Former Punk Rock firebrand turned turgid reactionary John Lydon throws his hat into the Eurovision fiasco, for some reason. He has stated himself, this week on RTE’s Radio 1, that he has never watched a single broadcast of the event, which has run since 1956, branding it as ‘awful’ and ‘disgusting’. Lydon hopes to represent Ireland in the heavily politicised song contest. Hawaii is just kind of fine. Nothing special, kind of average. Lydon’s vocals are blank and uninspired, lacking his former acerbic edge. The backing track sounds like the peak 80s power ballads that Phil Collins is probably still living off of to this day. This is a shame as it is reportedly inspired by his wife’s battles with Alzheimer’s and, according to Lydon, is “also a message of hope that ultimately love conquers all.” Not something that aligns particularly well with his more recent public outbursts. I really wanted to like this. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
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Day 30. I’ve become kind of caught up in the excitement & humour of the Twitter account-cum-Political Party, the Northern Independence Party (or NIP) & the prospect of it achieving a small amount of success in the form of some councillors & maybe an MP or two. They’re already standing former Labour MP Thelma Walker in the upcoming Hartlepool by election, a seat which Labour has held since 1945 & which Sir Keir “Keith” Starmer (aka – The Abstainer) is likely to lose to the most corrupt & murderous UK government in living memory. Sadly, the electoral commission is saying that NIP failed to register on time (as a legit political party, that is). They are however pressing on with their campaign, only standing their candidates as independents for the time being.
On another of the fledgling party’s social media posts, they asked their followers what song should become a free North’s anthem. I could think of no finer a song to fill this position than this rowdy & romantic New Wave classic by Mancunian Post Punk heroes, The Fall. I hope you’ll agree.
Hit the North Hit the North (Hit the North) my Cat says eeeee-ack Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North
Ninety-five percent of hayseeds (Hit the North) are corn-pones, guaranteed Hit the North Computers and fashion hotels Cops can’t catch criminals But what the heck, they’re not too bad, they talk to God Religious
Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North
Manacled to the city Manacled to the city (hit the North)
All estate, all es, all estate agents alive Yell down nights in hysterical breath Those Northern Lights, so pretty Those big big big wide streets Those useless MPs Savages
Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North (Manacled to the system) Hit the North
From the back third eye psyche The reflected mirror of delirium Eastender and Victoria’s lager The induced call, mysterious Comes forth
Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North
Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North
Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North Hit the North
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Day 27. This is actually the second time this particular song has appeared during a Song of the Day series. The first time was during the Cover Versions series, in the form of the excellent cover by Pixies. This original version is a solid piece of dark Post Punk Pop, late ’80s style. The Reid brothers are on top form here. Stylish synthetic bass rhythms & stupendous rhythms are central to the composition, with the distorted swirls of electric guitar adding colour depth.
As soon as I get my head around you I come around catching sparks off you I get an electric shock from you This secondhand living just won’t do And the way I feel tonight I could die and I wouldn’t mind And there’s something going on inside Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky And I can’t stand up I can’t cool down I can’t get my head off the ground As soon as I get my head around you I come around catching sparks off you And all I ever got from you Was all I ever took from you Yeah, the world could die in pain And I wouldn’t feel no shame And there’s nothing holding me to blame Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky And I’m taking myself to a dirty part of town Where all my troubles can’t be found I said yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah And I’m taking myself to a dirty part of town Where all my troubles can’t be found Makes you want to feel Makes you want to try Makes you want to blow the stars from the sky
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A fellow member of a Facebook group, the best indie album ever, posted this video tonight, asking if anyone else was into mid ’80’s Wire. Oh yes, I certainly am. I love this period of Wire , this song is a personal favourite & I was surprised to see so little Wire in previous series of Song of the Day (except for Outdoor Miner way back in the A-Z series). As an added bonus, I have included a live version recorded for KEXP in 2011. Enjoy.
