Like the majority of you, my vote goes to the powerhouse "trio." As you can see with the final tally, I'm lucky this wasn't a shutout.
Diamond Rio, Steve Wariner, and Lee Roy Parnell: 20 votes (inc. mine)
Craig Wayne Boyd: 3
Once again, I realize I blithely skipped over something important from the spring of my junior year in the haste to talk about my horrible summer waitressing job. So, I'm gonna back up for a moment.
Remember when I said all of the women on my dad's side of the family are fairly psychic? No? Well, I've said it a couple of times. Sometimes that just means really good intuition. Other times it's crap like this:
For months, at night as I'd lie in bed (really wanting to sleep) I'd have this feeling.
It was flesh against metal and I'd taste blood in my mouth.
It was creepy. And terrifying. Really disturbing. It was also nearly every night.
It got to the point that I told my friends about it.
You see, I was fairly certain I was going to die.
Of course, the feeling never yielded anything more than what I just told you. I had no idea of any details.
My friends all yucked it up and thought it was silliness. I guess. I know they didn't take me seriously. And I can't say I blame them. It was all really vague.
Plus, they weren't the ones clenching the bed sheets with the bizarre sensation of metal against flesh (but no actual pain) and the taste of blood in their mouth. Nope. That was all me.
When I found out my cousin's daughter was killed by a car, I didn't make the connection at first.
Yeah, you read that right.
She was killed.
This was the same little girl I spent so much time with at Christmas. The one who didn't have any lines on her palms. She was seven. Her dad had been out of work (laid off), so he was taking her to the bus stop. This was his first day back to work. So, a neighbor who also had kids took her (and her two year old brother) to the stop. The stop was inconveniently placed on the other side of a hill. My little cousin ran out into the road just as a car was coming (way too fast) over that hill. The driver was a high school kid late for school.
The whole thing was horribly tragic. It's been over twenty years, and my cousin still misses her daughter.
For me, as soon as she died the nightly trauma stopped. Like that. No more lying in bed feeling metal on flesh with blood in my mouth. I told God I didn't want any more of that. If the information doesn't actually help someone or make someone happy then I don't want it. I've not experienced anything like that again (terrifying and vague).
Every now and then I pull out pictures from that time. I always wonder who she'd be today...
If you're enjoying these posts, feel free to share your own Soundtrack. This isn't a hop. No requirements at all, but a suggestion to do it one song at a time. (If you participated in the hop several years ago, you can still do this. Just post them one song at a time, with the freedom to add more songs if you'd like.) I'll link to all participants at the bottom of each of these posts:
StMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS
Cherdo on the Flipside
Holli's Hoots and Hollers
THE DOGLADY'S DEN
Mean Who You Are
Such a sad story about your niece... I can imagine how frustrating it must be to get these horrible feelings and have no clue if they mean anything or what to do if they do. I'm glad you've never experienced anything like them again. Wow on the result... 3 votes is a tad too few, isn't it? Still, the trio did a fabulous job... Can't really blame all those voters ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend!
Guilie @ Quiet Laughter
Can't say I've never had any more "psychic moments," but there haven't been any scary ones. Whew.
DeleteYeah, ROBIN, this song is meaningful to me, too (although I never heard it before). There were three people in my life who died way too young, and I often wonder who they'd be today. There was a shitload of talent possessed by at least two of those three. They had a lot to offer.
ReplyDeleteSad, sad song.
With regards to BOTB... I often feel that some BOTBers shy away too often from putting originals against covers. Sure, some originals have no chance of losing to a cover - ANY cover. I mean, 'Smoke On The Water', 'Stairway To Heaven', 'Radar Love'... those originals could never be beaten by a cover.
But if someone has a really notable cover, and the original is not really considered iconic, or an absolute Classic, why not put them against each other to see what would happen? Those can be some great BOTB installments. (My most recent one is a case in point, when it was actually FAE who decided to utilize the original hit, against my mild objections. And look what happened!)
If you go back and study my "Winner's Circle" column of past BOTB installments, you'll see that it's not at all unusual for me to put a great cover against an excellent hit. And sometimes the results are surprising. And, heck, despite my daring, I've still never had a BOTB shutout yet! That says sumpin', methinks.
In this case, I most definitely would have voted for Diamond Rio, Steve Wariner, and Lee Roy Parnell over the Merle Haggard original, and I'll bet plenty of others would have also. That could have been an interesting BOTB installment.
We gotta dare to be daring sometimes.
