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!
Having reviewed all the music from the two semi-finals, I'm going to turn my attention to the songs of the six countries that had a fast-track pass to the final. They are the Big 5 - the UK, France, Spain, Germany and Italy - and the host nation, Sweden.
I found this year's Big 5 showing to be very poor, with only Germany really impressing me musically, though even they were let down staging-wise. Sweden, on the other hand... Wow.
Let's go through act by act. As always, I'll give a rating out of twenty; this is for the song first and foremost, with my comments supplying my views re vocals, performance and staging.
UK - I must admit, this is by far the best thing we've sent for years, and the smartest: it has Eurovision written all over it.
However, it still isn't amazing and Joe and Jake's performance could have been better, more dynamic. I do like how Graham Norton made an appearance in one of the background photos! 14/20
France - My mother, brother and cat liked this but I found it slightly dull.
It's also very similar to "Moustache", France's 2014 entry, and in turn to Stromae's "Papaoutai" (to which parts of Moustache are almost identical).
Amir did perform with a good energy and a winning smile but the song is forgettable though, of course, it had its life prolonged after the contest by the big meme made out of Elodie Gossuin, who presented France's votes, attempting to sing it.
I think she was sweet and did her job pretty well, and many spokespeople reference their country's song. Anyway, "J'ai cherché" is okay but nothing special. 10/20
Spain - This song appears to be massive in Spain and, while it's upbeat and easy to dance to, I don't think it's that great. I'd pretty much forgotten what it sounded like until I re-watched it.
What did stick in my mind was Barei's performance - she is full of life and fun and clearly didn't take the contest too seriously; she just wanted to enjoy it, and her joy was infectious. I loved her hair, too! The part where she fake-falls would have terrified me if it weren't for Graham Norton warning us!
11/20
Germany - This is definitely the best Big 5 song - it reminds me of "Ghost" by Halsey in theme and tone.
Unfortunately, it was let down by the staging - the Twilight-esque backdrop looked tacky, when, done well, it could have been really effective.
While the singer, Jamie-Lee, has a right to dress to suit her personality, I felt it was way over-the-top and it made it hard to take her seriously. It was a shame, as the song was really very good. 16/20
Italy - I couldn't remember any of this before re-watching! The song's okay, but not really Eurovision and the staging was odd in the extreme, though at least that was memorable: all the random things on sticks.
The cartoon-y after-effects - the ripples, stars etc that appeared to be drawn across the screen - were actually quite pretty. Normally any heavy effects of that kind in Eurovision annoy me as I think we should just see what's on stage, but these ones added a bit of umph to a dull performance. 8/20
Now, from the rather ridiculous to the sublime, and to the song I voted for myself.
Sweden - The first time I heard this properly was the final and I was struck by how Nate Ruess it was, in both style and vocals! I liked the understated performance and staging and found it hard to believe Frans was only seventeen, he had such presence and power.
I voted for Sweden, but it was only later that I went from liking the song to loving it. A lot of people have compared it to "Catch and Release" by Matt Simons.
There is a resemblance, but not too much of one. I like both songs but prefer Frans and "If I Were Sorry". 18/20
So, that was the Big 5 and Sweden. Watch this space for my post about the final - and expect plenty of gushing about the wonders of Petra and Måns!
I will be posting on this music blog again soon - I'll tell you all about my time in France, about my two trips to Spanish Catalonia and about the music that for me will always resonate with memories of this unique year.
In 2011 I went to the south of France with my sixth-form college, a trip that changed my life. I made a film about it, and wrote a blog post about the songs I used in the film. In 2012, I returned there and had another great trip. Again, I made a film, and in this post I will let you know the stories behind the songs I used.
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The first song I used, for the Montpellier segment of the film, is "In This City" by Iglu & Hartly.
I first discovered this song on a trip to Oxford, and I thought of it for the film as its chorus describes perfectly how I feel about Montpellier:
"And I know that down here, in this city,
That I won't disappear in this city,
I have nothing to fear in this city..."
I adore Montpellier and would love to live there some day. It is definitely my favourite city. I have even written a novel set there. It just seems to be to have its own vibe, its own air even. I find it to be a truly unique place.
I first discovered this song on a family trip to London when I was sixteen. We were driving through a very green neighbourhood with lots of trees, and now hearing the song always brings me back there. We went on to visit Hampton Court Palace, somewhere I'd dreamed of going for a long time as I was fascinated by the Tudors. It was a wonderful trip.