Natural splits sunburn jets pride marks smart bets Strikers luck pitch backs heap tips pit slacks Dressed pints demon shrinks bread drunk dead drinks Stretch clubs models box draw skin black shocks
Money spines paper lung kidney bingos organ fun
Flag stunt rock stone dole axe crash dive Breath thrift take speed double take weekends Skull row drugs hall colour bars sex calls Sparkle finds rented rings pretty things clipped wings
Gold street spy fleet scandal food poor treat Fire run club gun rule mob burn some Bomb time pop crime stock frame steady climb Fresh name donor game fair meat all the same
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Another one inspired by Mark Fisher’s writings today. Just read his post about The Cure’s seminal trilogy of albums (Seventeen Seconds, Faith & Pornography) & this song gets mentioned quite a bit. It’s a great song by a great band & is one of the songs which helped to shape & define the angular, jerky nature of Post Punk & the ghostly ephemerality of Goth. Fisher, in his piece, also speculates about whether Robert Smith spectral, effect-laden guitar sound was also a key influence in the formulation of My Bloody Valentine’s dreamlike Shoegaze sound.
Come closer and see See into the trees Find the girl If you can Come closer and see See into the dark Just follow your eyes Just follow your eyes
I hear her voice Calling my name The sound is deep In the dark I hear her voice And start to run Into the trees Into the trees
Into the trees
Suddenly I stop But I know it’s too late I’m lost in a forest All alone The girl was never there It’s always the same I’m running towards nothing (Again and again and again and again)
And again
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Not really much to say about this one. I’ve been listening to New Order a lot recently & YouTube throws this one at me randomly quite a lot. It’s one of my favourite, if not my favourite, New Order songs. I recently shared this video on Facebook & posited the question, ‘does a more beautiful blending of melancholia and joy exist?’ If it does I’m yet to find it.
Heaven, a gateway, a hope Just like a feeling inside, it’s no joke And though it hurts me to see you this way Betrayed by words, I’d never heard, too hard to say Up, down, turn around Please don’t let me hit the ground Tonight I think I’ll walk alone I’ll find my soul as I go home Up, down, turn around Please don’t let me hit the ground Tonight I think I’ll walk alone I’ll find my soul as I go home
Each way I turn, I know I’ll always try To break this circle that’s been placed around me From time to time, I find I’ve lost some need That was urgent to myself, I do believe Up, down, turn around Please don’t let me hit the ground Tonight I think I’ll walk alone I’ll find my soul as I go home Up, down, turn around Please don’t let me hit the ground Tonight I think I’ll walk alone I’ll find my soul as I go home
Oh, you’ve got green eyes Oh, you’ve got blue eyes Oh, you’ve got grey eyes Oh, you’ve got green eyes Oh, you’ve got blue eyes You’ve got grey eyes
And I’ve never seen anyone quite like you before No, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before Bolts from above hurt the people down below People in this world, we have no place to go Bolts from above hurt the people down below People in this world, we have no place to go Bolts from above hurt the people down below People in this world, we have no place to go Bolts from above hurt the people down below People in this world, we have no place to go
Oh, it’s the last time Oh, it’s the last time Oh, it’s the last time Oh, it’s the last time Oh, it’s the last time Oh, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before Oh no, I’ve never met anyone quite like you before
Okay, okay. I missed a day (or 2) & I’m sorry. This song came on randomly after I was listening to New Order on YouTube the other day. It’s stunning, cinematic Synth Pop from the end of the ’80’s, with just enough Indie cool to keep it in the company of bands like Echo & The Bunnymen & the aforementioned New Order on many a mixtape. Also a great song for a movie soundtrack, as evidenced by its appearance in a pivotal scene of madcap time-travel yarn Donnie Darko.
