Year of Songs: The Merry/Lusty Month of May

As I mentioned in my previous post, I started a new position at work recently, which has been a little stressful and exhausting. Plus my internet at home has been a little sketchy, so my apologies for not getting this up during the actual month of May. However, at least one blog reader mentioned to me that she noticed on the sidebar that I had added all these songs before May ended, so I'll accept partial credit this month. (The lowest score gets dropped anyways, so it shouldn't affect my final grade.)

Given the wealth of songs about April, I thought I would find a similar amount for May. However, that doesn't seem to be the case, unless you go back to the Renaissance and early Baroque era, when they thought May was the bomb.



Month of May - Arcade Fire

The first song to come to mind, off The Suburbs, the reigning (and surprising) Grammy winner for Album of the Year.

Now is the Month of Maying - The Kings' Singers
The Sweet and Merry Month of May - The Kings' Singers

My two favorite madrigals about May. I could have added several more, but I didn't want to bog down the playlist too much. Like I said above, those madrigalists sure love them some May.

The Lusty Month of May - from Camelot

'Nuff said.

Ohio - Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young

Neil Young wrote this song in response to the Kent State Massacre on Monday, May 4, 1970, when four student protesters were killed by national guardsmen. This raw and emotional recording was recorded live just days after the event and rushed out as a single while the tragedy was still fresh on Americans' minds.

Mammy - Al Jolson

Happy Mother's Day. Al Jolson is so affectionate towards his mom that it's actually a little creepy.

Rapture - Blondie

Alas, May 21st passed and we're all still here. Guess we'll have to keep kicking around until October 21st.

Peach Trees - Rufus Wainwright

"Is true love a long walk through Bryant park, or being held in the month of May under the peach trees?"

Mai (May) - Gabriel Fauré (Op. 1 No. 2)

I performed this piece on my first dissertation recital, which was entitled "A Novel Approach." Befitting the theme, French composer Fauré sets a text by novelist/poet Victor Hugo:

Since May, all in bloom, invites us to the meadows
Come! never tire of mingling with your soul
The countryside, woods, the charming shady places,
The moonlight on the bank of the sleeping waters,
The path that ends where the road begins,
And the air, and Spring and the boundless horizon,
The horizon that this world fastens, humble and joyous
Like a lip at the hem of the sky’s gown!

Pretty flowery, huh?

My Girl - The Temptations

"When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May."

P.S. - I mentioned in my last post that I needed to pick out an alias to sign my English-language Yahoo! responses. I had a few criteria for choosing a name:

1. Something fairly unique and memorable
2. Something reflecting my origins on the Yahoo! Brasil team
3. A female name, to supposedly score higher on customer satisfaction surveys

And the winner is: Amelia. It satisfies all of the above and also has some sentimental value, since the name of the first opera I staged with my student opera group was called "Amelia Goes to the Ball."

Happy D-Day, everybody!