ALYSON: Hi WIAA, I’m sorry I missed adding to your pages last weekend but I was away from home, having a wonderful couple of days with another man.
WIAA: Oh. Didn’t expect that to be the reason! What did your other half say about that or did you not tell him?
ALYSON: No, he knew and was ok with it. In fact he joined us during the day for long walks and trips to coffee shops but went home at night to leave us to it.
WIAA: This is getting weirder and weirder Alyson, and I thought I knew you.
ALYSON: It was magical WIAA. We snuggled up in bed at night and I stroked his gorgeous brown curls. In the morning his head was lying next to me on the pillow and his paw was on my shoulder.
WIAA: Paw, paw – what kind of half-man/half-beast was he?!?
ALYSON: Oh sorry, did I not make it clear? I was spending the weekend with Alfie the puppy whilst his mum and dad were away.
WIAA: Grrr… I think you were messing with me there Alyson.
ALYSON: Maybe I was, a bit, but I fooled you didn’t I? Anyway that’s why I wasn’t able to write a new blog post last weekend but now that I’m a regular blogger again I’m sure I’ll make up for it down the line.
WIAA: Ok, you’re excused. Any appropriate songs for me?
ALYSON: Well I have been looking for songs about dogs but they’re either overly sentimental, novelty songs or just plain bad. I did find this one though written by Harry Nilsson called The Puppy Song. I didn’t even realise it was his song as the only version I knew was the one by David Cassidy from 1973, when it was released as a double A-side along with the song Daydreamer.
The Puppy Song by David Cassidy:
I remember being gifted a flexi-single with Jackie magazine in 1973. It had a few words from David Cassidy in conversational style then he shared snippets of both the songs on the upcoming double A-side. It got to No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart so that little bit of promotion obviously did the trick, although at that time he was selling out stadiums all over the world, so he perhaps didn’t need any help in achieving sales.
We first got to know about David Cassidy from his role playing Keith Partridge in the kid’s television show The Partridge Family. It first aired in the UK in 1971 when I was still in Primary School and it’s fair to say most of us girls developed a huge crush on David and he started to fill the pages of our magazines. By the time I got to Secondary School he was a bona fide teen idol, outselling every other artist in the world. As the teenage hormones started to kick in I found myself bursting into tears as I listened to his songs, and I didn’t even understand why.
Poor David died young at the age of 67 in 2017 and I wrote a tribute for him (link here). I also made him the main character in a bit of fairy-tale fan fiction the following year (link here). It centred around his rivalry with fellow teen idol Donny Osmond and although it was fun to write, it perhaps didn’t do my music blogging credibility much good!
Anyway the last word should go to the real life puppy, my lovely weekend companion, Alfie. He was genuinely upset when I packed my bag to go home and apparently sulked with his mum and dad all Sunday evening, giving them the side-eye as if to say, “I had much more fun with granny”. There will be many other weekends and holidays I’m sure.
I know, I’m a very cute puppy
Until next time…
The Puppy Song Lyrics (Song by Harry Nilsson)
Dreams are nothing more than wishes And a wish is just a dream You wish to come true, woo woo
If only I could have a puppy I’d call myself so very lucky Just to have some company To share a cup of tea with me
I’d take my puppy everywhere La, la, la-la I wouldn’t care And we would stay away from crowds And signs that said no dogs allowed Oh we, I know he’d never bite me Whoa de lo……. We, I know he’d never bite me
If only I could have a friend To stick with me until the end And walk along beside the sea Share a bit of moon with me
I’d take my friend most everywhere La, la, la-la I wouldn’t care We would stay away from crowds With signs that said no friends allowed Oh we, we’d be so happy to be Whoa de lo…………. We, we’d be so happy to be together
But dreams are nothing more than wishes And a wish is just a dream You wish to come true Whoa whoa……….
Dreams are nothing more than wishes And a wish is just a dream You wish to come true Whoa whoa woo……..