I rediscovered this by chance when I was making my film and tried it with the beach photos, not really expecting it to work - but it really did. So I kept it, and now I really like this part of the film - it may be my favourite part.
I did a post with a bit more about why I love this song.
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The third and final song covers Carcassonne, and is "Famille" by Jean-Jacques Goldman.
I first encountered this song when I was exploring Goldman's music - I did a post all about it. When it came to the film, this was probably the easiest song to choose: throughout the trip, the group had referred to each other as "ma deuxième famille" - "my second family." So I thought of this song right away.
Plus, it's a nice song to end the film on: it has that "ending" feel to it, but in a happy, celebratory way, rather than a sad, "it's over" kind of way.
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Overall, I really like the film. I had a limited amount of time in which to finish it - much less than I had for the first film - and I worried at the time that it wouldn't be able to match the first one. However, I think I managed it, and the music was a huge part of that.
Since I last posted on here, in January, spring seems to have come to Manchester! There is blossom on the ground, the birds are singing... And I just can't help feeling happy.
A few other things have happened since I last posted: I have turned 20, I have had several important University exams, and I have made big steps in trying to become a published novelist. Re. the novel, watch this space: I really hope to have good new for you one day!
2014 is going scarily fast - I really hope it slows down a bit so I can enjoy it while it's here, and make it a year to remember.
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What music have I been listening to? Well, I've been listening to On ira, a French song by Jean-Jacques Goldman.
I first discovered most of Mr Goldman's music when I was at sixth-form college, and listening to his songs always brings me back there. Sitting in the infamous "Islands" computer area, with my earphones in, waiting for my bus and supposedly doing some work while actually just listening to the song. Happy days.
If you speak French and are interested, I wrote a piece in French about Jean-Jacques - click on the link to read it, or click his name above the video to read another piece I did about him in English. (Yes, I'm a huge fan!)
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There's also All Out of Love by Air Supply.
I heard this for the first time in a long time on the radio last year, and assumed it was a woman singing the choruses - I was in for a surprise!
The radio DJ described this as "one of the best love songs ever written," making it sound, as DJ's have a tendency to, like this sentiment were universal. When it played, I thought, it isn't that amazing.
However, I did like it and I started listening to it on YouTube, and one day I heard the beautiful simplicity and sadness of the opening bars and realised it is an incredible song. One of the best love songs ever written? Quite possibly. I'm really glad I heard it on the radio that day.
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After I listened to All Out of Love on YouTube just now, Right Here Waiting came up in the suggested videos, and I decided to share it here as it fits my developing theme of simple but beautiful love songs.
This was one of the first songs I ever knew. It was on a compilation album called "Bitter Suites" that my parents used to listen to when I was very young. It was probably the first song on the album that I learned to recognise and to like.
The words meant little to me and I couldn't understand his accent a lot of the time, so the song was less a story, something with meaning, than a beautiful series of sounds and - in my head - colours and patterns.
Soon I knew most of the songs on the album, and I think I might do a blog post about it (so again, watch this space!) but Right Here Waiting was always, and will always be, special to me.
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Another song that follows in a similar vein is In Too Deep by Genesis.
For a while, In Too Deep was nice but not mindblowing. Then something changed. I realised it was playing in my head at random times. I dreamed of singing it at karaoke. While it will never replace Follow You, Follow Me in my affections, it has become another song whose simplicity, for me, makes it a classic.
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I'll end this list of simple but effective love songs with one of my favourite such songs: I Want You, by The Silencers.
My parents used to play this at home, and I quite liked it. Then when I was at sixth-form I played it to myself and I realised I really liked it. It has become one of my favourite songs. So simple, so beautiful. It's near the top of my list of "songs I will learn to play first if I ever master the guitar." It would be just wonderful to be able to play it and sing it with joy and pride and so much love.
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I've just realised that I have managed to collate a song each from France, Australia, the US, England and Scotland. This wasn't intentional and just shows that all over the world people are writing simple, beautiful love songs - it is a genre that spans continents and cultures and that we all can enjoy and respond to.
Well, night's coming in and it's nice and cool, and people are milling about outside, probably unable to believe their luck that spring seems to have come overnight. I certainly appreciate this change in the weather - good weather really can lift your mood. Time for spring, for blossom, for lighter nights and birdsong and feeling great ♥
I thought I would talk you through my Oldies, why I chose them and what they mean to me.
