Hello! As you may have guessed from the name of this blog, my name is Liz and I am fascinated by song lyrics. I hope you enjoy my waxing lyrical about lyrics and about music generally. I also review albums and gigs and have interviewed several wonderful musicians. Enjoy!
It is Friday - it often seems to be a Friday when I write on this blog - and I am home from University for the weekend. It's nice to be home ♥
I love Uni but there is nothing like being with your family and your cat and sleeping in your own bed and watching Christmas songs on the telly together.
I have been planning for a while to do a post about angel songs - in fact, the seeds of this idea were first sown in my mind as I finished my last blog post about Eurythmics as I remembered their song "There Must Be an Angel," and it reminded me of other angel songs that I like.
I here present to you three angel songs which happen to be from three different decades. They are all very special to me.
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Firstly; There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart). I had heard it before but sort of rediscovered it when it was featured on Dancing On Ice (a British TV show in which celebrities compete in the art of figure skating. I watch it on occasion). Here it is:
I hadn't thought I had seen the video; however watching it it seems very familiar, so I must have done. Or maybe I saw it in a previous life.
I like this song: really nice beat as always with Eurythmics, and Annie Lennox's voice is as beautiful as ever, and I was pleasantly surprised at how high she is able to sing in parts of this song - she has an amazing range. Overall a lovely song, and one where you feel safe in the strong, steady beat. A great and classic number.
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That song reminded me of "Heaven Must be Missing an Angel" by the Tavares. I was delighted when I found out that this song was by them - I have loved their song "More Than A Woman" for many years.
Right from the opening chimes you know this will be a great song, and again, that beat... this is such a beautifully produced song, and they move so well too! I always want to get up and dance and sing along when I hear this.
Although I have loved and appreciated their music for many years, I have never known much about the Tavares so I looked them up just now and discovered that: (1) they are brothers, (2) Tavares is their surname - somehow it never occurred to me this might be why they were called the Tavares, (3) they are still performing to this day and (4) More Than a Woman is originally a Bee Gees song from Saturday Night Fever. Now that's something I never knew.
I've just listened to the Bee Gees' version of More Than A Woman and I like it but I think I prefer the Tavares one.
This song was also sung by John Farnham and I was always curious as to who wrote it - it didn't sound to me like a Nanci-written song. Now Wikipedia is telling me that Angels was written by Tom Kimmel and Jennifer Kimball. If so,well done them - this is a beautiful song.
And well done to whoever made this video; it is really pretty. Also, the angel at 1.35 reminds me of Aliona Vilani!
I find this song quite different to other material of Nanci's, and I love hearing her voice interpreting someone else's song, and a more pop-based song than her usual country style. Don't get me wrong, I adore her country songs, but it's nice to hear her try something a bit different.
It was probably a bit of a risk. But I think the risk paid off - this song is so beautiful and is one of my favourite Nanci songs. I am sad that I only discovered it maybe a year ago (considering it was released in 2004).
The instrumental is particularly lovely. And the lyrics are gorgeous and rather reassuring, I think:
"We're lifted up by angels,
Higher than the world,
Strong enough to leave it, bound to learn the secret; angels never hurt."
To me, "angels never hurt" can be interpreted as meaning that dying doesn't hurt; that leaving this world doesn't hurt, it isn't painful, and once we learn that, the angel's secret, we can stop being afraid of dying. And I find that idea quite reassuring. This is a gorgeous song, so thank you to the songwriters and thank you to Nanci.
♥
I hope you enjoyed my selection of angel songs. I am aware that there are other songs about angels - Robbie Williams springs to mind - but I think I'll stick with these three as they are songs that mean something to me personally and which I wanted to share with you.
I think they explore - and celebrate - the concept of angels. The first song sees them as a divine presence that can make you fall in love; the second talks about a lover so amazing she must be an angel; the third describes angels as guardians who guide and look after you during life and death.
Personally I believe that everybody has it in them to be an angel and to do something special for someone else; to be there for them when they need an angel or a miracle.
So be an angel!
Thanks for reading my blog, may the angels watch over you,
Liz x
Songs: There Must Be an Angel (Playing with My Heart) - Eurythmics - 1985
Heaven Must Be Missing an Angel - Tavares - 1976
Angels - Nanci Griffith - 2004
It is Friday and it has been a while since I last posted on this blog, so I apologise for that. There have been times when I have really wanted to write a post to share a song or memory but I have had to put university work first.
However, I am planning on making myself a blog schedule so that I can fit blogging into my week and still get everything else done. I am aiming to write at least two posts a week on this blog from now on. That is the plan!
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How am I? Okay, on the whole. Tired! But enjoying Uni so much. I keep meeting amazing people and making wonderful friends.
I really love the seminars and the style of teaching and I really look forward to lectures and learn a lot.
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I also love living in Uni accommodation - it is really nice living with so many of my friends and being able to see them every morning and evening at breakfast and dinner - one of the many joys of being in a catered Hall.
We had a formal dinner on Tuesday - it was the Hall's second one this year but my first. It had a Harry Potter theme so there were a handful of wizards and other spooky characters, and cobwebs draped over the wine bottles. The food was lovely, as it always is in Halls, and we got to wear gowns, which was fun. I had a nice evening.
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Manchester looks very beautiful right now, in that bit of time when autumn and winter overlap, with the trees all green and gold and yellow. There have been some truly gorgeous sunsets and I am so proud and happy to call this place my home.