~ D-FensDogG
'Loyal American Underground'
POSTSCRIPT: For crying out loud! I actually used Dave Brubeck's 'TAKE FIVE' in a BOTB installment once. That was almost like begging for a shutout, but Brubeck only won by 16-11. Only a 5-vote spread against a certifiable Jazz masterpiece and classic!
DeleteI gotta admit, I was being xtremely gutsy there, but I knew the Tito Puente version was gonna score some points because it was so good and different.
Sometimes we gotta take calculated chances.
~ D-FensDogG
I figured with your experience that you'd relate to this song. It's really hard losing people.... period. It's harder when they're young and you know that they had so much more living to do. This was my first experience with knowing someone who died too young (and seeing up close the after effects) PLUS the strange prelims of it for me. My second cousin's death was hardest on her parents (of course) and also my aunt (her grandma) and my nanny (her great grandma). After she died, they all took every single picture of her down. My cousin finally put one back up about twenty years later. I have a hard time imagining that sort of pain. Heck, I still get sad about my dad and he lived a full life.
DeleteAs for BoTB... I'm not sure I'll ever get good at picking out the combatants. But, I'll keep trying. :)
Blogging is fun and therapeutic but I never get too worried about the BOTB outcomes. In general, I put songs I like up against each other (more or less...I'd never use one I absolutely hated - there has to be something I like abou it).
ReplyDeleteWhat I think is classic might be considered overdone and worn out. You never know.
When a person dies young, it never really gets out of your head. I had a good friend who I met between classes. Everyday, I'd wait outside of American History for John to come along and then we walked to the next class. We had just talked on the phone till 10 p.m. the night before (I know because my Dad gave me the lecture: "Why in the heck are you on the phone at 10 o'clock at night!!!").
As I waited for John, I got more and more irritated. I was nearly late for class. As I fell into my seat, the principal announced that they had just learned he had died. Apparently, he had a seizure disorder as a child and had long since stopped taking medication. Some time during the night, he had a seizure and aspirated. It was a huge shock to me.
John's Dad had died a few months before after a prolonged bout with cancer. There was no big funeral for John; he was cremated. I mention that because I've always thought that is the reason I continued to think I saw him on the street for years afterwards. The whole thing lacked closure, I suppose.
Hey, what am I doing...this is YOUR blog....
Love ya, Robin!
The truth is this: it's a terrible shock when someone young dies. It sticks with you. Even if you aren't super close, it sticks. In this case, it sounds like you were pretty close. I'm sorry for your loss. (And never worry about long comments on this blog. This is a conversation!)
DeleteJust a thought: maybe you did see him on the street. Death is a transition, not an ending.
Yes outcomes are what they are, it doesn't mean you don't have a good battle
ReplyDeleteThanks Mike!
DeleteLosing a child is a tragedy that never goes away. It would be terrible to have premonitions like that.
ReplyDeleteYes... and yes.
DeleteHow horrifying to have a premonition like that -- and to have it come true. Is this experience a partial inspiration for your novel?
ReplyDeleteI never thought of it in that way before, Dianne, BUT I do believe there is so much that "goes on" that we don't understand. It's why I love paranormal stories.
DeleteHi Robin.
ReplyDeleteI definitely would have loved seeing Merle against the winner here. That would shaken me up! However, things are fine... now you can work on pitting him against someone else in the future, right? Like people we love - we don't toss songs away, either. (smile)
When my babysitter took her life, she left me with a Johnny Mathis album. That voice means more than I know. As I got older I sought out other songs of his - like comfort food, ha!
I have a painting I've never sold. It's of the place where she took her life. So many times, she and I went there, lying on the ground, staring up into the circle of trees. Only later, when I took my minister there and poured my nine year old heart out did I find real peace. He told me about the firmament above the trees - her home in the blue.
Wishing you peace! Have a very comfortable Thanksgiving! See you on Dec.1st.
Love, Dixie
Suicide is so hard. I'm glad you found a minister who helped you reach a place of peace with it. I wish I had more and better words for you.
DeleteThank you for sharing your story. I read these and see that we've all been touched by loss. Somehow that actually makes it a bit easier, doesn't it?
A few years after my sister died, I mentioned her to my father, and he seemed surprised that I still thought of her. It's been 17 years and I still miss her, and think of her every day. And I was a sibling, not a parent. I'd be surprised if your cousin ever stops missing her.
ReplyDeleteI have been lucky-that was the only "before their time" death of someone really close to me. A couple of friends who were close in high school died after we'd drifted, so not nearly the same impact.
Billy Joel sang "only the good die young." Not sure if that is true, but it is very sad when someone good leaves without having lived life to the fullest.