Well, another freaky coincidence happened this week in relation to this blog. If you dropped by last weekend you may have noticed that I’d written about the Geordie genius Sam Fender, whose song Rein Me In has now been at the top of the UK Singles Chart for eight of the last nine weeks. Various comments came in afterwards and C, from Sun Dried Sparrows, mentioned that she’d recently watched a excellent documentary, presented by Sam Fender, where he delves deep into the story of his fellow Geordies who formed the band Lindisfarne back in the late 1960s. As a songwriter himself, Sam especially focusses on the band’s own genius songwriter and lead singer, Alan Hull. Sam is often dubbed the British Bruce Springsteen but back in the day, Lindisfarne’s Alan Hull was dubbed the Geordie Bob Dylan, his songwriting held in such high esteem. The documentary is no longer on the iPlayer but luckily I found it on YouTube and watched the whole thing right there and then. I was fascinated, and Mr WIAA who along with his brother used to be a fan, was happily singing along to all the songs.
Lindisfarne’s Geordie Genius: The Alan Hull Story
I have written about Lindisfarne around here before but that post was more about my late father-in-law, who was also a Geordie, which by default makes Mr WIAA half-Geordie (link here). I must have done a little research though as I came up with the following description for them: Lindisfarne were a folk-rock hybrid formed in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne of 1969 and were named after the historic Holy Island of Lindisfarne off the Northumbrian coast. The lyrics to their songs blended “wistful sensitivity, social sentiments and boozy revelry”. Fog on the Tyne was the biggest selling album by a British band in 1971.
Lindisfarne in the early 1970s
One of the songs people most associate with Lindisfarne is Lady Eleanor, written by Alan Hull. The song is a beauty and was apparently inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories Eleonora, and The Fall of the House of Usher. No lazy “I love you, you love me” pop lyrics for Alan. The song also features the band’s characteristic combination of mandolin playing and close harmony singing.
But what is this freaky coincidence I referred to at the top of the post? At the start of the week I checked the calendar and saw that we were meeting up with my friend and her husband on Thursday. They live about 50 miles along the coast, but were coming through for the night as they’d been gifted tickets for a show at our local theatre. I got in touch and we planned an early evening supper together ahead of their show, and looked forward to having a catch-up. The following day I realised I’d forgotten to ask what they were going to see, so I hopped onto the theatre’s website and discovered it was none other than… Lindisfarne! At first I thought it must be a tribute band but no, it was the current line-up of Lindisfarne. Having spent the last few days listening to their music and thinking about the musical genius Alan Hull, I immediately thought we’ll have to go too and thankfully I managed to book two of the few remaining tickets.
The current Lindisfarne
And so it came to pass that we spent a joyous two hours listening to the Lindisfarne songbook on Thursday night. Alan Hull sadly died back in 1995 at the very young age of 50 but Rod Clements from the classic line-up is still there and sat front and centre. At age 78 his guitar playing was exceptional and he was able to tell a few anecdotes from back in the day. He was the one who actually wrote their first hit, Meet Me On The Corner, and he said it was very special to him as it was all about “standing under a lamp post waiting for his future ex-wife to appear”. Lead singer duties are now undertaken by Alan Hull’s son-in-law Dave Hull-Denholm who worked with Alan on his last solo album. He makes the songs sound truly authentic. The other members of the band were not from the original line-up but are long-standing replacements, of 30 years and counting. I even managed to take a sneaky picture of them on stage which we were allowed to do as long as we didn’t use a flash. In my efforts to be extra stealthy however, and not annoy those round about me, I accidentally hit the torch button on my phone and had to quickly sit on it as I couldn’t work out in the dark how to switch it off. Such is life.
The Eden Court Theatre stage on Thursday night – Lindisfarne
Released as a single in 1972, Meet Me On The Corner reached the No. 5 spot on the UK Singles Chart. The song was sung by Ray Jackson and appears as the opening track on their album Fog on the Tyne.