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Over reading week, which happily coincided with my brother's half-term, I went with my family to Glasgow, another city I adore. The Clyde was as stunning as ever, especially at night with all the lights from the buildings and the bridges reflected in it.
We visited the city centre at night, something we hadn't got around to doing before, and it was so scrumptious; all the lights and the beautiful buildings illuminated and the hustle and bustle of people doing their shopping and chattering and laughing.
And somebody was playing an oboe in the street which was lovely and is a bit of a coincidence considering my last post on this blog was about an oboe piece!
♥
We visited the Kelvingrove Museum and the Glasgow Science Centre; both were amazing as always and in the latter I watched a show in their planetarium which was really good. As I've mentioned before on this blog, I adore stargazing, and I learnt a few things that I hadn't known before. It was so soothing just sitting gazing up at the stars while gentle, relaxing music was played. A lovely experience.
All of my trip to Glasgow was lovely and I was sad to leave, but it was nice returning first to my home in Wigan and then to Manchester. How lovely to have so many places you feel you can call home.
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Music-wise I have been listening to a lot of The Cure, Nanci Griffith, Alison Moyet and Martika.
"You've Placed a Chill in my Heart," by Eurythmics, got stuck in my head for a while for some reason, and at times I found it merging with with "Why" by Annie Lennox. Which is understandable in a way, because in my opinion the two songs are quite similar and of couse they both feature Annie Lennox's excellent vocals.
I comment on Why in my post, "The Best of British," if you are interested in hearing my views on it.
2.19 to 2.27: I love this bit! You go, girl! The above version of You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart is the original uptempo version, but for most of my life the only version I knew is the acoustic one below.
I love both versions but I think I slightly prefer the acoustic one because it feels, as acoustic performances often do, more raw and natural and honest, and straight from the heart. In fact, when I first discovered the faster version I wasn't keen on it, but have come to love it and see it as a great song in its own way.
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I'll sign off here for now, but I will hopefully be back very soon! I still have some really good news to tell you, so watch this space!
Thanks for reading!
Liz x
Songs: Why - Annie Lennox - 1992
You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart - Eurythmics - 1987/8
You Have Placed a Chill in My Heart (Acoustic Version) - 1988
*NB. It may seem confusing that this was posted on Saturday but I say it is Friday; this is because I started it on Friday night, finished on Saturday morning (midnight passed) and am posting this now on Saturday.*
Hello everyone!
Today is Friday and I am sitting in Halls writing this and listening to "Gabriel's Oboe," the theme from The Mission. It was composed by Ennio Morricone and is beautiful.
I heard this for the first time in a long time in a lecture yesterday in a Spanish culture lecture, about Bartolomé de las Casas and the New World, hence the link to this song; it incorporates European music and reaches out towards indigenous American music.
Our Spanish culture lecturer, Esther, likes to play a piece of music at the start of every lecture, which is great for me because discovering new music that I like is one of my favourite things. And I am so, so glad that she played this. It sounded so familiar to me, and words started playing in my head to it, and I knew that I'd heard it before, as some kind of song.
I also assumed the original piece of music was an old classical piece. However, it turns out it was written in 1985/6 for a film, The Mission. I genuinely cannot believe that something so beautiful, so pure, so uncontrived (Blogger is telling me "uncontrived" isn't a word; well, I'm inventing it) could have been written so recently.
I would have thought all the rawest of melodies; the most original and simple and perfect, had been taken by some musician or another long before 1985. But Gabriel's Oboe is beautiful and magical and comes from some natural, faraway place, from which no other music comes. And I know this is getting sentimental, but that is how much this song moves me.
As for me putting lyrics to it in my mind... I found out later that Sarah Brightman recorded an operatic version called "Nella Fantasia" (in the Fantsay)... but listening to it I don't think that is the version I somehow know and keep remembering pieces of. There is some other song within this song that is somehow a part of my memories and yet I can't quite reach it. Maybe one day I will.
I must add that I have listened to the version with English lyrics by Hayley Westenra, and I like it but think someone could still write better lyrics than the English or Italian ones in either of the operatic versions.
On the other hand, maybe adding lyrics to this song is not the right way forward... it was designed as an orchestral piece and it works best as one. An oboe or a piccolo or a French horn can have a voice and sing. Words would be crude and heavy and spoil the song. It is about feeling the meaning of the song, not having it dictated to you in words. Words tell you how you should interpret a song; without them you can make your own stories, have your own visions of what this music is about and what it represents and how we are supposed to feel listening to it.
I am speaking as someone who is a lover of popular music and country music, and who doesn't listen to as much orchestral music as maybe she should. This has enlightened me. Thank you, Esther.
I hope you, my reader, have enjoyed this blog post and my thoughts on Gabriel's Oboe. Please give it a listen if you've never heard it (though the likelihood is that you've heard it without knowing exactly what it was. A song can have a presence in your mind before it has a title.)
I don't usually implore people to listen to songs I like; I just comment on them and hope that maybe you consider listening to them yourself. But I strongly advise you to listen to this particular piece of music. It has had a profound impact on me, at least.
It is Friday night and I have come home from Uni for the weekend. I have had a busy week - my first week of lectures and classes.
There have been some problems, mainly getting lost around the huge university, but on the whole I have enjoyed this week. I have had the chance to meet people doing the same subjects as me, and I have made some new friends.
♫♥♪
You never realise just how many people you will meet at university. People in your halls of residence, people in your classes, people in societies you have joined. It is amazing how many people you meet.