As I scroll through the comments, everyone has a similar story. I've heard Stephen T's before, and he mine, and I wish neither he nor I (nor any of us on this page) had these stories.
I do not believe that these things happen according to a divine plan, nor do I believe everything happens for a reason. But I do believe we can learn from every experience.
What did I learn from my sister's passing?
That most of the nonsense we spend time worrying about in life is not worth the effort of worrying.
And that by being able to share thirty four years with her on this ball of mud, I was pretty darn lucky.
If I had a shot glass in front of me, I'd raise it to you, and all who have commented here, and offer a toast to those we have all said goodbye to too soon.
Larry
Death when you're young is shocking. I remember being stunned back then. I was even surprised when my grandparents passed (and I was fairly old). Now that I've gotten older the percentages have changed. More people I love are now on the Other Side than this one. THAT is a bizarre thing. And I still miss them all. But, I also feel comforted in that they are all together.
DeleteAbout the worrying... wow. That's some good stuff. As an experienced worry-wart, I really need to let that go.
Yes, I think we all need to appreciate the time we have more. I know I spend too much time fretting about the past and worrying about the future... and not nearly enough time just enjoying the now.
Cheers.
Oh my gosh, Robin, that is so terribly sad. I'm sorry that your cousin (and you) lost her child. And at such a young age. That's tragic. My heart goes out to you, even all these years later, I'm sure it's still difficult to think of. Gentle hugs.
ReplyDeleteThis was so much harder for my cousin than me. I know she still misses her on a visceral level. I think that any parent would. I can't imagine losing a child.
DeleteI figured that there might be a few Voice fans out there who would have boosted the vote for Boyd, but when you come down to it the collaboration was just plain better. A contest against Haggard would have probably been interesting.
ReplyDeleteThat's a tough story you told. I wouldn't want to have that kind of psychic knowledge either.
Arlee Bird
Tossing It Out
I thought Boyd would fare better with the folks who really didn't like country music all that much. But, not so. Oh well.
DeleteThat was a rough time.
I completely get the 'psychic' thing. It goes up my mom's side of the family and is mostly women until she had me. I have had so many similar things like you shared happen to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the intuitive stuff. Just not *this*.
Delete^ It's true, Boyd fared well with me simply because I don't like country. I guess I was alone in that. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteMy cousin was killed in a car crash when I was 10. I remember how shook up my mom was. It still haunts my aunt, also some 20-something years later. No matter how much time has passed I can't imagine that feeling of missing someone so close ever going away.
I don't think it goes away.
DeleteA friend of mine from hs is going through this now. His son got brain cancer and died a few years ago. I *know* he thinks about him constantly and misses him.
Whoa... just whoa.
ReplyDeleteYeah.
DeleteSo sad. I'm glad the eerie/chilling nightly sensations stopped for you, at least.
ReplyDeleteRobyn, me too. I'm not sure if I could've stood getting these "half-baked" sensations of things to come without any real substance.
DeleteI think we all saw the results turning out this way. Well, most of us. ;)
ReplyDeleteSad story, and song to match. Was already feeling somewhat sad today. So perfect day for the story I guess, if that makes sense. Years later, and I'm sure you still feel the loss, so sorry for that.
I think of differently now than I did then. So, I don't feel the loss in the same way. It's more of a sadness that she never got to really find out who she'd be in this life. And a sadness for my cousin who will never get over it.
DeleteOh, this just breaks my heart. And I believe in it, in your intuition. I lost a college friend. The summer she died I couldn't shake the feeling something terrible was going to happen. In August, it did. I do get those feelings still, and usually they have some kind of merit. It's not my fondest thing...
ReplyDeleteThat feeling is the worst, isn't it??? It's vague and shadowy, but very real. Intuition is a double-edged sword (like most things, I suppose). I hate that about your college friend. :(
DeleteHi Robin,
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I missed your BOTB. I still seem to be rather on the peripheries of blogging lately.
Those premonitions, or whatever they should be called, was truly an eerie sensation for you. How awful and it seems some sort of precursor to the tragic event of the sad loss of your cousin's daughter. I'm so sorry.
Hugs to you, my friend.
Gary
Hey, girl! Happy Thanksgiving! Be safe and God bless!
ReplyDeleteMy cousin died when he was 18 years old. He died on Labor Day around 12 years ago. His mother ( my aunt at the time from marriage to my uncle) totally snapped. She's never been the same and has had to go in and out of mental hospitals. My heart breaks for her.
ReplyDeleteMy mom and I have premonitions. I have had some pretty crazy ones but nothing like the taste of metal. Robin, we have to meet someday. We have so much in common!