Waking Ear

"Sweet Baby James"/James Taylor - I dug out my James Taylor Greatest Hits CD (Phantroll: wince) last week after not having listened to it since college. My plan was to have something soothing to listen to in the car to stop me from yelling at drivers. I also like to torture Phant when he's in the passenger seat. Anyway, today, after listening to a few songs, I realized I wasn't necessarily soothed. I was kinda sad. I forgot I used to listen to James Taylor almost every day when I was in Spain, because his voice was so bland and middle-American that it reminded me of home.

Usually I could drown out the song and concentrate on Spanish literature or whatever, but one line from "Sweet Baby James" -- a song I otherwise hated -- always made me homesick. (Forgive the corniness of the "frostin" and "Boston" rhyme.)

"Now the first of December was covered with snow
And so was the turnpike from Stockbridge to Boston
Lord, the Berkshires seemed dream-like on account of that frosting
With ten miles behind me and ten thousand more to go"

I'd think: Snow! Boston! Road trips! And here I am in freaking Madrid with no one who speaks my language...

Isn't it funny how the grass is always greener?