And although I feel like I must have met all the students in Manchester, I know in reality I can only have met a tiny percentage. It's amazing to think how many more friends there are out there for me to make, if I only meet them somehow. Ah well, fate often brings people together who were meant to end up in each others' lives.
"I do believe, love came our way, and fate did arrange for us to meet."
A line from Almost Unreal, one of my favourite songs by Roxette, who are one of my favourite bands. Actually, this song has been stuck in my head, not because I have been thinking of fate, but for reasons I can't quite put my finger on... it just floated into my head! Anyway, it is a brilliant song so I will share it with you.
"Yeah, come on and do the hocus pocus to me;
The way that you touch, you've got the power to heal."
I love Marie Fredriksson's voice! She is so beautiful and has an air of wisdom about her. The song is so incredible; I think it is one of the mist underrated songs I have ever come across. It is up there with the best ballads of the 90s.
And the video is so ahead of its time; it is technically stunning and you could think that it had been made today, rather than back in 1993.
♪♥♫
People are like songs; you can think you know all the ones worth knowing and then you discover one that is incredible and you wonder how you lived without it/them. That is my deep and meaningful observation for the day!
An example of a song I discovered just yesterday, and which I love very much already, is The Sun, Moon and Stars. The version I know is sung by Nanci Griffith, but the song was written by Vince Bell.
I love how she does a typical Nanci introduction to it - one of the things I love about Nanci Griffith is the way she introduces most of her live performances with a bit of information about the song, or an anecdote related to it.
They are so endearing, and teach you things about the song you never knew or realised, which make the song so much more special and dear to you.
And I may not have understood the exact meaning behind this song had she not said what she said at the beginning. A few words made everything so clear. It is a song about the importance of friendship, something I am very aware of at the moment. I will probably always associate this song with my starting university now!
Not that you would have found me, "drunken in a bar, with the fan turning," as I don't drink alcohol... But the message still stands that friends are one of the most amazing things we can have in our lives! Don't take your friends for granted. Never forget how amazing they are. Yes, I know I use the word amazing too much. It is my word. And here it is the right word; the only word that will do.
♫♥♪
Watching this video and listening to the song, I realised what people mean when they say Nanci has an angel's voice. I had always thought her voice was beautiful and powerful, but it was her songwriting rather than her voice that endeared her to me.
Seeing the way she interprets this song, the way she uses her voice so cleverly, so carefully, so sincerely to tell a story, to convey every ounce of emotion in her, to make every word beautiful and significant...
I realised listening to this just what an amazing gift she has vocally, that she can sing other peoples' songs as if they were her own story - and with this song you get the idea that she understands and empathises with every word. She is amazing. Nobody deserves higher praise than Nanci Griffith. She really is an angel.
♪♥♫
This song has also taught me not to be prejudiced and judge a song based on the first line - another life lesson that can be applied to people as well. I heard the beginning of the album version of The Sun, Moon and Stars once and I didn't think a lot of it, so I stopped listening.
The live version changed my mind, and so I listened to the album version again (from Late Night Grande Hotel) and I really like it - maybe not as much as the live one posted above, but it is a very beautiful and special song in its own way.
Nanci is one of those gifted few who can do an equally good job on a recorded and a live version of a song; making both incredible in their own right. I've said it before and I'll say it again: she is a genius.
♫♥♪
In other news, I have started the new term of my Mandarin Chinese course, and it was lovely seeing my friends from the course again. We meet once a week to learn Chinese, and I love it - the group is so friendly and we all get on really well.
Also, for those who have been keeping track of my Cornerhouse antics, tomorrow is the day we compile our shortlist of artists for the exhibition we are planning. I am really looking forward to getting back to Cornerhouse, and seeing my fellow curators Alex and Neetu again.
Our family friend Tommi is visiting, which is lovely. He lives in Germany and hopefully one day I will be able to converse with him in German - it is a language I have always wanted to learn and maybe now I am at Uni I will have the chance to.
♪♥♫
The moon is very bright tonight in Wigan; we were all looking at it through binoculars. Kind of fitting that I have written about a song called The Sun, Moon and Stars!
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
Songs: Almost Unreal - Roxette - 1993
The Sun, Moon and Stars - Nanci Griffith - album version 1991; live version here 1990
Today is Sunday, and I have been here a week! And it has been, as promised, one of the most amazing weeks of my life! Mainly because of the brilliant friends I have made ♥
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I went home on Friday night, and it felt so strange being back in Wigan. The main thing I noticed at once was the stars - you never really see that many stars in Manchester; there are too many lights. In Wigan - well, my bit of Wigan at least - the sky was sprinkled with silver.
I saw all the familiar constellations, and, as always, searched for the Andromeda galaxy. I know where it is, but some nights you can see it and some nights you can't, depending on how clear the sky is.
I have always loved stargazing; the world can move quickly around you but the stars never change. I can look up and find Cassiopeia, trace my way to Perseus and Andromeda and the square of Pegasus. The stars can be scary, yet they can be reassuring... they are a force so powerful, unbreakable, ancient... I suppose they are an example of what you call the numinous.
I will have to find out if there is a stargazing society in Manchester; if there isn't I will have to set one up! Anyway, it was lovely to be home and to see everyone again.
♥
The next day - yesterday - I dragged myself out of bed to get my train back into Manchester in time for bowling and Laser Quest.
I was a bit disconcerted at first because I didn't seem to know anybody on the excursion; however I soon made some new friends.
