Saturday's Songs for the Soul: Phil Everly, All We Have to Do Is Dream

Thought for the Day: Last week, Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers passed away. Their music inspired musical icons like Paul McCartney, Simon and Garfunckel, and The Beach Boys to name a few. The Everly Brothers arrived on the music scene when Phil was just 18 years old in the late 50's. They garnered a record number of 35 top 100 songs on the Billboard charts. My condolences go out to Phil's brother Don who wrote in an Associated Press release that he always thought he would, "be the one to go first. The world might be mourning an Everly Brother, but I'm mourning my brother Phil."

When I heard the original recording of, "All I Have to Do Is Dream." I decided to play it today in his memory. In some ways the lyric is sad, since the singer is longing to be with someone who is not there. The singer says that, "The only trouble i,  gee whiz (which dates the song a bit), I'm dreaming my life away." However, the song has always felt upbeat and filled with hope that all you have to do is dream. I think in many ways people ignore the other part of the message and hear only the title.

As I searched for the song on YouTube, I found many more that I could share, but picked two covers. The first is "When Will I Be Loved?" First I shared the original by the Everly Bothers and then a cover by Linda Ronstadt. In the process,  I was sad to discover that linda was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The Everly Brothers surely were and will always be loved.

The second song I chose "Long Time Gone," was recorded recently by Norah Jones and Green Day's Bille Joe Armstrong in a collection of Everly Brother's covers called, fittingly. "Billie Joe and Norah Foreverly." Phil Everly may be gone, but his music will last forever.