Big Bang Rumble

"A Body of Work," no. 8 -- Ladder to the Stars

Hi! Welcome to “A Body of Work.” It’s the occasional Tuesday space here on “Living in a Body” where I dig deep into Hal history and pull out a musical gem. Don’t miss the Soundcloud imbed at the bottom to hear the song, “Big Bang Rumble.” Thank you for being here! Please share. Hal

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I think I got a lot of light to give
I know I got a lot of livin' to live.
I want to run and jump and stumble
And do the dance of the Big Bang Rumble.

If I want to run and jump and stumble so bad, why did I just spend the last four hours sifting through old hard drives? Why did I open up TikTok about 20 times? Why did I stay inside on this gorgeous August Sunday afternoon? Ugh. My brain is melting. I didn’t find the file that I was looking for in the hard drives, but I did stumble across a great song — Big Bang Rumble.

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David, Hal and Ella rehearsing our song.

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I wrote Big Bang Rumble with Ella and David Hassler at the Wick Poetry House back in 2015. In 6th grade, Ella had written a poem called "Ladder to the Stars.” Our song was inspired by that poem. The three of us performed it together the next year in front of a nice crowd at the Kent Stage.

Big Bang Rumble was another instance of the power of collaboration. On our own, none of us could’ve made the song happen. It took the magical combination of three minds running and jumping and stumbling together in the dance of the big bang rumble. It took the bounce between three imaginations to climb that playful ladder to the stars.

David, Hal and Ella Singing “Big Bang Rumble” at the Kent Stage

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Ella's poem reminds me to break free of those hard drives and those damn TikTok notifications. My melted brain deserves so much better. She writes, "I've been thinking about living like a river, never ending, never stopping, always rushing, my waters, a looking glass. " Our song speaks of wondering — “as the wings of the willow are bending.” It’s a song about dreaming — “with the birds and the bees (that) I’m befriending.”

We sure are lucky to be part of this big bang rumble called life. Maybe it was worth four hours in a hard drive to have rediscovered this gem of a song. The melody makes me think of happy strolling. The rhythm makes me want to smile and snap and skip. Walking to the rhythm of my heartbeat, Big Bang Rumble has got me whistling again. Oh… by the way… In the morning, I’ll be climbing up to Mars.

Enjoy. ❤️ Hal

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“Ladder to the Stars” is part of Wick Poetry Center’s Traveling Stanzas

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Big Bang Rumble

I’ve been thinkin’ — walkin' to the rhythm of my heartbeat
an’ I’ve been wonderin’ — soakin’ in the love of the sun’s heat
I’ve been dreamin’   — climbin up the limbs of a willow tree

Chorus
I’ve been livin’ in the big bang rumble
in the morning I’m climbin’ up to Mars
I’ve been searchin’ for a sunset tumble
imagination is my ladder to the stars

I’ve been thinkin’ — rollin’ down a river never ending
I’ve been wonderin’ —  as the wings of the willow are a-bending
I’ve been dreamin’  —with the birds and the bees I’m befriending (to Chorus)

I  think I got a lotta light to give
I know I got a lot o’ livin' to live
I wanna run and jump and stumble
and do the dance of the big bang rumble

I've been thinkin’,  I’ve been wond’rin’,  I’ve been dreamin’
I’ve been walk-in’, I’ve been talkin’  an’ I’ve been breath-in’
I’ve been hop-in’, ain’t been smokin’ and I’ve been feelin’
I’ve been lovin’, double troublin’ and I’ve been seeing. (to Chorus)