Julie Miller – Bullied during bereavement in Pret A Manger

Julie & Buddy Miller #TrumpImpeachment – When you go down

January 14, 2021 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

When You Go Down – written by Julie Miller – performed with and produced by Buddy Miller – Nashville, TN – Sept. 2020

Don’t Drink Bleach – Julie & Buddy Miller

May 16, 2020May 16, 2020 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

Public Service Songs vs. Coronavirus
Musical heroes Julie and Buddy Miller, y’all

»Concerning Bleach«

Don’t, don’t, don’t drink bleach
It will kill you and you will be dead
Don’t, don’t, don’t drink bleach
No matter what the president said

In the president’s mind something malfunctioning lurks
But yours is a fine mind and everything works

So don’t, don’t, don’t drink bleach
It will kill you and you will be dead

Don’t, don’t, don’t drink bleach
No matter what the president said
Don’t drink bleach
it’s bad and it hurts

See if the president would try it first
Don’t, don’t, don’t drink bleach
It will kill you, and you will be dead

— Buddy and Julie Miller

»Stay Home«

Julie Miller is Back!!!

August 15, 2019August 20, 2019 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

… and I missed it by 2 months!

It’s Christmas and birthday and all the holidays in one!

But I have a feeling, it’s just a one-off thing. Life is short, let’s enjoy it!

One of the best kept secrets in general music. They are the top Americana artists, but the general music scene doesn’t know these gems! Buddy Miller, her husband calls her one of his favourite song writers. She writes most of the songs and has written 60 songs for the new album “Breakdown on 20th Ave. South” of which they chose 12 for the release. Their last album in collaboration was in 2009 and Julie’s solo work goes back into the 1990s.

Illness kept her behind the scenes, and I even wondered if she’s still alive. There is no songwriter, poet, authentic artist that reaches into the depths, and does it without bending to trends like Julie. No couple or duo collaborate like Buddy and Julie Miller!

Their last album together “Written in Chalk” ten years ago was a great album of course, but this new one here is out of this world! It’s only Buddy and Julie, recording in their bedroom and studio at home, and the songs are personal as usual, but very different this time.

And apart from illness and depression, her younger brother died from lightning.

A quote from the Tennessean:

“The record boasts heartfelt tales of losing family members (“Storm of Kisses”), a plea for attention (“I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”) and, accompanied by the oddly soothing hurdy-gurdy, taps into Julie Miller’s affection for documentary films (“Feast of the Dead,” a song literally and poetically about the animals who clean the world by eating the dead).”

Yep, that’s Julie! Unique songwriting, themes and concepts! NO FEAR to touch any subject! But the weird “prophecy” type song writing before her brother died by lightning strike, was that before his death she started writing songs and themes on storms, rain etc.

It reminds me of the Christmas period when I worked and a colleague finished her shift, got dressed to go home and on her way out she picked up a coffee from our counter. She had a really beautiful bag, silver black, rectangular style. It would not suit me, but it really looked great on her. I complemented her on the bag. She said that it used to be her sister’s, but that she died. I remember briefly speaking with her, and then thinking that I cannot imagine how it must be to lose a sibling. But I didn’t know that while I thought that, my brother was already dead.

Brief NPR review of their new album

Buddy & Julie Miller Release Two New Tracks from Their First Album in a Decade: “Breakdown on 20th Ave. South”

purchase, purchase, purchase ….

[ 💛 Favourites 💛 ]

1. 💛 Breakdown On 20th Ave. South 💛

💛 2. Feast Of The Dead 💛 (Brilliant!)

💛3. Everything Is Your Fault💛 (A Julie Miller love song to Buddy)

4. Unused Heart

5. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

6. 💛 Til Stardust Comes Apart 💛

7. Underneath The Sky

8. Spittin’ On Fire

💛 9. Secret 💛

10. War Child

11. 💛 Thoughts At 2am 💛

12. Storm Of Kisses

13. Can’t Cry Hard Enough (Bonus Track)

Bonus track, from Julie’s 1994 “Invisible Girl” album. It’s a cover written by David Williams and Marvin Etzioni, and first performed by the William Brothers. Julie made it her own again like every song she covers!

14. 💛 You Make My Heart Beat Too Fast 💛 – LIVE 2019 (Bonus Track)

I cut a short excerpt of their last bonus track that they played live in Nashville 2019. The song is from their 2004 album “Love Snuck Up”. It’s not on YouTube and I just post half the song. Volume UP! Julie’s back!!! 🙂

I used her “Can’t Cry Hard Enough” version for one of my videos for my brother.

Buddy and Julie used to have a combined site BuddyAndJulie.com but now turns into BuddyMiller.com

He also changed his Twitter handle and I thought he disappeared from social media like Julie did. Buddy and Julie’s Facebook.

Thread-ish

August 14, 2019August 18, 2019 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

I once lived with a friend who is a Christian when we were involved in Church and volunteer work with our friends. She went through deep depression at the time. Once she said that she’s hanging like on a thin thread (she was suicidal)… I’m not a Psychologist, but from no-where, call it God or whatever, it doesn’t matter, I said to her “No, you’re not hanging on a thread, you are held in God’s hands”… and her face was at peace.

And now I say, we may hang on a thread or be secure in someone’s hands out of our control, and be it depression, bullying, loss … we have dignity, no matter what!

Buddy and Julie Miller’s cover of “Dirty Water” by John Mayall.

Dirty Water

Well I don’t need you hangin’ round my door
Trying to drag me back down to the shore
And I ain’t gonna drink your dirty water no more

Well I got wet from my head down to my legs
And I drank dirty water down to the dregs
But I won’t do it again I don’t care who begs

Dirty water now what’s that for
Dirty water I ain’t drinking no more

You’ve got a lie underneath your tongue where it can’t be seen
And you wanna put the truth on a guillotine
But you might as well put out a fire with gasoline

Well you can serve up dirty water from a golden cup
You can try to lock up the truth but the door won’t shut
Cause the truth just keeps coming out like blood from a cut

Well it sparkles and it shines but it’s just a trick
So you wash it down with a kiss just to get a kick
But that dirty water is about to make me sick

You can try to sweeten dirty water up with grenadine
But I can still read you just like a magazine
And I ain’t gonna drink no more till the water runs clean

Baby you got the kind of love that I can’t afford
And I don’t have a taste for what’s in that glass you poured
No I ain’t gonna drink that dirty water no more

– John Mayall

To the liar and the trickster

July 27, 2018October 20, 2019 I Survived Pret A MangerLeave a comment

to the cheater and the faker,

to the power hungry hater,

to the bully and discriminator:

“I ain’t gonna drink your dirty water no more!”
– LNG

Buddy and Julie Miller »Dirty Water«

Buddy Julie3

One of my favourite songs co-written by my all time favourite artist, singer-songwriter, poet and humane being, Julie Miller, whose songs have pulled me out of dark pits many times! I saw her in concert a few times in the 90s and had a brief encounter with her backstage at a London gig, which was a lovely little highlight.

Julie has been scarce for health-related reasons for many years now, but is still active in writing songs with and for her husband Buddy Miller, whose unmistakable guitar riffs is a unique signature in Julie’s songs and who calls her one of his favourite writers. She is a rare kick-butt artist with a huge heart and voice, whom too few know in the music and art world. I hope she plays live once more and to be able to see her in a gig again.

I think I’ll make “Dirty Water” my theme song for my 10 years Pret A Manger experience. It has certainly become my anti-PR or my PRotest song regarding slick slogans and sweet-talk.