Meet Me On The Corner by Lindisfarne:
Until next time…
Meet Me On The Corner Lyrics (Song by Rod Clements)
Hey, Mr Dreamseller, where have you been? Tell me, have you dreams I can see? I came along, just to bring you this song Can you spare one dream for me?
You won’t have met me, and you’ll soon forget So don’t mind me tugging at your sleeve I’m asking you if I can fix a rendezvous For your dreams are all I believe
Meet me on the corner when the lights are coming on And I’ll be there, I promise I’ll be there Down the empty streets we’ll disappear until the dawn If you have dreams enough to share
Lay down your bundles of rags and reminders And spread your wares on the ground Well, I’ve got time, if you deal in rhyme I’m just hanging around
Meet me on the corner when the lights are coming on And I’ll be there, I promise I’ll be there Down the empty streets we’ll disappear until the dawn If you have dreams enough to share
Hey, Mr Dreamseller, where have you been? Tell me, have you dreams I can see? I came along, just to bring you this song Can you spare one dream for me?
Postscript:
In case you missed the first weird blogging coincidence around here, it happened three weeks ago when I featured the band Runrig. I had visited an exhibition that told their story, showed memorabilia and screened footage of the band live, so I planned to write about them the following day after Rol’sSaturday Snapshots. Who should pop up on Snapshots that morning but a photo of Runrig as the theme that day was songs about large bodies of water (Loch Lomond). That was the first time I’d seen them appear on Rol’s blog so it was quite the coincidence and I went on to spend a lovely few hours listening to their songs and watching them on YouTube clips whilst writing the post.
A couple of days later we had to return to the flooring shop in town where we were organising a revamp of our house. As we sat at the desk paying the bill, who should we spot sitting next to us, also arranging the fitting of new floors for his house on Skye, but Donnie Munro, long-time lead singer with Runrig. I had never bumped into him in town before, and had only seen him perform at big live concerts, so I had to do a double take. Now in his early 70s, he still looked quite the (Gaelic) rock star with his lush dark hair, stylish coat and shades. I went home reeling from the coincidence. What will be next I wonder?
For those of you following my updates as to what is currently at the top of the UK Singles Chart, I haven’t had to do that for a while as the Sam Fender / Olivia Dean collaboration, Rein Me In, has reigned supreme (pun intended) for seven of the last eight weeks. It only slipped to the No. 2 spot in mid-March, the week Harry Styles’ new album came out, when his song, American Girls, (very similar to his previous No. 1, Aperture) made the top spot before promptly dropping down the chart again.
Rein Me In is Sam’s first chart topper, maybe made possible because of his collaboration with Olivia, the lady of the moment. The song blends indie rock with modern soul influences; Sam’s signature anthemic guitar sound and Olivia’s smooth, expressive vocals. I was pleased to hear DD recently chose it as the sign-off song, for her work Friday “Teams Meeting”.
Talking of Harry Styles and Olivia Dean, I had intended today’s post to be about how modern day pop stars don’t seem to have to put in the graft nowadays, as artists used to in days gone by, but can become an instant success via – reality tv shows (Harry), graduating from the Brit School (Olivia), being YouTube/TikTok sensations or having rich parents willing to subsidise their efforts. I suspected Sam Fender must have had a similar leg-up but once I looked into his backstory a bit more I realised I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Sam Fender
He has been dubbed the BritishBruce Springsteen and I can see why. Born and raised in a small terraced house in North Shields, Sam says the first 10 years of his life were comfortable being part of a musical family. His dad Alan is also a singer-songwriter and guitarist, whilst his brother Liam plays the drums. Both musicians performed locally. His late childhood and adolescence were tumultuous however. His mother left when he was eight years old, although he later reconnected with her at age 17, when he was forced out of his house by his stepmother.
