Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Wednesdays (Or Thereabouts) Forgotten Video- The Debut

I'm starting a new feature on Wednesdays (or thereabouts), inspired by Frank Simarco's great regular feature, The Wednesday 15. Although I can't guarantee that it'll always be precisely on the occasional Wednesday. It'll be, I promise, within 3 to 4 days of Wednesday. Always. You can count on that.

Today's forgotten video is Jim Capaldi's 1982 video Living On the Edge.



This video is so eighties. It was obviously done on the cheap. The main expense was either the rental of the bird or the gas to drive to the location. Despite the drug reference ("Mescalito's song will help you to be strong") and the motorcycle, I don't think that the song was about living literally dangerously. It was about living on the edge metaphorically-- taking chances on things like love, friendship and creativity. It's also about cutting your losses with things that aren't working out and moving on to new adventures, friendships, loves, etc. I like the message.

Jim Capaldi's main claim to fame was being a founding member, along with Steve Winwood and others, of the group Traffic (Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, John Barleycorn Must Die). He also played drums for Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and George Harrison. He was a cool guy-- long involved in supporting environmental issues and helping Brazilian street children (his wife was Brazilian, and he lived in Brazil). Capaldi died of cancer in 2005 at the age of 60.

Living On The Edge
You know I've had my share of dealing with despair
I'm tired of seeing my dreams vanish in the air
Enough of users and all them two time losers
I've seen that killing floor, but I just won't take no more

So I'm gonna move out on the highway
Head on down the road, leaving it all behind
Had enough of lying, there'll be no more crying this time
Living on the edge, running with the wind
Soaring to the heights on an eagle's wing

If you wanna see your spirit flying free
Then step outside your mind and cross over the line
Don't spend your lifetime weeping
For things that ain't worth keeping
Life can be so short and you know ev'rybody's bought

So I'm gonna move out on the highway
Head on down the road, leaving it all behind
There's been too much lying, there'll be no more crying this time
Living on the edge, running with the wind
Soaring to the heights on an eagle's wing
Living on the edge

It's time to go down to Mexico
Mescalito's song will help you to be strong

So just move on down the highway
Head on down the road, leaving it all behind
Had enough of lying, there'll be no more crying this time
Living on the edge, running with the wind
Soaring to the heights on an eagle's wing
Yeah, you're living on the edge, running with the wind
Soaring to the heights on an eagle's wing ....

5 comments:

BeckEye said...

Inspired by Frank, eh? I know someone else who has a forgotten video every week. She never gets the glory. :)

It's funny, I tried to always post my vids on Tuesdays or Wednesdays too because that's around the middle of the week, but it rarely works out that way. Sometimes I don't get to it until Friday.

Johnny Yen said...

Oh, no-- just the Wednesday part is inspired by Frank. The video part I stole from you. I mean, if you're gonna steal, why not steal from the best? : )

Joe said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SkylersDad said...

Thats a lotta open shirts!

BeckEye said...

Oh, now you're just buttering me up.

If you really want to be "the best," create several recurring topics and then forget to make them actually reoccur! That's what I do! ;)