I am a certified 80's kid who grew up listening and emoting to Natalie Merchant who was, back then, still part of 10,000 Maniacs. Remember What's the Matter Here? Like the Weather? Hey Jack Kerouac? These Are the Days? And I loved, loved... loved her obscure but nevertheless great version of Cat Steven's Peace Train.
Well, just this morning Natalie Merchant rocked my world again and I don't care if this makes me look like a complete weirdo but she made me cry watching her performance at this year's TED conference. She sang songs from her upcoming album Leave Your Sleep where she resurrects 19th century children's poems by setting them to music. When she started singing E.E. Cummings' Maggie and Millie and Molly and May I just couldn't help myself....
"Maggie and Milly
Molly and May
they went down to the beach
one day to play.
And Maggie discovered
a shell that sang
so sweetly she couldn't remember
her troubles...."
For anyone out there who might appreciate the words, the stories behind the poets, and the music, here's the lovely Ms. Merchant who completely deserved that standing ovation:
P.S. for our featured artist: You were once the sweet-singing seashell (a'la E.E. Cummings) for an awkward, kind-of-troubled teenager (a-Maggie-in-Manila) circa 1980s. La la la li la la la... Thank you.