The Laser Quest wasn't the best one I've ever been in, but it was fun and got very competitive! But may I say, whoever invented the need to recharge your gun in Laser Quest... it is the most pointless and annoying thing ever! I have been to Laser Quest venues where you don't have to do that, and I feel it makes the game run a lot more smoothly, and you can relax and get on with it without having to worry about recharging!
Still, we had fun. We also had a game of bowling, in which I think I ended up coming last. I started out really well, then had a couple of goes in a row where the ball went into the tramlines... Not good. However, I met some more people in my Halls which was nice.
♥
We then had a barbeque back at the Hall; I hadn't been really excited about the BBQ because I don't usually like BBQ food... but this one was so lovely; the food was nice and we got huge tubs of ice cream! I had caramel flavour and it was delicious!
The sun was setting as we sat around on the lawn chatting, and it was such a lovely end to Freshers' Week. It was amazing to be celebrating it with my wonderful new friends.
♥
I then went to the open mic night in the Hall bar; there was a wide array of different musicians and groups; there was even someone who I think said he was from Wigan! I will have to talk to him some time!
My favourite act of the evening was a jazz quartet; they were really smooth and professional and so talented. Well done to them, and thank you to everyone involved for a great night.
♥
I am going to share We Are One from The Lion King II; I have not seen this film but I somehow discovered this song when I was at college, and it really captured my heart. It is so beautiful, both the music and the lyrics.
I am not usually a huge Disney fan, but I love this song ♥
And in looking for it on YouTube, I somehow ended up on the Portuguese version. I love the Portuguese language - I think it is one of the most beautiful in the world.
Even if you don't understand Portuguese - and I don't understand all of this song in Portuguese - just the sound of the language is so gorgeous. I would give it a listen.
♥
I stumbled upon the original version of this song yesterday when looking for songs by the French singer Lio on YouTube and general Lion King stuff came up in the search options, and I thought, I'll listen to We Are One. It perfectly sums up my first week at Uni and the wonderful people I've met and the friendships I've made ♥
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
Songs: We Are One (English) - Cam Clarke and Charity Sanoy - 1998
We Are One (Portuguese)/Somos Um - I don't know who sings this; if anyone could tell me I would appreciate it! - 1998
Today is Friday, and I have just had my first week at the University of Manchester! There have been ups and downs, but overall it has been an amazing experience ♥
I had started a blog entry a couple of days before leaving home, and I never got the chance to finish it. Here is what I wrote:
♫♪
"Hello!
It is not at all long now until I start university. I am moving in some time today or this weekend, and my Fresher's Fortnight (most Unis get a Freshers' Week, we get a Freshers' Fortnight because we're hardcore) begins on Monday.
♪♫
I am rather scared, to say the least. I don't drink, and I'm not a fan of spending nights trawling from one pub or club to the next, which seems to be the image of Freshers' Week that a lot of my friends and various online bloggers are painting.
I am, however, excited about meeting some new people and hopefully making some new friends. It will also be nice to spend time in a city I love, and to discover every nook and cranny of it; as a friend of mine told me I will probably have got to know every inch of Manchester by the end of my first year.
I am also excited at the thought of starting my course - getting my timetable, meeting my tutors and finding out exactly which aspects of French and Spanish language and culture I will be studying. I love France and French, I love Spain and Spanish and I find it fascinating learning about French- and Spanish- speaking countries all over the globe.
♫♪
So, I have mixed feelings about Uni, mainly positive. Once Freshers' Fortnight is out of the way I will feel a lot better!
In other news, I have been to Manchester twice in two days for non-uni-related things - on Wednesday, to watch two episodes of Mastermind, the British TV quiz show, being filmed at Salford Quays, and on Thursday to go to Cornerhouse to look at some of the applications sent in for the exhibition we are planning. Both were enjoyable trips. I'll be back at Cornerhouse some time next week to go through the rest of the applications."
♪♫
Looking back at it now, I can't believe I was so nervous about starting Uni - downright scared in fact. It turned out that there are many people in my hall of residence who aren't really interested in drinking alcohol and partying and clubbing into the early hours; there are those who, like me, would rather just relax in Halls and have a good time with their friends.
I've found a group of friends that is ever growing; we sit together at meals - our Hall is catered - and have good times together. I am very grateful to them all for making my first week of Uni so lovely, so if you are reading this, THANK YOU! ♥ You are amazing!
That's not to say I have anything against clubbing; it just isn't really my cup of tea. I have some great friends who like going out; basically you meet such a huge range of people at Uni. I have friends from different places - people from my corridor in Halls, my regular dining table crew, friends from my course. They are all wonderful ♥ I am so happy with the way university life has turned out.
♫♪
My Hall is amazing and has organised all sorts of stuff; we have had a comedy night (with Iain from Iain and Hacker! Though I didn't like some of his jokes that evening), a pub quiz (my team didn't win, but we didn't do too badly), and a karaoke night! I didn't get up and sing - maybe next time!
Saturday looks like it will be really exciting, with bowling and Lazer Quest, a BBQ and an open mic night! I can't wait!
♪♫
So... that is my news. Tonight I think I am going home - I don't live too far away - to see my family and my beloved cat, and then I will be coming back to Manchester tomorrow in time for Lazer Quest - I adore Lazer Quest! And I can become very competitive!
