Thursday, March 3, 2011

Morning Mail - 3.3.11

You can never tell what's in a man's mind
And if he's from Harlem, there's no use of even tryin'
Just like the tide, his mind comes and goes
Like March weather, when he'll change
Nobody knows, nobody knows

The man I love, well, he just turned me down, he's a Harlem brown
Oftimes I wish that I were in this ground, six feet underground
He idolized me, as no other could, no, no
Then he surprised me, leavin' me a note sayin' he's gone for good
Gone for good...

And since my sweetie left me,
Harlem, well, it ain't the same old place
Though a thousand dandies smile right in my face
I think I'll mooch some homemade hooch and go out for a lark
Just to drive off these mean ole Harlem Blues
(Source: Harlem Blues, the soundtrack of Mo' Better Blues)

The first time I saw this movie I was a child and all I could tell was the my mother insisted that I didn’t see it, but a close family friend’s mother didn’t care much and let us watch anyway because she loved the jazz music. Years later I watched this same movie and it brought me closer to my mother. It’s actually my mother’s second favorite movie. Although I had never seen the movie with her until a few years ago, we’d listened to this soundtrack many Saturdays.

There’s something about the lyrics of this song that resonate. I just am glad I’m not from Harlem. But I feel that every Black man has put himself in this position at some time in his life before. Have you ever seen a woman grab hold of a man begging him not to go? I have and it hurt my heart. But it just goes to show you, grabbing hold of a man will only leave you on the ground with tears in your eyes. You just can’t predict what a man will do, or control his feelings.

That’s messed up how they did Bleek in the movie though. That’s why you have to watch your connections with your friends. If you’ve never seen Mo’ Better Blues, Bleek got into some shit because his partner had a gambling problem. Long story short, he ends up getting hit in the face with his own trumpet. And after that he is never able to play again. That’s a lesson for all Black men.

Spike always had a lesson for all in his movies.

Anyway, a few questions:

Do women judge women who don’t wear hosiery when they have on a skirt?

Have you noticed that if you pool a group of Black men, there’s almost a 50/50 split of those who like thick legs and those who like tone legs? I do not get this at all.

It’s Thursday, which means it’s time for happy hour. I love happy hour. Does it ever make you wonder why you have to pay a premium to hang around Black people? I feel like for as long as we been in America, Black people have had less money than white folk. However, when you buy a drink at a Black happy hour lounge it’s going to cost you $8, but at a white spot, it’s going to have a special for like $3. Maybe that’s sheer numbers. Do you think it’s because white people spend more money in their establishments? I know for a fact Black people will enter a spot with every intention on spending no money. Plus, I’ve also been told by bartenders that prices are higher for Black people because they don’t tip.

Think about that before it upsets you.

Life is good. God is good.

6 comments:

max said...

My favourite song from my favourite movie?
Your max approval rating has skyrocketed for this post.

TellyLongLegs said...

"grabbing hold of a man will only leave you on the ground with tears in your eyes. You just can’t predict what a man will do, or control his feelings."

This is oh so true. This should be on a bookmark or something.

" I’ve also been told by bartenders that prices are higher for Black people because they don’t tip."

So what happens when a black person does tip?

N.I.A. naturally... said...

I love Mo' Better Blues. I may watch that when I get home tonight.

Black people don't tip? I can believe it, but its unfortunate. I remember I told a friend I tip the girl who does my eyebrows/manicure/pedicure, and she thought I was crazy.

Usually, tonight would be ladies night at my martini spot, but they closed last week. It hurt my soul. Its hard to beat $4 martinis.

Adonis said...

... No Comments... Just listening

jemie said...

I only judge women who don't wear hosiery when wearing a skirt, when it's cold as hell outside! lol!

I tip, but I always have a hard time getting others to.

redlady821 said...

ChancellorMo Better Blues was one of my favorites when it came out in theatres and it's still one of my favorites today. My man IS from Harlem, what's wrong w/Harlem? I know that men from Harlem can be over the top, but that's what I love about him. I tell him to this day that he's lucky that his crazy a s s makes me laugh because when we're mad old and sitting on the front porch retired, he will STILL make me laugh with the over the top antics.

I've heard people say that "Cat's from Harlem are extra." (That's usually a guy from Queens that says that). "Dudes from Harlem are FOS" (Usually men from Brooklyn say that). Whatever the case may be, I'm glad my man is a Harlem Brown.

The place where Bleek couldn't play his horn any longer was actually a restaurant on 14th Street in Union Square that we used to frequent all of the time. Go figure. I doubt it's still there.

Love the new format Dr. J.

Ladies w/no panty hose? Nope, we usually judge them in a corporate setting. Like, wow, she's in the Office of the President w/o panty hose? It's summer time, watch me rock that tomorrow.