls, singing this song. It was probably during the May Crowning mass. Ah, memories. I hear the school has a completely different atmosphere now, beefed up with security. Even so, I hope they're still using crappy and beat up "Glory & Praise" hymnals.

ETA: HAHAHAHAHA! I love "The King of Glory"--especially when it's an ending recessional hymn for the mass--but now having watched Colbert's rendition, I'm not sure I can sing it with the same sentiments.

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Tori Amos says, "Things **** up sometimes." How awesome is it that she can mess up in the middle of her song, stop, say, "Okay, I ****ed up," and then create an improv interlude about things f'ing up? <3

"Mother"--I love that Tori performs her songs live differently from the album versions, especially her older songs (this one off "Little Earthquakes" album, which I love to itty-bitty pieces).

"Blood Roses" (2007) (I wonder when Tori first thought: I need to use two or more pianos/keyboard instruments in my songs.)

"Bells for Her" (1994) with an actual rigged piano to create the bell sounds. This song always puts me in a contemplative mood if I'm listening to it in the car. Or slightly sad. A recent rendition (2007) without the rigged piano (understandable since lugging around an entirely separate piano would be a pain in the ass for that song only).

"Father Lucifer" - 'cause I'm amused at this conversation. "How's your Jesus Christ been hanging?"

"Horses" - another one of those quiet songs. Mmm.

Oh, "Winter" - "Snow can wait, I forgot my mittens. Wipe my nose, get my new boots on. I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter. I put hand in my father's glove. I run off where the drifts get deeper. Sleeping Beauty trips me with a frown." "Hair is grey and the fires are burning. So many dreams on the shelf. You say I wanted you to be proud of me. I always wanted that myself." Man, I really love the Little Earthquakes album. This is a slower paced performance from the album version.

I can't leave out "Precious Things" in a Tori post. This is quite possibly my all-time favorite song of hers. When Tori played at Rimac years ago, if my memory serves correctly, she did this amazingly slow rendition of this song, slowed down so much I almost didn't recognize it. Again, in 2006. Tori performs much better in her non-taped concerts... she seems to play off the page more. A great performance in 1998, too.

Tori mania at this site: toriphoria

Oh, Tori, why do you have so many versions of your songs?

Did I mention she also tends to do cover songs? I love, love, love her cover of The Cure's "Lovesong," (again in 2005?), REM's "Losing My Religion," Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit." She's also done Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Outta Head," Depeche Mode's "Enjoy the Silence," among other songs.