Sooo.... I'm having a great time, and really enjoying university life. I love Manchester! ♥
♫♪
I will leave you with The Zephyr Song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The guy running the karaoke sung it really well - I actually think I prefer his version to the official song! It was the first time I'd heard it, and it's been stuck in my head since. Here is the YouTube video - be warned, it is VERY psychedelic!
I've just found out that a zephyr is a wind - I understand the lyrics a lot more now!
My favourite bit is when he says,
"In the water where I centre my emotion,
All the world can pass me by."
I really like this song and I'm glad I discovered it!
♪♫
Thanks for reading! Also I want to give a shout-out to the blogs of my friends Louise and Jess. They are each doing a different gap year project, and both of their blogs make a great read. Click on their names to see their blogs.
Thanks again for reading my blog, and thank you to everyone who's supported me in the transition to university.
Much love ♥
Liz x
Song: The Zephyr Song - Red Hot Chili Peppers - 2002
Today is Thursday, and I wanted to continue my fiftieth blog post celebrations by reflecting on what I have learnt by keeping this blog.
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I can't believe this is my fifty-second blog post. It's amazing. And I can't believe it's been nearly a year and a half since I started this blog. Some of the posts I did last summer seem like yesterday. Time really does fly.
Looking at my posts, it's easy to see the evolution from quite basic, usually gushing about a song I loved, to more structured, more critical - still praising songs I love, but in a more constructive way, I feel.
That's not to say that my first posts aren't worth reading - I think they still make good reads, especially if you're looking for something short and focussed on one particular song. But I feel that my blogging is more sophisticated now.
My presentation has evolved - I would now very rarely, if at all, use multiple exclamation marks, nor do I use smilies like this :) Instead I use the proper alt code to get this☺Generally, though, I don't use smilies that much. I use hearts ♥ because I think they look nice and because I am the emotional kind of person who sees the need to use hearts a lot.
I've also discovered quite recently how to get music notes from alt codes ♪♫ so you may be seeing some music notes on this blog in the future!
♥
I've started putting links in posts; I learnt how to do this at Cornerhouse, for which I am very grateful. I also now put tags on all my posts; I didn't originally and have now gone back and made sure all my posts are tagged.
I started putting the year the song came out at the bottom of each post along with the name of the song and the artist. I know it can be a nightmare finding the details on a song you really like via the Internet, so hopefully my song listings at the end of posts may make that a little easier. Plus I think it makes the blog look that bit more professional.
I have my "recommended posts," at the end of blog entries; an idea I came up with to help people find entries on the music and artists that they personally like, and also to draw attention to some of my older posts that newer readers may not have seen.
I now lay out all my entries in the "align left" format, whereas I used to use "align centre" on occasion, and I now think that can look a bit tacky. So, align left it is, and align centre for quoted lyrics. Altogether nicer, I feel.
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I think my titles have evolved as well - it was always, "Gorgeous song!," "Lovely song! : ) ," etcetera - then they became more sensible because they started telling you what the post was actually about - "R.E.M. and Paul Young," for example.
Then there was the Eurovision block, then after that I got into the habit of making titles a list of everything mentioned in the blog, for example, "Ireland, the Olympics, Snowdonia and Nanci Griffith." More recently on the title front I've been alternating between humorous and sentimental -and sometimes managed to achieve both.
I can't believe I've found so much to say about the evolution of my blog - it has changed more than I ever realised. I have changed too - I've become more mature, more sensible, I feel.
I also write on here regularly, not just when I feel like it as was once the case. I feel like I have entries that need to be written; inspirational songs and amazing songwriters that deserve a place on this blog, and I 'll never be able to cover them all if I only write once in a blue moon.
This blog isn't just a collection of songs I like, but a record of my life, and sometimes an important moment doesn't get recorded here because I don't get round to writing it up and then I feel that the moment has passed. And I think that's a terrible waste. So I will try not to let that happen any more.
♥
Have my musical tastes changed since starting this blog? I don't think so. However, I feel I have discovered music that I never would have if I hadn't been keeping this blog; music that, it turned out, I really liked. So thank you, blog!
I listened again to the songs I liked so much a year ago, to decide how I feel about them now - and I found that I still really like them all, and that in some cases a song has taken on a new significance for me since I wrote that list back in March 2011.
After listing specific songs by a range of bands and artists, I ended the list with, "Pretty much anything written by Nanci Griffith, or by Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue (two very different people but both extremely gifted songwriters in my opinion. You'll be hearing a lot about them in this blog!)"
And the sad thing is, although I adore both of these songwriters, and have listened to their music so much before and since starting this blog, I have not blogged about them nearly as much as I had expected I would.
However, what I haven't done yet is a full post completely focussed on Nanci and just what her music has meant to me over the years, and I really want to do that. I also want to do a post all about Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue.
♥
I listened to music from both Nanci and Deacon Blue throughout my childhood, introduced to their music by my parents. Among my favourite Nanci songs were Gulf Coast Highway, Goin' Gone and Tumble and Fall.
My favourite songs by Deacon Blue were Queen of the New Year, Your Swaying Arms - at one point one of my favourite songs by any artist or band - and When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring).
As I got older, I discovered more and more amazing songs by both Nanci Griffith and Deacon Blue. A few months ago I had Nanci's 1988 album Storms bought for me, and have come to love the songs Storms(written by Eric Taylor), Radio Fragile and Brave Companion of the Road.
The latter I had heard before on what I'm guessing must have been a compilation tape that my family used to listen to in the car. I'd been searching a long time for that song when I found it on Storms and was very happy.
