Talent

37th Annual Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony


Talent. T-A-L-E-N-T!

Every year at this time, I realize I do not have ANY!

I found myself glued to the television set for two hours, watching in awe as the artists performed tonight (tape delayed) at the Kennedy Center Honors Ceremony, the extravaganza which is held every year at this time in Washington, D.C.

This year's honorees included ballerina Patricia McBride, actor Tom Hanks, comedienne Lily Tomlin and singers Al Green and Sting.

They were the five honorees sitting in the balcony alongside the President of the United States and  Mrs. Obama. The action was all on the stage and included performances from Lady Gaga, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mavis Staples, Sam Moore and Bruno Mars.

Throw in some quick profiles of the honorees -- narrated admirably by such stars as Whoopi Goldberg,  Meryl Streep and Garrison Keillor, and I'm hooked!

So much talent. It takes your breath away -- especially when "The Boss" performed the Sting hit, "I Hung My Head." The song was written and released by Sting in 1996 and shows his fondness for TV Westerns and his interest in country music. Johnny Cash added the song to one of his albums in 2002.

The lyrics to I Hung My Head:

Early one morning with time to kill
I borrowed Jeb's rifle and sat on the hill
I saw a lone rider crossing the plain
I drew a bead on him to practice my aim
My brother's rifle went off in my hand
A shot rang out across the land
The horse he kept running, the rider was dead
I hung my head, I hung my head

I set off running to wake from the dream
My brother's rifle went into the stream
I kept on running into the salt lands
And that's where they found me, my head in my hands
The sheriff he asked me "Why had I run"
Then it came to me just what I had done
And all for no reason, just one piece of lead
I hung my head, I hung my head

Here in the courthouse, the whole town is there
I see the judge high up in his chair
"Explain to the courtroom what went through your mind
And we'll ask the jury what verdict they find"
I said "I felt the power of death over life
I orphaned his children I widowed his wife
I beg their forgiveness I wish I was dead"
I hung my head, I hung my head

Early one morning with time to kill
I see the gallows up on the hill
And out in the distance a trick of the brain
I see a lone rider crossing the plain
He's come to fetch me to see what they done
We'll ride together til Kingdom come
I pray for God's mercy for soon I'll be dead
I hung my head, I hung my head.