From the age of 13, all Sam wanted to do was become a professional musician and at age 14 he started to write his own songs. His brother introduced him to Bruce Springsteen’s album, Born to Run, at age 15, when he also began playing at his brother’s open mic nights. By the age of 17 however, he and his mother were poor and living in a small, crumbling flat on the outskirts of North Shields. Whilst studying, and playing with his new band, Sam also held down two jobs. He had to abandon his A Levels to earn money to help his mother, who had developed a mental illness in addition to her existing fibromyalgia. Eventually, at age 18, Sam began performing paid gigs at pubs and restaurants which is how his manager discovered him and took him on as a client.
So, unlike many others in today’s music industry, no leg-up (although music was probably in his genes via his dad). Sam started off trying to write songs he thought would be popular, as he was desperate to get himself and his mother out of their financial and living situation. However, after a major health scare and facing the possibility of death, he changed his outlook on life. His recovery refocused his songwriting efforts, and he started writing songs for himself. It was from this period he wrote a number of the songs he went on to release. I have found a new appreciation for this one, Seventeen Going Under, as at that time, he really was.
Seventeen Going Under by Sam Fender:
In 2018 Sam was named the BBC’s “Sound of 2018”, and signed to Polydor Records. He won the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2019 Brit Awards and released his debut album, Hypersonic Missiles, which entered the UK Albums Chart at No. 1. His second album, Seventeen Going Under, was released in 2021 and also topped the UK Albums Chart and received a nomination for the 2022 Mercury Prize. In 2022, 2025, and 2026, he won the Brit Award for British Rock/Alternative Act and in October 2025, he was awarded the Mercury Prize for his third studio album, People Watching.
Sam Fender I salute you (and your Geordie accent).
Until next time…
17 Going Under Lyrics (Song by Sam Fender)
I remember the sickness was forever I remember snuff videos Cold Septembers, the distances we covered The fist fights on the beach, the bizzies round us up Do it all again next week An embryonic love The first time that it scarred Embarrass yourself for someone Crying like a child And the boy who kicked Tom’s head in Still bugs me now That’s the thing, it lingers And claws you when you’re down
I was far too scared to hit him But I would hit him in a heartbeat now That’s the thing with anger It begs to stick around So it can fleece you of your beauty And leave you spent with nowt to offer Makes you hurt the ones who love you
You hurt them like they’re nothing (Oh, oh) You hurt them like they’re nothing (Oh, oh) You hurt them like they’re nothing (Oh, oh)
See I spent my teens enraged Spiralin’ in silence And I armed myself with a grin ‘Cause I was always the fuckin’ joker Buried in their humor Amongst the white noise and boys’ boys Locker-room talkin’ lads’ lads Drenched in cheap drink and snide fags A mirrored picture of my old man Oh God, the kid’s a dab hand Canny chanter, but he looks sad
God, the kid looks so sad God, the kid looks so sad
She said the debt, the debt, the debt So I thought about shifting gear And how she wept and wept and wept Well, luck came and died ’round here I see my mother The DWP see a number She cries on the floor encumbered I’m seventeen going under
I’m seventeen going under (Oh, oh) I’m seventeen going under (oh, oh) (Oh, oh) I’m seventeen going under (oh, oh) (Oh, oh) I’m seventeen going under (oh, oh) (Oh, oh) (Oh)
If anyone ever tells you that a cost effective way of having your floors replaced is to do them all at the same time, ignore that bit of sage advice. It might be good for the pocket, but really not good for your head, your back or your living conditions, especially if it’s happening around Eastertime.
Apologies for the rant but I had planned a nice Easter Sunday lunch for DD and her other half but that’s had to be cancelled as for a week now we’ve been living like this (see below), and another few days to go. The first two floors have now been laid after a bit of a delay because mysterious hatches / lumps & bumps appear when you lift the carpet and underlay in a 50-year-old house. Also, the best time to decorate a room is when it’s empty so in-between humping furniture around we’ve been furiously painting walls and skirting boards. I think Mr WIAA still thinks of me as a spring chicken (apt for this weekend), which is nice, but my arms and back tell a different story.
