Songs From Poems: Mad Girls Love Song

Fisher: Mad Girls Love Song

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It's difficult to look at a picture, like the one above, of Sylvia Plath and imagine the darkness that must have been haunting her. Plath has become almost synonymous with her suicide by gas oven than by her impressive poetry and her semi-autobiographical novel, "The Bell Jar". Most of her work seems to have those shadows lurking though, the ones saying she was worried about her own mental health and that perhaps things weren't what they seemed in the pretty, intelligent co-ed and mother of two.

The poem "Mad Girls Love Song" was first published in the women's fashion magazine Mademoiselle back in 1953, having been written by Plath in college a few years previous. Considering its title, it was begging to be made into an actual song, and a number of versions have been made by different artists over the years. This version of the song, as recorded by the singer Fisher, was never released because they were unable to reach her estate for authorization. Instead, they changed a number of the lyrics (they're already slightly off in this version) and released it under the title "Sleepy Head" on the album linked for purchase above.

You can read the original poem text here.

Christmastime: Christmas Face

Fisher: Christmas Face

[Free Christmas Download]

I am having a really difficult time giving two-hoots about Christmas this year. In fact, I am really looking forward to it being over with. One reason for that is because I am working retail over the holidays and the constant Christmas music and lines of demanding people without so much as a chance to take a drink of water can wear anyone down. The stress of decorating, finding gifts, hoping packages arrive on time, and holiday guests and baking is a lot as well. It makes a season that is supposed to be joyful, calm and loving, none of those things for me.

But the main reason is that it's a lonely Christmas, as my boyfriend will be a state away and my brother and his wife just welcomed their first child into the world in late October and were instructed by the pediatrician not to travel with him for at least 2 or 3 months, meaning they will have to remain in California and the rest of the family in Pennsylvania (and you can't get time off from retail this time of year) for the the holidays, making it a lonely one for both of us.

This song has always touched me in a personal way in that sense, since the song is about being away from your loved ones during the holidays and being unable to feel the cheer people expect from you for Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
It doesn't feel the same.
But it feels like California is a million miles away.
And I can't find my Christmas face.

The Music Biz: Hello It's Me

Fisher: Hello It's Me

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Kathy Fisher makes her living mostly by singing in TV commercials these days, though she (and her husband Don Wasserman, who together are simply "Fisher") do make albums of their own still, they make a fairly meager amount of money from it. But in 1997, she thought she had hit the big time. Atlantic Records courted her about putting one of her original songs on the soundtrack to the new adaptation of Great Expectations that featured other well-respected artists like Tori Amos, Iggy Pop and Chris Cornell. Soon there after they forgot all about her, never signing her for a debut, but keeping her tethered for a year all the same.

She later released her own album featuring a song called "Hello It's Me" (not to be confused with the Todd Rundgren tune, though it's probably a bit of a homage considering the content) about the neglect she suffered at the hands of Atlantic Records.