Sometimes when this place gets kind of empty Sound of their breath fades with the light I think about the loveless fascination Under the Milky Way tonight
Lower the curtain down on Memphis Lower the curtain down all right I got no time for private consultation Under the Milky Way tonight
Wish I knew what you were looking for Might have known what you would find
And it’s something quite peculiar Something shimmering and white Leads you here despite your destination Under the Milky Way tonight
Wish I knew what you were looking for Might have known what you would find Wish I knew what you were looking for Might have known what you would find
And it’s something quite peculiar Something shimmering and white Leads you here despite your destination Under the Milky Way tonight
Wish I knew what you were looking for Might have known what you would find Wish I knew what you were looking for Might have known what you would find
Under the Milky Way tonight Under the Milky Way tonight Under the Milky Way tonight
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Having just begun watching the cold war spy thriller The Americans after reading about it in Mark Fishers book (see Day 1), I started to think of one of my other favourite Cold War spy thrillers, the excellent Deutschland ’83 & it’s fantastic sequel Deutschland ’86. I also discovered that the third series, Deutschland ’89, is also due to be released in the next month. I found this particularly exciting.
Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling is the opening credits theme tune of the Deutschland series; interestingly though, only for the English language (subtitled) version. The original German version of the show features Blue Monday by New Order as its theme tune. I find it amusing & interesting that the German release uses an English Synthpop song as its theme while the English release features a German Synthpop song. A nice bit of pleasing synchronicity.
Standing there alone, the ship is waiting All systems are go, are you sure? Control is not convinced But the computer has the evidence No need to abort
The countdown starts
Watching in a trance, the crew is certain Nothing left to chance, all is working Trying to relax, up in the capsule “Send me up a drink”, jokes Major Tom The count goes on
Four, three, two, one Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating, weightless Calling, calling home
Second stage is cut, we’re now in orbit Stabilizers up, running perfect Starting to collect requested data “What will it effect, when all is done?” Thinks Major Tom
Back at ground control there is a problem Go to rockets full, not responding “Hello Major Tom, are you receiving? Turn the thrusters on, we’re standing by” There’s no reply
Four, three, two, one Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating, weightless Calling, calling home
Across the stratosphere A final message, “Give my wife my love” Then nothing more
Far beneath the ship, the world is mourning They don’t realize, he’s alive No one understands but Major Tom sees Now the light commands, this is my home I’m coming home
Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating, weightless Coming home
Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating, weightless Coming home
Earth below us Drifting, falling Floating, weightless Coming, coming home
Home Home Home Home Home Home Home Home
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Day 24. It was a toss up between their version of The Kinks’ classic Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy & this, their cover of the ’80’s Post-Punk/New Wave classic Never Say Never by Romeo Void.
Queens Of The Stone Age imbue the Post-Punk rhythms with a hard Rock muscularity that a) makes the song rock harder than the original & b) adds a layer of sleaziness which the original doesn’t quite match. In fact I’d argue the original has a sense of wide-eyed innocence which Josh Homme’s fuzz-laden lead guitar steamrolls right over. A great cover of a great song.
If time itself was his demeanor There’d be no sunlight or a glimmer Of sunlight landin’ on the street Some say girls must be discreet Some say girls must be discreet Nursing their fathers locked inside They masqueraded as his bride
I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together But there’s somethin’ In your eyes that says Maybe that’s never Never say never
They slump by the courthouse with windburn skin That man could give a fuck About the grin on your face As you walk by, randy as a goat He’s sleepin’ on papers But he’d be warm in your coat
I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together But there’s somethin’ In your eyes that says Maybe that’s never Never say never
There’s no easy way to lose your sight On the street, on the stairs Who’s on your flight Old couple walks by, as ugly as sin But he’s got her, she’s got him
I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together But there’s somethin’ In your eyes that says Maybe that’s never Never say never
I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together I might like you better If we slept together
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Day 18. The Fall’s cover of The Kinks Psychedelic Jangle Pop hit & tribute to Queen Victoria (& Victoriana generally) adds a sinister, menacing overtone to the tune, befitting such a bloodthirsty & imperialistic monarch.
It was bad, called obscene And the rich were so mean Stately homes for the Lords Golden lawns, village green Victoria was my queen
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria
I was born, lucky me In the land that I love Though I’m poor, I am free When I go I shall fight For this land I will die Let her sun never set on
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria
Canada to India Australia to Cornwall Singapore to Hong Kong From the West to the East From the rich to the poor Victoria loved them all
Victoria, Victoria, Victoria
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Scruffy Theory 