I’m going to have to write quickly this morning as the room I’m sitting in is about to be dismantled, ahead of its rejuvenation on Monday. Sadly there is nothing more likely to cause marital strife in our house than a spot of DIY, so needless to say tempers are frayed but if punctuated by frequent stops for a cuppa, it’s all bearable. Cue Bernard Cribbins and his ditty from the early ’60s, Right Said Fred.
Right Said Fred by Bernard Cribbens:
In other news there is a rumour fast spreading around our town that the actress Wendy Craig has been putting in shifts at the charity shop where I volunteer. Now that we’ve moved to the centre of town, footfall is far higher and older ladies love to come in for a browse and a chat with the staff. I love these little exchanges and you soon find out never to judge a book by its cover as all sorts of stories pour out.
The actress Wendy Craig, or is it?
The nickname I got from some of the other volunteers when I started working at the shop was indeed Wendy, as they all thought I looked a lot like the famous actress from our youth. The fact that she is now aged 90 worried me a bit, but I expect they were thinking of her from her younger days. Well it seems some of our customers are now thinking the same thing, as volunteers have been stopped in the street and asked if she was helping us out. Personally I don’t know what they’re talking about!
Wendy in Butterflies at age 43 and my good self at age 43
I watched the sit-com Butterflies back in the day but here is another that Wendy starred in that I don’t remember at all. It was called Not In Front Of The Children and just as with her character in Butterflies, Wendy played a bit of a scatter-brained stay at home housewife. I’d like to think I’m not that scatter-brained but I have for a time been a stay at home mum, so maybe more similarities than I admit to. The theme tune for Not In Front Of The Children was certainly of its era – classic 1967 telly.
Not In Front Of The Children by Wendy Craig:
Amongst all the big scary news stories going around at the moment (I’ve been avoiding talking about the ones initiated by the orange man-baby) there is also a big feelgood news story. The first lunar travellers since Apollo 17 in 1972 have taken off successfully and are on their way to the “dark side” of the moon. There was such excitement back in 1969 when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon but this time it’s not such a big deal and I don’t think children will be as fully invested as we were back then. I’m not entirely sure what their motives are but it’s probably to find out what the Chinese did on the dark side of the moon when they sent robots up there in 2024. Either that or those in the know suspect our planet is on its last legs, so a permanent moon base will have to be set up to save the great and the good (but not the orange man-baby). Whatever their real motives, it will be interesting to see pictures from the side of the moon that never faces us.
Of course back in the 1960s, the music industry became totally influenced by these space missions and many songs were recorded about rockets, spacemen and even aliens. The most famous of them all was probably this one by a young David Bowie, Space Oddity. Although the song was really about a fictional astronaut named Major Tom, and its title and subject matter were inspired by the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, it was rush-released as a single to capitalise on the Apollo 11 Moon landing and was used by the BBC as background music during its coverage of the event. It initially sold poorly but soon reached the No. 5 spot in the UK Singles Chart, becoming David’s first and only chart hit for another three years. He revisited the Major Tom character in later singles, notably the sequel song Ashes to Ashes.
Space Oddity by David Bowie:
So, “What’s It All About?” – By this time next week my back will hopefully have recovered and we will have some very smart refloored and redecorated rooms. To be fair I did exaggerate, as it’s not the whole house it’s only four rooms but as one of those rooms is the hall it’s been very disruptive. As I said, don’t do it if you’re still living in the house – there may be a divorce afterwards!
As for my life as a doppelgänger, I think I might have some fun with it. I could wear my cardigan with the butterflies on it and answer only to Wendy. Our customers would probably enjoy that.
Again, by this time next week we’ll have seen pictures of the dark side of the moon. Who knows, it might even look like this.