The reason I had had such trouble finding it was because I had thought the title was something to do with roses, probably because of the first line of the beautiful second verse:
"Some days come up roses,
Some days just come and go.
Some nights are so ruthless that you can't recall the day before.
This love has seen better days,
Come home for these holidays,
Cause this love has miles for sense of place,
Oh, my brave companion of the road."
Normally I wouldn't quote an entire verse, but Nanci Griffith is a genius. Her lyrics are among the most moving and memorable I know. I love the whole song; it is easy to overlook a track like this on an album like Storms which has louder, catchier songs, but I feel that Brave Companion of the Road is quietly beautiful, and is quite possibly my favourite song on the album.
♥
As for Deacon Blue, I got a new mp3 player recently, and onto it I put Our Town, their Greatest Hits CD. This meant I could listen to Deacon Blue on the bus on the way to and from college, and this way I came to really love some of their songs.
Love and Regret will now always remind me of college bus journeys and, to a degree, so will Dignity.
However, Dignity also brings back memories of writing for my college's magazine - I did a lyrics quiz for them, and one of the lyrics they had to guess was;
"And I'm telling this story in a faraway scene,
Sipping down raki, and reading Maynard Keynes."
Certainly unique lyrics! I love Dignity. I never used to because I found it too slow - I think the version I had heard was acoustic - yet recently I've begun to appreciate the beauty of the melody and the lyrics. Isn't that what everybody wants; dignity? To be respected?
I think that it is a very wise song. I'm glad that I learnt to like it and grew to love it.
♥
I must write proper blog posts about both Nanci Griffith and about Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue as soon as I can. Both Nanci and Ricky are wonderfully gifted songwriters, and I want them to know how much I admire them and how much I love their music and always have done. Hopefully one day they may read this blog and know.
I hope you enjoyed this post,
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
Songs: Brave Companion of the Road - Nanci Griffith - 1988
This is a very special blog post... it is the fiftieth post on this blog!
In the very first post I did, way back in March 2011, I mentioned some of my favourite songs lyrics-wise. I decided that between this post and the next one I will listen again to these songs and and see how I feel about them now, almost a year and a half after I made that list.
I will also see if, through keeping this blog, I have discovered any other songs that deserve to join that list. I'm sure there are many! But I am looking for the very best for my lyrics hall of fame.
The first song I mentioned in that list was Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon.
I remember when I first heard this song, it was while in the car flicking through 80s songs on the mp3 player I had at the time. It included a few 80s albums on which I wasn't sure what half the songs were because it hadn't recognised the album and just called the songs, Track 1, Track 2 etcetera. I was listening through them to see what they all were when I discovered this song, which I don't think I had heard before.
I thought it must be Candle in the Wind by Elton John. I wasn't familiar with said song at the time, and I decided this must be it as I thought I heard the line, "You're a candle in the wind". I'd also heard Candle in the Wind being hyped about and as this song was amazing, I thought this must be the song.
I turned out to be wrong on several counts. The line was, "You're a candle in the window." The song was Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon. Candle in the Wind isn't an 80s song so probably wouldn't have been on that album anyway. And I've since heard Candle in the Wind and don't think much of it, which is a shame because I sort of want to like it.
Anyway, the bottom line is that I discovered a song that I really loved, and that I still love. Since I wrote that blog post in March last year, Can't Fight This Feeling has been featured in a TV advert in the UK for - I think - yoghurt which has a cow running along a beach dreaming of being a horse. The ad is certainly memorable, and I think that may have brought the song to a new audience as I heard one of my friends my age singing it around that time.
In July 2011, this song took on a huge new significance and poignancy to me, as I used it in the film I made of my college trip to France, and now listening to the song evokes so many amazing memories of that wonderful trip. Here is my film, in case you are interested - Can't Fight This Feeling begins about seven minutes and fifty seconds into the film.
I chose this song for the aquarium segment of the film because I could see direct links between the lyrics - les paroles in French - and some of the things that happened in the aquarium, for example the reference to the ship. I also loved the general tune and sentiment of the song, and wanted to use it as part of my record of our trip.
Now when I'm listening to the song and I get to the part where there's talking in the film, I subconsciously expect to hear that talking, and I always feel surprised when the music goes on and the talking doesn't occur! I love this song more than ever and it certainly retains its place as one of my favourite songs ♥
"It's time to bring this ship in to the shore, and throw away the oars, forever..."
"My life has been such a whirlwind since I saw you..."
♥
The next song on my list was The Whole of the Moon, by the Waterboys.
Well... There isn't much to say about this song, I feel. Yet there is a whole ocean of things to say... It is amazing. It is beautiful. It is perfect. It is a very, very special song to me. I love it.
I first heard it in the car - I'm pretty sure I can remember exactly which stretch of road we were driving along, and where we were going. It's the same for Can't Fight This Feeling! Not the stretch of road, but the fact that I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard both songs. Songs can be so powerful when it comes to bringing back memories attached to them.
I love the lyrics to this song - I really hope that Mike Scott, who wrote and sung the song had a particular person in mind when he wrote those lyrics. There seems to be a lot of debate over who the song was written for, but all I care about is that he wrote it from his heart and with complete love and sincerity. That is when a superficial love song becomes a beautiful, evergreen love song.
This is one of the songs I would most like to be able to sing in concert if ever I got a band together. I always envision a full orchestral arrangement with trumpets and violins and maybe even a choir to do the backing singing in the last verse.
