Peel Me A Grape

So many of my memories are tied up in songs. I love when I am just going about my day, and I catch a few notes of a song someone is playing and it propels me into a fun memory of something that happened years ago.

This morning I came in early to get some work done and I thought I was alone but I heard someone playing music nearby. I walked over to a coworker's desk...I thought I heard something that sounded familiar.

"Is that Diana Krall?" I asked her.
"Yeah do you know her? I love her!".
"GOD yes I do. And this song is probably my favorite!"

The song, was Peel Me a Grape which reminds me so acutely of being 18 years old that I have half a mind to go get my tongue pierced.

When I was 18 I, as I have mentioned before, took a year off before going to college, moved into the city and did City Year. To supplement my income (and pay for my piercings, tattoos, and Absolut vodka I was so fond of) I decided to get a part time job. Now, I had always loved jazz in the way that I felt like I SHOULD love it. ....but I knew pretty much nothing about it. So I decided that working at the Jazz Room at HMV in Harvard Square would be a good idea since I would learn a ton about jazz with the added bonus of discounted CDs.

When I went for my interview I was entirely unprepared for the "Jazz Knowledge" test they gave me. However as luck would have it my would-be boss was a fabulous gay man who got a kick out of the idea of an 18 year old jazz neophyte being thrown in the mix with a bunch of mostly middle aged male jazz experts. And it worked out great! I worked with really great, really knowledgeable people, I learned a lot. It was a sweet sweet gig.

I worked a few nights a week from 6-10PM and by 8PM or so the store was usually dead so I would have the jazz room entirely to myself. I had discovered Diana Krall's "Love Scenes" album thanks to the recommendation of a coworker and was fond of playing it on repeat while I was working. In particular the song Peel Me A Grape which I thought was exactly about the kind of woman I wanted to be. Don't try to fool me, bejewel me.! Polar bear rug me, don't bug me! Many a night I sashayed around the jazz room, alone, blasting this song and singing into a duster. And many a time I was caught by an amused late night customer or two. (I think I am to thank for a rise in "Love Scenes" sales from October to December of 1998). But it was a great time in my life, being young and carefree, and hearing that song again just makes me SMILE.

And then I have to smile again because you know what? I still AM young (29 is young shutup) and I am still pretty carefree! I may have switched out the penchant for piercings for a penchant for shoes and the Absolut for Tanqueray but that song still does it for me. And you know what, I don't think there is anything wrong with wanting a grape peeled for you from time to time!

In fact today I went right on iTunes and bought the album again so maybe I will be doing a little sashay around my cubicle later only this time with a roll of plans as a mic.

Peel me a grape, crush me some ice
Skin me a peach, save the fuzz for my pillow
Talk to me nice, talk to me nice
You've got to wine and dine me

Don't try to fool me bejewel me
Either amuse me or lose me
Im getting hungry, peel me a grape

Pop me a cork, french me a fry
Crack me a nut, bring a bowl full of bon-bons
Chill me some wine, keep standing by
Just entertain me, champagne me
Show me you love me, kid glove me
Best way to cheer me, cashmere me
Im getting hungry, peel me grape

Here's how to be an agreeable chap
Love me and leave me in luxury's lap
Hop when I holler, skip when I snap
When I say, do it, jump to it

Send out for scotch, call me a cab
Cut me a rose, make my tea with the petals
Just hang around, pick up the tab
Never out think me, just mink me
Polar bear rug me, dont bug me
New thunderbird me, you heard me
Im getting hungry, peel me a grape