Firstly, First Time (very apt for the first song) by Robin Beck.
I first heard this song on one of the music channels on TV, and I really liked it - it is very much the archetypical 80s love song: big-haired, big-voiced singer; moody video; strong beat and a really catchy tune. I love the lyrics and find them a lot deeper and more sensitive than many 80s love songs; I particularly like:
"Like a break in the clouds, in the first ray of sun,
I can feel it inside; something new has begun."
And,
"It's an uncharted sea, it's an non-opened door,
But you gotta reach out, and you gotta explore."
I love this song; I had forgotten about it for a bit and then something recently reminded me of it and I fell in love with it a second time. Brilliant song. And I'm glad they put it on first out of the Oldies; whether it was an intentional pun or not, it amused me.
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Secondly, we have the Rah Band and Clouds Across the Moon.
I first heard this at the gym, on some mix-tape they had of old songs. I'd hear snippets and really liked the chorus, but with machines whirring it was hard to hear the rest of it properly, so I went home and looked it up.
I really liked the song when I heard it through; however this was on Spotify, so I remained blissfully unaware of the bizarre video until I finally thought of looking for it on YouTube.
Though I do think the end of the video is really touching; you can see her despair at having to wait a whole year to hear her loved one's voice again.
Some people may see this as some sort of novelty song - a woman calling her husband who is fighting a space war is certainly an interesting concept - but I think it stands on its own as a really good song, novelty or otherwise. Certainly, as Steve says, there "doesn't seem to be a hint of irony."
I like to think this song is a serious exploration of what a space war could mean for the people left on Earth. To be honest this song could be used as an exploration of war generally and its effect on civilians; before I heard this properly I did think it was about a woman talking to her soldier husband in a more conventional war.
I also found out that the singer is called Liz! ♥
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Next we have Maria Vidal with Body Rock.
I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard this - doesn't that tend to be the way with songs that are special to us? I first heard Body Rock while on the way to badminton practice one night; we were driving past the DW Stadium except it was probably the JJB at the time; I remember the song reminded me of Rhythm of the Night by DeBarge at the time, though now I can't hear that much of a similarity.
It was me and my Mam in the car and I think I remarked to her that I liked this song; it has since been played on many car journeys. It just makes me want to dance! Not easy in a car, I know, but when I listen to it at home I do confess that I usually end up dancing about to it.
This seems to have been Maria Vidal's only big hit; I think it's a shame as she had a lot of potential. She was pretty in a way that seems far more natural than some other female pop singers of the era and she had a really nice and quite unusual voice.
I think she wrote this song, though I don't know for definite; if so she is a talented songwriter. I'm surprised she didn't achieve greater success in the 80s, as this is another song that epitomises the 80s for me!
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The next of my Oldies is Crazy For You by Madonna.
I included this in my choices partly for my Mam, as it is one of her favourite songs, and also for myself as I love it too, and as I like a lot of Madonna's music I was keen that she be represented in my Oldies.
I love her voice so much in this song, and she looks so beautiful in the video. The production of this record is also gorgeous; from the beginning it it just a real pleasure on the ears.
In fact, the beginning of this song is one of my favourite song-beginnings, and it is pretty unmistakeable, especially in the video where it starts with an alarm clock ringing!
Whenever I see the video I ponder watching Vision Quest, the film featured, but never actually get around to it. If anybody has seen it and could let me know whether it is any good, that would be much appreciated.
Regardless of the merits of the film, Crazy For you is a really beautiful song and one of my favourite Madonna songs, as well as one of my favourite love songs of the 80s.
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My next Oldie is Ella Elle L'a (Ella, she has it) by the French chanteuse France Gall.
As you may have guessed from the fact that she features in the video, this song is a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. It was written by France Gall's husband Michel Berger. I love how happy and carefree France looks in this video, dancing around and looking like she is having a really good time - in her early career she came across as rather shy and demure, but here she seems to be coming out of her shell.
I love this song; I discovered it when looking for French music to listen to sometime when I was at sixth-form college and a combination of my really inspiring French teacher and a wonderful college trip to Montpellier in the south of France made me really love French culture, music included. As well as France Gall I love Jean-Jacques Goldman, Lio, Niagara and many other French or Quebecois musicians and bands.