However, such powerful lyrics as these could hold their own in sung a cappella or just spoken... you could do so much with this song, so many different arrangements, and as long as you mean the lyrics and sing them with all the love and emotion you feel for that person is in your life who saw the whole of the moon, it will be something amazing.
"I spoke about wings, you just flew.
I wondered and I guessed and I tried - you just knew.
I sighed, but you swooned,
I saw the crescent, you saw the whole of the moon."
♥
The third song that was on my list of top songs lyrics-wise is Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits. As well as learning to spell their name properly - I was shocked to see, "Dire Straights" on that first post, which was swiftly corrected - I have been listening a lot to music by Dire Straits, with two particular songs being among my favourites: the aforementioned Romeo and Juliet, and Brothers in Arms.
I am planning to do a longer blog post involving Brothers in Arms soon, so for now I will just say that it is a song I have loved for a long time, and which think I can add to my lyrics hall of fame. As for Romeo and Juliet, I shared my thoughts on it as part of a blog post about love songs that I did last year, and I still love it.
♥
The next two songs on my list are both by Fleetwood Mac: Songbird and Sara. I adore Songbird and have sung its praises in my blog post about the amazing Christine McVie (whom I love and who is one of my greatest influences musically).
Sara is a song that has been in my head a lot recently - maybe partly because I was planning to do this blog, but I think it may also be partly to do with the fact that in one of the novels I am trying to write (my dream is to have a book published one day, and I am working on several potential novels) there is a character called Sarah.
Her naming had nothing to do with the song; it's just a name I like. But writing about her often reminds me of the song.
"Wait a minute baby, stay with me a while,
You said you'd give me light, but you never told me 'bout the fire."
I always liked this song, but never as much as some other Fleetwood Mac songs such as Gypsy, Little Lies and Say You Love Me. However, I've recently come to like it a lot more. Stevie Nicks has the knack for making a song not just a song, but an experience... something you get completely sucked in to, and when it finishes you feel as if you've come out of a cinema into daylight; like you have been absorbed in a story; in a far away place. In another universe.
The initial piano chords from Christine McVie have always reminded me of the church bells ringing out in my town, and whenever I hear them, this song comes straight to my head.
"Sara, you're the poet in my heart,
You never change, and don't you ever start."
I saw a documentary about Fleetwood Mac in which Stevie Nicks claimed that this song was written because she was having an affair with Mick Fleetwood, and then Mick Fleetwood ended up in a relationship with Stevie's friend Sara. The exact meaning of the lyrics of this song has always puzzled me, but I can feel a lot of love behind the words. I have come to really like this song - it still isn't my favourite Fleetwood Mac song by a long way but I do really like it.
I will sign off for now and in my next blog entry I will finish my list of top songs lyrics-wise; commenting on the work of Nanci Griffith, and of Ricky Ross and Deacon Blue, and I will add some more songs to the list, songs that I have discovered or rediscovered since I started my blog which I think merit a place on that list.
Thanks for reading,
Liz x
Songs: Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon - 1984/85
Today is a Sunday, and I have some things to report. Firstly, I have a writing dragon! Called Griff!
This may not make a lot of sense to some, so I will explain. In Chris d'Lacey's amazing book The Fire Within, the protagonist, David, becomes a lodger in a house which is full of clay dragons which come to life in the eyes of those who really believe that dragons are real.
As a present for getting good A-Level results and getting a place in Manchester University, my parents got me a Pennykettle Dragon - one of the real clay dragons that the ones in the book were inspired by.
My Griff is a writing dragon, which means he has a notepad and pencil and should inspire me when I'm writing! In The Fire Within, Gadzooks, David's writing dragon, inspires him by writing words on his notepad which give David ideas for his stories.
I am hoping that Griff can inspire me as well. I love writing and dragons, so a writing dragon is perfect for me!
I named him Griff because I feel it suits him, and because it is Welsh-sounding and starts with G. All dragon names in Chris d'Lacey's books begin with G for some reason, and a lot of them are either Welsh-, German- or Anglo-Saxon-sounding. I think it is because England and Wales have a lot of stories about dragons in their histories, and I'm sure that Germany, with its mountains and forests, has dragon legends as well.
I would recommend The Fire Within to anybody. It is a wonderful book. It is the first in a series of seven, of which I have read four - and I must say that the first two books are by far the best. However, I feel that the second novel, Icefire, is a lot darker than The Fire Within, so I would bear that in mind if you decide to read it.
I am very happy with Griff and will never be able to thank my parents enough for finding the lady who makes the Pennykettle Dragons, and for having one made for me... I will be forever grateful. And thank you too to Val Chivers, the "Dragon Lady" who made Griff. She is amazing.
Second piece of news is that I have found out where I will be staying during my first year of university, which is exciting. I got one of the places I wanted, which is great ♥
Now for some music - I really wanted to share "Isn't it Midnight?" by Fleetwood Mac, which I discovered just after writing my blog post about Christine McVie a while ago.
It is so pretty, yet also slightly dark and very mysterious-sounding. Here it is:
The melody sounds quite familiar to me; I have heard similar in other songs. I don't know who came up with it first but I must say that the familiarity for me adds to the general haunted feeling of the song... It is beautiful and goes perfectly with the magical, mystical-looking album cover that is its YouTube thumbnail above.
The painting on the cover, in case you were interested, is Hommage à Henri Rousseau, by Brett-Livingstone Strong. The original painting was hanging in Lindsey Buckingham's house when the album was being recorded. I wish it were hanging in my house! It's beautiful.
