Wise men say
Only fools, only fools rush in
Oh, but I, but I, I can’t help falling in love with you

Shall I stay?
Would it be, would it be a sin?
If I can’t help falling in love with you

Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things, you know, are meant to be

Take my hand
Take my whole life too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
For I can’t help falling in love with you

-WRITTEN BY HUGO PERETTI, LUIGI CREATORE, & GEORGE DAVID WEISS
-PERFORMED BY ELVIS PRESLEY

I watched PRISCILLA on Monday night and now I’m in a bit of an Elvis mood. Even though Elvis doesn’t necessarily come across great in the movie, I don’t think he comes off completely terrible. I think Elvis has demons, we all do, and his got the better of him because I think after his mom passed away, I don’t think he had anybody in his life to act as a moral compass. It might have been Priscilla, but there were too many other factors pulling him in too many other directions. I think Elvis’ life was a tragedy. A true Shakespearean tragedy.

The positive is he left so much great music behind. I don’t know that “Can’t Help Falling in Love” is my favorite Elvis song, but I bet it is a Top 10 song for me.

The song was written in 1961 for the album “Blue Hawaii” and was featured in the movie by the same name. The B-Side was “Rock-A-Hula Baby”. For a long time it was the song Elvis closed his concerts with. It was the last song Elvis performed live at his final concert in Indianapolis on June 26, 1977. He died less than 2 months later at the age of 42.

But Thursdays are for flowers! Today’s flowertography collection was taken in my yard:

Can you believe it! It is almost flowertography season!

Rows and flows of angel hair
And ice cream castles in the air
And feather canyons everywhere
Looked at clouds that way

But now they only block the sun
They rain and they snow on everyone
So many things I would have done
But clouds got in my way

I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down and still somehow
It’s cloud illusions I recall
I really don’t know clouds at all

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels
The dizzy dancing way that you feel
As every fairy tale comes real
I’ve looked at love that way

But now it’s just another show
And you leave ’em laughing when you go
And if you care, don’t let them know
Don’t give yourself away

I’ve looked at love from both sides now
From give and take and still somehow
It’s love’s illusions that I recall
I really don’t know love
Really don’t know love at all

Tears and fears and feeling proud
To say, “I love you” right out loud
Dreams and schemes and circus crowds
I’ve looked at life that way

Oh, but now old friends they’re acting strange
And they shake their heads and they tell me that I’ve changed
Well something’s lost, but something’s gained
In living every day

I’ve looked at life from both sides now
From win and lose and still somehow
It’s life’s illusions I recall
I really don’t know life at all

It’s life’s illusions that I recall
I really don’t know life
I really don’t know life at all
-Joni Mitchell

This might not be a straight love song, like the other journal titles. But it is definitely one of the best songs ever written. It was written by Joni Mitchell when she was 24, but it feels like it is written by somebody that is much farther along on their life’s journey. The song was originally recorded by Judy Collins, before Joni Mitchell recorded itself. It has been reported that it has been covered over 1500 times. If I was in a band or had a drop of musical talent, I would cover it in a heartbeat as well.

The song has a connection to multiple aspects of the songs I have been using for flowertography journal entry titles. In 2022, Joni Mitchell made her first appearance at the Newport Folk Folk Festival since 1967. Her first full-length concert since 2000. Brandi Carlile was the force behind Mitchell’s return to the stage. Of course “Both Sides Now” was one of the songs she played.

Another connection is that “Both Sides Now” makes an appearance in FLORA AND SON. After being aghast at Flora’s terrible taste in music, Jeff gives her “homework”. Her homework is to listen to the song “Both Sides Now”. The song makes Flora cry. (Side note: In the original screenplay for FLORA AND SON this song was supposed to be “Couldn’t Love You More” by John Martyn. – This isn’t the only song that was changed from the page to the screen, but that is a story for another day.)

However, FLORA AND SON is not the movie I affiliate “Both Sides Now”. That movie is the 2021 movie CODA. A movie that would win the Oscar for Best Motion Picture. CODA (in addition to having a musical definition) stands for Child Of Death Adults.

A rudimentary Google search will come up with following storyline of CODA:

Ruby is the only hearing member of a deaf family from Gloucester, Massachusetts. At 17, she works mornings before school to help her parents and brother keep their fishing business afloat. But in joining her high school’s choir club, Ruby finds herself drawn to both her duet partner and her latent passion for singing.

Side note: The actor that plays the “duet partner” is Ferdia Walsh-Peelo who was the star of SING STREET.

That synopsis leaves a lot to be desired. It doesn’t cover Ruby’s (played by Emilia Jones) relationship with her music teacher (played by Eugenio Derbez). Or more importantly the friction between Ruby and her parents, played by Troy Kotsur and Marlee Martin. Ruby is the only person in her family that can hear, which makes it hard for her to share her passion for music with her family. Plus they rely on her heavily to communicate with the outside world.

I don’t want to give a way much more of the story, but “Both Sides Now” is the song that Ruby performs that reaches her family.

CODA streams on AppleTV+ and I highly recommend it.

Thursday is for flowers. Today’s flowertography collection was all taken in my yard:

Next Thursday’s flowertography session will involve more flowers from my yard.