there was a Black Horse And The Cherry Tree down along the Rivers and Roads but I Was On a Boat That Day with No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems!

I think we’re finally getting back to ‘normal’ temperatures this week – I’ve been done with the heat since it arrived. No rain in the forecast, though, which has caused trouble with wildfires and smoke. I’m so ready for fall!

Since it is Monday, that, of course, means music! This week’s theme is “Songs that make you think of being in nature (outside).” I’m down with that – let’s get this outdoor party started!  

Let’s start with a song that’s one of my favorites from this artist, and any time I hear it I have to crank it up.  The artist described the song as a metaphor for good and evil. She was quoted as saying:

“One summer, I was traveling in Greece on a little moped and this massive black horse had broken free in an olive grove and was going nuts. It looked apocalyptic: a seed was sown. I wrote the song years later in a tiny studio in Shepherd’s Bush. I was about to tour Scottish coffee shops and was worried about coming across like Phoebe from Friends.

At the same time, I saw a brilliant guy called Son of Dave who looked like a ginger nylon 1980s Elvis: really raw blues with just voice and effects. I got a pedal and one of my techie friends helped me put myself and my guitar through it. It’s probably the most scientific I’ve been, but the song was written in a 10-minute burst. The lyrics where my ‘heart stops dead’ refer to a heart murmur I had as a baby. I got into this fantasy that my heart felt betrayed and had decided to stop working. The song is about having to dig incredibly deep to find out who you wanna be.”

Get ready to dance here’s KT Tunstall with “Black Horse And The Cherry Tree”:

Next up, this song from an American folk band caught my attention when I heard it on a few of my favorite shows. One of the band’s singles, this was used in the series finale of the television program Chuck (I loved that show!). It was also played in the sitcom How I Met Your Mother (that the hubby and I are in the process of rewatching right now), at the end of the 16th episode of the 7th season. It was also used in the last scene of the season 4 finale of New Girl (another show I liked watching), and in the last two scenes of the 14th episode, titled “She,” of the TV show The Good Doctor (another show the hubby and I watched together – too bad it’s been canceled). It can also be heard at the end of the New Amsterdam season 2 episode “Hiding Behind My Smile” (another show I loved).

The song itself is about friendship and separation. The singer misses friends who have moved away. While others may tell them to move on, they will do whatever it takes to see their friends again—even crossing rivers and roads. This is the group’s most popular song—I can see that with how often it’s been used in pop culture.

Get ready for goosebumps, here’s The Head And The Heart with “Rivers and Roads”:

Next up is a song that makes me wish I could jump right into the video on this hot, hot day. The lead singer said the group had the idea for this summer anthem back in 2014. They filed it away, but during a writing session, it came up again. The writers helped the band see “it wasn’t a joke title but a really fun title.”

Lyrically, this is a breakup song where the lead sings of his girl having just walked out on him. He is so enjoying riding the breeze on the river, letting the sun and rum do what it does, the singer can shrug off any drama. One band member explained:

“He’s not really heartbroken in this particular moment ’cause he’s on a boat, and he’s having fun, and he’ll deal with the rest tomorrow.”

The song begins and ends with jubilant ad-libs, making it sound like the group had a fun time laying it down in the studio. Since the band knew the song needed to sound like a party, and a little intoxicated, they downed some tequila and did their best little party dance song.

Let’s have some fun with Old Dominion with “I Was On a Boat That Day”:

Last but certainly not least, on the title track of his sixth studio album, this artist wants to ditch his hectic work schedule for a beach vacation in Mexico, where the drinks are bottomless and the feet are bare. The year it was released, it reached #2 on the Country chart, held off from the top spot by another laidback drinking anthem: “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.

The title was inspired by the “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service” signs often seen in restaurants and stores. The phrase became popular in the 1970s in response to shirtless, barefoot hippies who adopted the casual style of the ’60s counterculture movement. A Eugene, Oregon, newspaper noted in 1972: “Hippies have taken over the north end of town, and the business people don’t like it. They have signs saying shoes and shirts are required – no entrance to bare feet.”

Fun facts: This song inspired the artist’s fanbase to adopt the name No Shoes Nation. It was his first album to hit #1 in the US and his first to top the Country chart. This song was also used in the 2016 movie The Do-Over, starring Adam Sandler.

Without further ado, here’s Kenny Chesney with “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems”:

That’s a wrap for this week – have a great Monday! See you on the dance floor!

Now, onto the particulars of Monday’s Music Move’s Me:

I have the supreme honor and privilege of being a co-host with the inimitable Xmas Dolly and our musical cohort, the awesome Cathy from Curious as a CAThy, and Alana of Ramblin’ with AM!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!

Want to join in the fun? It’s easy – just find a tune that rocks your boat, post it and link up – don’t forget to grab Xmas Dolly…er, um, I mean her button…over at her place here. Check out Xmas Dolly’s sidebar for the random themes we sport each week – and you can always ask for a specific theme of music you like, too. Check out the other music lovahs and let’s jam!