This Music Monday, is a very very very fine Music Monday. With over 500 words in the document, ideas have never been so hard.
I had two “adult” dreams – meet the right guy (and marry him!) and own a home. This year, both of those dreams came true.
The former happened on June 15th, and the latter…happened on Friday!
My husband and I closed on our home exactly five months after we said “I do.” We had our leased townhouse, but he decided to try and see if we could get a mortgage. Sure enough, he was able to. And here we are, homeowners!
As I’m writing this, I just washed the floors and am relaxing with my dogs while he is at the townhouse with the movers, getting our furniture and belongings piled in a truck. We ate breakfast in our living room this morning, sitting on the windowsill in front of our bay window. I can’t wait till he gets here with the furniture and movers, so we can begin making this house our home!
Anyway, I tell this story because it makes today’s song feel more appropriate. Of course, a similarly titled song from about a decade or so later would be appropriate too, but let’s focus more on suburban bliss than suburban craziness!
“Our House” is a song by (David) Crosby, (Stephen) Stills, (Graham) Nash, and (Neil) Young, from their 1970 album Deja Vu, the third released from this album. Written by Graham Nash, the song is described as an “ode to countercultural domestic bliss,” and was written while Nash was living with musician Joni Mitchell (and her two cats).
The couple were living in Mitchell’s house in Laurel Canyon (Los Angeles Area), and on a Sunday morning, had gone to breakfast and bought an inexpensive vase. After these decidedly domestic activities, Nash wrote the song in one hour.
Ah, inspiration as song lyrics. And I thought my blog posts coming out an inspired moment were magical.
“Our House” reached #30 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #20 on the Adult Contemporary charts. In the years that followed its release, it was used in Kenmore commercials for Sears in the 1980s, and has been covered by Helen Reddy, The Onyx, Phantom Planet, Sheena Easton, Kidsongs (oh goodness, remember that OG Kidz Bop?), and even Sharon Lois and Bram (OMG, The Elephant Show!!!!).
Even Fraiser Crane and Lilith Sternin-Crane sang it on Cheers to celebrate their new apartment.
And no, I didn’t sing this once we signed the papers, but I did do the Happy Dance of a Dream Fulfilled!
Graham Nash and Mitchell lived together for two years in the earliest part of his career, as well as his time living in California. Photographs in his memoir, as well as an art exhibit at the San Francisco Art Exchange, Joni Mitchell’s impact on his life is mentioned, but I guess that lovely domestic bliss couldn’t last forever.
My husband and I are planning to make this our forever home. Mostly because neither one of us like having to move.
Have a great Monday, and enjoy the music!