Fun
Election Day Playlist: Let It Be
Dear Kay,
Here we are, big day, the biggest in many moons, the machinery of democracy grinding toward an answer, a conclusion, a pick.
Turning blue in the face. I’ve been holding my breath for a really long time.
I’m trying to keep in mind the things that don’t change, the things to hold closer than ever. Family. Friends. Work. The cat. Knitting?
My attention span for knitting has been shot all weekend. I’ve gone on long walks, caught up on sleep, had cheeseburgers two nights in a row. Had a great Zoom visit with a bunch of you on Saturday. But no knitting.
When all else fails, I turn to the Beatles. They’re the songs that morph and change to make sense to me no matter how troubled I’ve been. On a day like today, it’s going to take about 90 Beatles songs to get me through. If you’re looking for 90 Beatles songs, here you go: four hours and fifteen minutes of songs you know all the words to.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXdLtD0qszB1w
Do you have a go-to to calm yourself? All ideas welcome.
Love,
Ann
PS Needless to say, if you’re planning to vote today, take this playlist with you while you wait. You can probably get a group singalong going if you just start in with “When I find myself in times of trouble . . .”
I read this and thought – just perfect! Then wondered if I could get it piped in at the poll I am working today. Needless to say, I’ll have a Beatles ear worm going all day as I assist people to vote.
Just vote y’all.
Yes! Thank you for working the polls!
LucyF – Thank you for working at the polls today!
Thank you for working at the poll today!
Hope your busy day goes smoothly.
Voting all done, as early as I could by mail, but the Beatles are always my go to. Back when my husband and I got together, I was amazed that be seemed to know the words to any song he encountered, but when he started improvising on Beatles songs I realized he was faking it – it’s true, I know all the words to all the Beatles songs, and no one better mess with them!
Just what we need on a day like today! Thank you!!
This is awesome – thanks! I will refer to this all day (and maybe all night?) as the hours tick by.
Love this! And love your posts so much. I’m on the Dem Party voter assistance hotline today and will sing in between calls. I voted early and have never felt my vote was as important as it is this year.
Wow, Annie, I hope you help a ton of voters today. Thank you for helping!
I’m a poll watcher in Georgia today. Just hearing these songs will make the time fly by!
Georgia!!!! Good luck to you Carolyn!!! Georgia is on my mind today.
Sam Cooke, “A Change Is Gonna Come” gives me Hope❤
Yes, amazing song. Off to go listen to it now.
The dogs got me up at 4:00 this morning (they don’t get the whole daylight savings time thing) and this was already going to be a loooong day. “Here Comes the Sun” helped me remember to breathe – thank you for this.
Yes, Kermit is up an hour earlier too—half rooster, half kittycat.
Vote! If you’ve already voted, vote with your prayer.
Amen, Lois.
I have been referring to this as the National Day of Prayer for weeks now.
Perfect! Now I have something for my ears today! Last night I made cookie dough (recipe that combines chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and snickerdoodles!) which I will bake today; recipe here https://joythebaker.com/2020/08/everybodys-after-school-cookies/ I plan to make a Smitten Kitchen riff on a NYT recipe for Cabbage and Sausage Casserole this afternoon. https://smittenkitchen.com/2016/01/cabbage-and-sausage-casserole/. Comfort food, you know. Plus knitting and a walk with the dog. And the last several episodes of The Queens Gambit. We can do this!
I’ve been fighting the urge to make cookies all day! Maybe I should just give in, put on the Beatles, and whip up a batch.
Awesome. Thank you, Ann. I feel so lucky that I was exactly the right age when they first hit the air waves and have remained astonished at their brilliance my entire life. They on my Desert Island list right at the top if I’m allowed to take all of their songs!
Lucky you! A life with the Beatles. Mine started because my brother had the two double album compilations in the mid seventies, so it was a while before I listened to the original albums. Such a revelation to hear Rubber Soul start to finish. Or Revolver.
Well let’s try again- that was supposed to be icon sending love. Thank you poll workers. Sweet Jesus it’s been a long 4 years.
I LOVE the Beatles, and I love singing along! Just what I need today – thank you!
Although I feel very strongly about outcomes today, I just hope everyone votes. I voted early and I won’t again. Voting is a sacrament for me, I guess….who knew…and I need to do it at a polling place. So thank you to poll workers, especially this year. I am very grateful to have the mail-in option! And one could always knit a small sock in line! The Beatles,will definitely help this week’s anxiety…while we wait. Thank you!
I flew immediately after the 2016 election and the passengers were eerily subdued, some muttering their shock and dismay in quiet voices. The flight attendant was instructing my exit row, with only 2 passengers in it, after which we bantered a bit and invited her to sit down with us. She momentarily did and had us sing Let it Be with her. Others joined in and it broke the tension. How fitting to think of this song again on the other side, on a day that I am trying to have my hope outweigh my dread.
