I'm An Uncle!

While the Lily white shall in love delight,
Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.
--William Blake

Last night, shortly after 10pm CST, my niece, Lilly Gault, entered this world with 10 fingers, 10 toes, and no doubt a bunch of questions. Woo-Hoo!!! She weighs in at a tidy 7 lbs, 6.5 oz ... my daughter was 7 and 7, so it's good to see some familial consistency ... and Mama Julie and Daddy Graham (my wife's brother) couldn't be happier. You can be sure that we are quite proud of them. So, in their honor, a pair of songs.

The first is appropriately baroque and over the top for the arrival of my neice. In fact, I can see this song being used during the birthing montage sequence ... in the movie ... that's playing in my head. OK, so I have an overactive imagination. Good song, though, and a shortie. After all, the kid is less than a day old and the parents don't have time for extended dance remixes. We'll get to the 10-minute operettas in due time. From their 1974 album, Sheer Heart Attack, here's the Fighting Freddie Mercurys with a can of falsetto whup-ass. Incidentally, if there's a more appropriate first line, I'd like to hear it!

Queen - Lily Of The Valley [purchase]

For mama and daddy, a quieter, more pensive tune. After all, those moments are now precious. Trust me, as the daddy of a toddling spawn of Satan, my wife and I long nostalgically for the newborn era. So, here's Iris Dement, covering Lefty Frizzell on her powerful 1994 album, My Life.

Iris Dement - Mom And Dad's Waltz [purchase]

By the way, it's pure coincidence that my post about "I Wish I Was Your Mother" is being followed by a post about becoming an uncle. The gods may be crazy, but no one said they're not paying attention.