Until next time…
Space Oddity Lyrics (Song by David Bowie)
Ground Control to Major Tom Ground Control to Major Tom Take your protein pills and put your helmet on
(Ten) Ground Control (Nine) To Major Tom (Eight, seven, six) Commencing countdown (Five) Engines on (Four, three, two) Check ignition (One) And may God’s love (Lift-off) Be with you
This is Ground Control to Major Tom You’ve really made the grade And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare
This is Major Tom to Ground Control I’m stepping through the door And I’m floating in a most peculiar way And the stars look very different today
For here am I sitting in a tin can Far above the world Planet Earth is blue And there’s nothing I can do
Though I’m past one hundred thousand miles I’m feeling very still And I think my spaceship knows which way to go Tell my wife I love her very much She knows
Ground Control to Major Tom Your circuit’s dead, there’s something wrong Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you he—
Here am I floating ’round my tin can Far above the Moon Planet Earth is blue And there’s nothing I can do
Well, a strange bit of synchronicity has come about this morning which makes today’s post a no-brainer. Yesterday was a bit of a foul day weather wise so my walking friend and I decided to visit the new tourist attraction that officially opened in our town a couple of months ago. If you look at my banner photo at the top of the page you will see a castle right in the middle, built on a hill on the east side of the River Ness. It’s not an old castle, but was built in Victorian times to house the town’s courthouse and jail. Although the town jail moved to a new building a long time ago, the courtrooms were only recently replaced by a fancy new Justice Centre. It had long been mooted that the castle should be a tourist attraction, situated as it is right in the centre of town, so that is just what happened and we now have the Inverness Castle Experience. As locals, we can buy a special pass for the price of one ticket that allows us to visit as many times as we like between October and March, thus yesterday’s visit before our pass expires until autumn.
The castle lit up at night
Last time we went (I’ve now been three times and four times to the lovely restaurant), we concentrated on the building called the south tower but this time we spent our time in the north tower where there are three rooms dedicated to the band Runrig who hail from the islands off the west coast of Scotland. They were/are loved by the global Scottish diaspora and we in The Highlands also have a soft spot for these lads who took Gaelic Rock to a whole new level in the late 20th century.
Runrig in 1987
It made for really interesting reading, about how they got started – playing for ceilidhs in village halls on the islands – to recording their albums and touring the world. The synchronicity I mentioned at the outset was because on Rol’s Saturday Snapshots this morning there was a photo of Runrig. The puzzle is to find a link between all 15 photos and it turned out to be that the artists had all made songs about “bodies of water” and I immediately thought of their rousing performance of the traditional song Loch Lomond. I had never seen Rol mention Runrig on his blog before so coming straight after my visit, and my plan to write about them today, it felt like a weird coincidence indeed. Here is a clip of them live at Loch Lomond giving the song the full-blown Celtic rock treatment (especially after 3:00).
Loch Lomond (Live) by Runrig:
Here are some of the photos I took of the exhibition but as such behaviour is generally frowned upon, they were limited to just one room. The recording equipment is what they used to record their second album (I had a cassette recorder just like that one).
It was not until I arrived in The Highlands that I really started to appreciate some of the great Celtic rock bands that hail from this neck of the woods. Runrig‘s lead singer at that time was Donnie Munro whom I later found out had taught Mr WIAA art at school in the ’70s. When he’d told the class he was involved with a band, and that they played a kind of Gaelic/Celtic rock, the class were highly sceptical (this was the decade of glam rock, punk and disco after all) but he certainly proved them all wrong. In the period 1987-1997 they were signed to the Chrysalis label and released five very successful studio albums. I remember buying The Cutter and the Clan not long after arriving in The Highlands and I saw them perform three times in a short space of time at various venues, including a large marquee during a memorable homecoming trip to Skye.
The song An Ubhal as Àirde (The Highest Apple) from The Cutter and the Clan album gave Runrig their highest placing to date on the UK Singles Charts, debuting at number eighteen in May 1995, eight years after the release of the album because of its inclusion in an advert. The song made history when it became the first song to be sung in Scottish Gaelic to chart on the UK Singles Chart. They even performed it on Top of the Pops.