I love this! Thank you for sharing it!
Thanks so much for this. I voted on the first day of early voting in Texas. Interrupted my morning podcast to listen to this and I can’t tell you how much better I feel already. Plan to listen all day!
I’ve been favoring macaroni salad and the Psalms, though tonight’s pairing will be cheeseburgers and the Beatles. You make an excellent anxiety sommelier, Ann.
Resistance Revival Chorus has been my go to over the last few weeks.
Yes…The Beatles, always…And definitely on loop (no pun intended?!) today! Btw I have been loving The Queens Gambit! Thank you so much for the recommendation!
And for some real escape, I think I will try to find the movie Yesterday on Demand and spend a couple hours in another world.
I had to smile when I read this. I just got back from voting, and my 7YO is blasting Mr. Kite. Raising him right, I think 🙂
Just reading this thread buoyed my spirits. Voted 2 weeks ago; now sending good thoughts to poll workers everywhere.
I’m in the UK, have friends in the US and have been following US events with interest over the past few years. Please know that we are thinking of you all and hope there is resolution and peace soon after today’s election, and that the US can move forward positively.
Keep on knittin’, y’all! ❤
Yes, Let It Be does it. Van Morrison’s “Days Like This” always calms me.
I am going to have a fabulous time with all these recommendations. Cannot that you enough. My brain is so fried. I want to see blue
This one laid me OUT. Tracy Chapman/Talkin’ About a Revolution on Seth Myers last night.
https://youtu.be/R1P1g4C-Jjg
Thanks for that link. So so good! She’s one of my favorites.
LOL I forgot I was Janet for the Day! IT’S ME KAY
I’ve lived in California for 17 years now and have always voted by mail; did that a few weeks ago (tracked them online and they’ve been counted, yay!).
Today, we’ll do our walk around the neighborhood before it gets hot out, then ignore the hoopla and inevitable confusion and speculation on the media. I’m Knitflixing Longmire while he works on his projects around the house, then we’ve planned to watch episodes 3,4, and 5 of The Queen’s Gambit tonight.
Also praying for an uneventful few days for our responders.
How about the song, “Imagine” by John Lennon.
This is PERFECT for today. Playing this in between homeschool classes for the kids (and me.) Take care everyone. <3
Knitting on The Vest from Hell and hoping for the best today. Would love to finish Queens Gambit today (great recommendation) but the other half will be glued to the TV. Let It Be, indeed. May the pickups with their flags go creep back into their cave s.
My kids won’t let me watch more than one episode of The Queens Gambit per night, so they can stretch it out as long as possible. Who would have guessed a show about chess would captivate teenagers?
Huh? What’s wro with trucks and flags?
Today my knitting group is meeting, socially distanced, bring your own chair, in our beautiful city park, where I imagine we’ll rant a bit, share our hope and rejoice in having like spirited friends.
There may also be some on-line retail therapy…
I started playing James Taylor’s new “American Standard” CD yesterday. Great classics sung in that mellow voice!
I ran some errands this morning with The Beatles blasting through the sun roof of my car! I’m sure some people thought “That old lady is a nut” but who cares, and I can’t hear them anyway Here Comes the Sun
Thanks for the great ear burn! Here in Canada (and the rest of the world) we are watching and hoping for the best outcome. With calm and peace prevailing.
My usual comforts (knitting number one of course, reading, watching a funny series on repeat) also haven’t been working the last several days. I have found moving more is the thing for me. I’m a regular runner, but these last several days, I’ve needed to add long meandering walks, lots of play with my new kitten (such joy!), and a couple bike rides. The other night, BF and I turned off TV and played a long game of trivial pursuit – a really nice distraction.
I saw Paul in concert in the summer of 2019, what a happy glorious night that was, a million sighs ago in our new Pick up Stick world!
I’ve been listening to traditional waltz music tonight (Phil and Vivian Williams). Not looking at results till 8 pm or this cd is finished. Then the Beatles.
We listened through twice at Southpaw Pizza tonight, and 4 of us danced to Twost and Shout. Not sure whether the memory will feel like writhing or dancing, but I’ll always remember.
So many that are mentioned here are favs including Beatles but my go to is Neil Diamond. Especially to calm. For this week tho, I’ve been blasting Neils America!
URGENT! Can you tell me if there is a charge to listen to two if these songs? I have an email from Apple that claims I will be getting a bill. I’m wondering if there’s a connection or not. Thanks!
Love the Beatles playlist! I think it is soothing and applicable to all voters on Election Day and in the ensuing days of emotional stress waiting for final election results. Thank you very much!