Steve Wright commented on how high he finds France Gall's voice to be; I don't find it particularly high but maybe that is just because I am used to it as I have listened to this song so many times. Anyway, high or low I really love her voice and this remains one of my favourite songs in any language.
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Next is R.E.M. with Bad Day.
I have already done a blog post discussing this among other R.E.M. songs, which can be found by clicking above; however to re-iterate, I really like this song; it was one I heard and loved years ago, then lost, then rediscovered and now love as much as ever. And the video is really original and quirky; clearly a lot of effort went into the making of it. I love this song and always end up singing along to it!
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My penultimate Oldie is Don Henley with The Boys of Summer, which was my favourite song for a while when I was in early high school, maybe 12 or 13 years old.
We were doing some sort of project in our Music lessons about DJs, and I did DJ Sammy, and through doing so found his version of this song, which brought me right back to finishing primary school, when people were singing it on karaoke - either that or we were just listening to the song, I can't remember - but it was certainly popular at the time and I really liked it.
I then heard it in a bowling alley on one of our high school bowling trips, and wondered who sung it. I found out through doing my DJ project, and I re-listened to it and enjoyed it. Seeing that it was a remix of an older song by Don Henley, I listened to the original, convinced I couldn't like it more than the remix. I was wrong. It became my favourite song and I listened to it endlessly.
The fact that the original is sung by a man makes the sentiment a lot nicer, I feel - the DJ Sammy one seems to be a woman declaring without much shame that she is cheating on her lover but still expects him to be there for her "when the boys of summer have gone," whereas the Don Henley version seems to be a man bitterly acknowledging that his lover is cheating on him but saying he'll always love her and will still be there for her at the end of it all.
I still love this song and it was lovely to hear it on the radio and to share it with the listeners of Radio 2.
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My final Oldie is Is This Love? by Alison Moyet, which, again, was my favourite song for a bit - it may still be my favourite song. I have trouble deciding on a favourite at the minute, but this is certainly in contention.
I have a blog post all about my love for Alison Moyet in which I discuss this song and video, so feel free to check that out. For now I'll just say that I absolutely adore this woman and her music, and this song is so happy and upbeat, and the video just puts a smile on your face; they are all having so much fun on the beach.
And the dance they do at the beginning and end is contagious - I find myself doing the actions whenever I hear the song!
I love Alison Moyet ♥ And I love that my selection of Oldies ends on such a happy note with this jolly little song.
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I am really chuffed at my Oldies being chosen, and cannot stop listening to that half-hour of all my favourite music ♥ And I have a badge saying, "I chose the Non-Stop Oldies on Steve Wright in the Afternoon." I am very happy.
I hope you have enjoyed listening to my Oldies as well - please feel free to add any comments below.
Thank you so much for reading my blog and letting me share with you the music I love.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 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:
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"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.
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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.
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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."
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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.
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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!
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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! ♥
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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!
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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
I am very happy and excited because I got my A-Level results yesterday and I got the results I needed to go to my first-choice university! I am going to the University of Manchester! Whoooooo!
Needless to say, I am very chuffed. But slightly scared... starting university is probably one of the biggest, most challenging things I will ever do, leaving home and learning to live by myself and become independent.
However, I feel well up for that challenge, and will throw myself into university life. As they say, you only get out of things what you put in, and I intend to do everything I can to make my four years at university as amazing as they possibly can be ♥
I will be studying French and Spanish, but I intend to try studying some other languages in my free time, and I will look for clubs and societies to join - hopefully there will be French and Spanish societies, as well as the chance to keep playing badminton, and maybe even do some more zumba!
Talking of zumba, I went to a Steps-themed zumba yesterday, and it was brilliant! I enjoyed it so much - more than I had expected to. I had thought that Steps only had a few big hits, but at zumba there were lots of songs that I quite liked, and I may listen to more music by Steps from now on (and maybe do the dances)!
I've had so many lovely messages from my family and friends congratulating me on my results and getting into Manchester Uni, and I'm so grateful and happy to have so much love and support. Knowing they will always be there for me makes me feel more confident about making the huge jump of going to Uni.
There's a song that I had heard briefly and liked, but that recently my brother brought back to my attention and I realised I really like it. (And now it's stuck in my head.) It's Express Yourself by Labrinth. Give it a listen if you haven't already. Here is a video my brother made with the song which I prefer to the official video.