From the album Tango in the Night came several Fleetwood Mac songs I adore: Seven Wonders, Little Lies and Everywhere. I intend to start doing album reviews on this blog, and Tango in the Night may be one of the first albums I turn my attention to!
Another song I have discovered recently and that I really like is "Days Are Numbers (the Traveller)" by the Alan Parsons Project.
Amazingly enough, I discovered this through somebody on YouTube claiming that one of my favourite French songs, Juste Après by Jean-Jacques Goldman, was a rip-off from it. I gave it a listen to see what I thought, and I can honestly say that apart from a vague similarity in the first few chords, there is no resemblance that I can hear.
I love Juste Après, and I am really warming to Days Are Numbers as well! It is really gorgeous, especially the harmonies in the chorus. If I ever have a band I want us to record this song, and I want us to do the very best job at it that we possibly can, to try and do justice to this amazing song. It is simply sublime.
So thank you, YouTube person, for helping me discover this song! Even if it was through making a claim that I don't really agree with. But we all hear what we want to in any piece of music.
I was shopping recently and heard "Maria" by Blondie on the radio - and I was very happy because I love this song. I think it sounds a bit like a speeded-up version of Someone Like You by Adele - obviously, Maria was out first. But I think I may be the only person who can hear the likeness! And I believe songs can sound very similar without any ripping-off being done.
I first heard Maria at a friend's birthday party not that long ago, and I couldn't believe I had been missing out on it for so long, when I listen to as much Blondie as I do. On the other hand, it's sort of reassuring to think that there may be loads more great old music out there that I've never heard and have yet to discover.
I will always associate this song with the film, "The Mirror Crack'd" - the 1980 one with Elizabeth Taylor in it. I find that film rather terrifying, and I also think the answer to the mystery is obvious from very early on - though that might be because the first time I saw the film I saw only the second half... I don't know.
I thought it was really easy to put two and two together, and I think that was the fault of the way it was filmed, not the plot. I intend to read the book - I have a copy of it in French, Le Miroir se Brisa. I have read parts of it; I may read it properly soon.
Anyway, getting back on topic, I associate this song with that film because just after I first discovered the song, I watched the film on telly and listened to the song in the ad breaks, and now there seems to be a link between the two in my subconscious that I fear will never go away. I do like the film, I just find it scary and don't want to be reminded of it when I listen to a song I really love.
Luckily, Maria also reminds me of the lovely party at which I first heard it, which is a really nice memory to cherish. I love the rhythm and melody of the song, and I love the lyrics, except for the line, "Don't you want to break her." I think - I sincerely hope - it doesn't mean physically breaking her, perhaps it is more in the sense of breaking her spirit; breaking her in because she is like a wild horse. Whichever is true I'm not keen on it.
Otherwise, the song is great and I love Debbie Harry's voice. It is, in my opinion, one of the finest songs of the 1990s (it was released in 1999).
I have been following The X Factor this year; however my real love when it comes to winter television is Strictly Come Dancing, and I can't wait for this year's series to begin. For readers overseas, Strictly Come Dancing is the original UK version of Dancing With the Stars.
I really love seeing all the dances but I also love discovering new music which I always seem to do through this show. I love Strictly! It always makes me yearn to be a ballroom and Latin dancer, but I've always had trouble finding local classes.
However, all that may change when I move to Manchester in September - I'm sure in a city that size there must be some ballroom and Latin classes available! Maybe even as part as the Uni enrichment. That would really be wonderful.
I've also been watching Celebrity Big Brother, and I must say that some of the things I have seen this series are truly pathetic. Certain individuals really need to grow up! But Julian Clary is amazing as always. I hope he wins.
One last song I wanted to share with you is "You Win Again" by the Bee Gees.
I had heard it before but recently I found out through hearing it on the radio what it was and who sings it. It sounds different to other Bee Gee songs I know, and I really like it. It is, in my opinion, their best song, which is high praise because I really love How Deep is Your Love as well.
I can't believe that Barry is the only Bee Gee left now. Rest in peace, Maurice and Robin. Your talent shines on and your music will be appreciated for many years to come.
The Bee Gees were such a slick, smooth outfit - they always looked good, and their music moved with the times, from disco to pop, whilst remaining timeless. A few days ago I was at a 60s and 70s-themed zumba class, which featured a seven-minute-long Bee Gees medley. It was brilliant and reminded me why I love their music so much.
You Win Again tends to remind me of my amazing trip to Paris in February 2012; I think this is because it was just after we got back that I discovered this song. I love the beat and the lyrics - mainly. Again, there is stuff about attacking the (I assume) woman the song is aimed at that is obviously a metaphor but that I kind of don't like.
Still, You Win Again is, on the whole, a great song. Well done, Bee Gees! You really are amazing.
Amazing does seem to be my favourite word, and in the past I've abstained from using it all of the time, trying to alternate with words like wonderful and brilliant, but to be honest I feel that I should be true to myself and if I feel that amazing is the best word for something, I shall call it amazing! So there! Okay, I probably sound a bit childish. But it is very liberating thinking, this is my blog and I can do what I like on it, within reason.
So, I hope you have enjoyed my long, long blog post, and the songs I have shared with you.
Thanks for reading!
¡Hasta luego!
Hrrrrr! (That is what the dragons say in The Fire Within.)
Liz x
Songs: Isn't it Midnight? - Fleetwood Mac - 1988
Days Are Numbers - The Alan Parsons Project - 1985
