Luck of the Dial

Let's start with the basics, here. I drive a 1995 Ford Explorer. It is a purplish hue. Cory drove it into a ditch last Winter and it still bears the scars. And sadly, it's the newest car we've ever owned.

It must go without saying that it does not have satellite radio. Or a cd player.

I typically like extended car trips to fall between the hours of noon and 3 pm. When that is not possible, I am left with good 'ol FM radio. I detest radio commercials, so I do a lot of scanning the dial.

On this rainy Fall day, the radio saints were smiling down on me. Here are the highlights:

I Wanna Know What Love Is - Foreigner
Best Lines:
I'm gonna take a little time
A little time to look around me
I've got nowhere left to hide
It looks like love has finally found me

In my life there's been heartache and pain
I don't know if I can face it again
I cant stop now, Ive traveled so far
To change this lonely life

FPFG Commentary:
This song takes me right back to 1984. I was at a sleep-over at Erin's house. We watched the video with her mom, who told us, "This is a beautiful song." I didn't really understand why she said that then, but I get it now. It's a classic. You have no choice but to feel the love.


In the Air Tonight - Phil Collins
Best Lines:
Well I remember, I remember don't worry
How could I ever forget, its the first time, the last time we ever met
But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don't fool me
The hurt doesn't show; but the pain still grows
Its no stranger to you or me

FPFG Commentary:
It's all about the drums, baby. Oh, and the urban legend is pretty fantastic, too. I choose to believe that it's true, even though Phil Collins himself adamantly denies it.


Cowboy Casanova - Carrie Underwood
Best Lines:
He’s a good time cowboy Casanova
Leaning up against the record machine
Looks like a cool drink of water
But he’s candy-coated misery
He’s the devil in disguise
A snake with blue eyes
And he only comes out at night
Gives you feelings that you don’t want to fight
You better run for your life

FPFG Commentary:
The girl's got pipes. (And legs.) If I could have anyone's singing voice, hers would be among my top 3 picks.


Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Best Lines:
I want you to know
That it doesn't matter
Where we take this road
Someone's gotta go
And I want you to know
You couldn't have loved me better
But I want you to move on
So I'm already gone

FPFG Commentary:
A quick story - I have heard this song thrice and each time, I have loved it. I mean, loved it. I did not know who sang it, but I loved her voice. I'm no Simon Cowell, but I knew it was clearly destined for hits-ville. Hours after hearing it today, I heard "Break Away"and I remembered how much I adored KC's cd of the same title. I decided, once and for all, that I needed to place it in my top 20 favorite cds of all time. Now, mere moments ago, I Googled this song and discovered who sings it. Makes so much sense. And now, I love it all the more. Even though it's sad. (Unrequited love is so dang sad.)


Welcome to the Future - Brad Paisley
Best Lines:
I thought about him today,
Everybody who's seen what he's seen,
From a woman on a bus
To a man with a dream.
Hey...
Wake up Martin Luther.
Welcome to the future.

FPFG Commentary:
I have a crush on Brad Paisley, but it's ok, because Cory does, too. I can't entirely explain it, but the origins date back to the concert we attended a couple of years ago. I boil it down to this: He seems like a very regular, good person. His voice is like butta. He has a great sense of humor. He's very witty. He's kinda cute. He's got mad guitar skills. (That one is for Cory.)


Better as a Memory - Kenny Chesney
Best Lyrics:
Cause goodbyes are like a roulette wheel
you never know where they're gonna land
first you're spinning, then you're standing still
left holding a losin' hand
but one day you're gonna find someone
right away, you'll know it's true
that all of your seek is done
it was just a part of the passing through
right there in that moment
you'll finally understand
that I was better as a memory than as your man

FPFG Commentary:
Kenny Chesney is always hit or miss. He's got some classics, but he's also got an awful lot of songs about sitting on a beach drinking beer all day. I loved this song the first time I heard because of the lyrics I posted above. The roulette wheel is one of the best analogies to love I have ever come across. While we're on the subject, what exactly did happen with Kenny and Renee? Such a mystery...


It Must've Been Love - Roxette
Best Lyrics:
And it's a hard winters day.
I dream away.
It must've been love
but it's over now.
It was all that I wanted
now I'm livin' without

FPFG Commentary:
Old-school classic. Her voice is so gravely and raw. I think I cried about a boy over this one, years ago. (Adolescent infatuation surely inspired this, right Roxette?)


My Deliverer - Rich Mullins
Best Lyrics:
There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry
For the healing that would flow from His own scars
The world was singing
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
My Deliverer is coming - my Deliverer is standing by
He will never break His promise - He has written it upon the sky

FPFG Commentary:
We are big Rich Mullins fans. He wrote this song and pre-recorded it on a cassette tape just days before his death in 1997. The finished album was released posthumously, in 1998. The beginning of the song talks about Jesus going to Africa, which I had never thought about before, for some reason.

There was one additional major highlight, but I'm going to save that for a future post, because it deserves to have its own.

(How's that for a teaser?)