Also, in honour of me starting Uni I have to share one of the most hopeful, beautiful songs I know: Life Is Large by the Kennedys; Pete and Maura.
This amazingly talented pair were the opening act for Nanci Griffith when I saw her live in concert in Salford Quays for my eighteenth birthday treat earlier this year. I had heard of the Kennedys before then but I hadn't really known their music so it was great to discover them! ♥
Photos courtesy of my mum.
I was lucky enough to meet Pete and Maura Kennedy after the show and they were so lovely.
I bought their latest CD, which they very kindly signed for me, and it has a live version of Life Is Large, which is one of the most wonderful songs you will ever hear. It is simply gorgeous. The guitar playing, the vocals, the lyrics...
"We've only got one chance to walk this line;
If you should get lost or stuck in time.
Just believe this road does not end here.
How do you want to be remembered; a raging fire or a dying ember?"
Amazing. I love the version in the video earlier in this blog post which I presume is the album version, but my favourite has to be the live one... It is just incredible. So atmospheric and intimate and emotional and direct. One of the few songs I can listen to in any mood and still enjoy completely.
I will also share a stunning performance by the Kennedys of When I Go by Dave Carter.
I feel like I don't even have the right to comment on something so beautiful and perfect but I must say it is the song I wish I had written. I can't say for sure but I feel there is something very Native American in the melody and lyrics and, as I have some of this in my ancestry, this song feels very close to me personally and means a lot to me.
It is hard to pick out one lyric to highlight because every line is beautiful, but among the ones which I found most poignant are:
"I'll send this message down the wire and hope that someone wise is listening when I go."
"...in showers of crimson rubies when I go."
"And should you glimpse my wandering form upon the borderline, between death and resurrection and the council of the pines.
Do not worry for my comfort, do not sorrow for my soul,
Or your diamond tears will rise up in the dawn sky beside me when I go."
Truly beautiful. If I could ever write a song anywhere near as powerful and moving I would be very happy. I am not too familiar with the work of Dave Carter, but if this song is anything to go by he must have been a very, very gifted songwriter.
I really think the world would be a sadder, more desperate place without this song. It almost embraces death, makes it feel like something not to be afraid of. It is also a celebration of this beautiful world we live in which we often - too often - take for granted.
When I Go is humbling and magical and unlike any other song I have ever heard. I am so grateful to the Kennedys for bringing to my attention a song I may never have heard otherwise.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the Kennedys. I will be off to university in September, and I have no doubt that it will be an amazing experience. It will be a journey of sorts, and you, my blog readers, will be able to take it with me as I blog at every step of the way with news and updates and - of course - plenty of brilliant music to listen to along the way.
This is the beginning of a new chapter in my life, and I'm hoping it's going to be a good one ♥
I have just completed my final Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition! It was an amazing experience. I was in a lovely group of four, and we became very close over the four days of walking and camping.
We were in the Lake District and we saw some beautiful scenery, stunning views, quaint little towns and all sorts of wildlife and livestock, including llamas!
It was such a challenge, and I felt such a sense of achievement when we had got through the four days - never had I been so pleased to see the Keswick Pencil Museum (our finishing point)!
It was very hard work, but so enjoyable, especially in the evenings on the campsites when we would sit around as a group eating, chatting and getting to know one another.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I almost wish I could do it all over again! Hopefully I can do more camping expeditions in the future.
This week has been a week of birthdays for me - about seven people I know have had birthdays in the last three days. If you're reading this and it's been your birthday recently, or it will be soon, then I wish you a very happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful year ahead of you, full of joy and love and happiness ♥
Now that I have finished my D of E expeditions, I feel as though the summer holidays have started for me, and I can now relax and enjoy myself for the next few weeks! I will try to update this blog as often as possible.
I've been listening to some French 80s music, and one of my favourites has to be Tétéou by Lio and Jacky.
This was one of many brilliant French 80s songs I discovered through the Platine 45 compilation CD which my brother and I have been listening to for years.
Jacky was the presenter of the 80s French music show Platine 45, which gives its name to the CD. Lio was a huge star of French 80s music - I am a fan of hers, and will probably do a full post about her soon.
The unlikely pair teamed up for this bit of 80s madness, which I just love - the dancing especially! The video was supposedly filmed in someone's loft! I just love this song and video. It defines what 80s music was all about.