The band has changed its line-up many times since forming in 1973 but the two songwriters Rory Macdonald and Calum Macdonald have been there right since the beginning. Donnie Munro left in 1997 to pursue a career in politics but was replaced by Bruce Guthro, from Nova Scotia, who seemed to be just the right fit. In 2016, the band announced their retirement from recording following the release of The Story, their 14th studio album. Their final tour started the following year and in August 2018 the band performed their final shows, entitled The Last Dance, in Stirling City Park beneath the castle ramparts. An estimated 52,000 fans attended.
I hope I’ve done a good PR job promoting both the new tourist attraction in our town and the band Runrig. The castle isn’t full of stuffy artefacts and long passages of writing, but is quite immersive with audio visual displays and plenty of opportunities to design your own tartan or mix a new Runrig track. Funny to look back at photos of the young lads who were brought up on crofts, and films of where their love of music took them. Do come for a visit.
Until next time…
Loch Lomond Lyrics (Song by Unknown – Traditional)
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes, Where the sun shines on Loch Lomond. Where me and my true love spent many days On the banks of Loch Lomond.
Too sad we parted in yon shady glen, On the steep sides of Ben Lomond. Where the broken heart knows no second spring, Resigned we must be while we’re parting.
You’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road, And I’ll be in Scotland before you. Where me and my true love will never meet again, On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Ho, ho mo leannan Ho mo leannan bhoidheach
You’ll take the high road and I’ll take the low road, And I’ll be in Scotland before you. Where me and my true love will never meet again, On the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond.
Postscript
The band got their name from the runrig system of land tenure practised in Scotland, particularly in the Highlands and Islands. It was designed for subsistence farming rather than commercial production. The runrig system was systematically dismantled during the Highland Clearances and the Scottish Agricultural Revolution (18th-19th centuries). The strips of land are called rigs and the run is the channel that runs between them.
Well, we’ve had absolutely lovely weather up here in The Highlands this week with mild temperatures and blue skies. I love spring, as a whole new world opens up ready to be explored, compared with the indoorsy, dark days of winter. I love it so much I celebrate it’s arrival three times and have done on these pages over the years. Imbolc falls on the 1st of February and was one of the cornerstones of the Celtic/pagan calendar signifying the coming of spring. The success of the new farming season was of great importance and rituals were performed to ensure a steady supply of food until the harvest six months later. The weather forecasters mention meteorological spring which of course falls on the 1st of March, but an even better date is the Vernal Equinox, astronomical spring, when the number of hours of daylight overtakes those of darkness. That fell this year on Friday, the 20th of March and to celebrate I had a lovely walk with a friend along the river that flows through the centre of our town.
Rockery plants in full bloom, the castle and my kitchen flowers
Yes, it’s a fine time to be alive and I’ve done a lot of gardening this weekend, tidying up after winter and getting some of the garden furniture out. There is still another date to come of course, when we turn our clocks forward an hour to BST, and that’s Sunday the 29th of March. Summer, we’re coming to get you.
It’s been a good week to be full of the joys of spring as Mr WIAA has been off with his brother, leading the life of James Bond (without the licence to kill) on the ski slopes of Switzerland and France. This is the longest we’ve been apart for an awful long time but I have to admit I’ve quite enjoyed it. I have a pretty full calendar nowadays so I’ve been out of the house quite a bit and when I am here life is so simple. Catering for one, tidying up after one and exclusive use of both the car, and the remote. It will be lovely to have him home again but as an experiment I think I’ve coped very well as a singleton.
The term singleton came about to describe those who live in a single-person household, especially those who prefer the lifestyle of living alone. It was popularised by the Bridget Jones novels and films, whose lifestyle mirrored my own when I bought my first flat at age 27. I worked hard and also played hard (if that’s not too naff a thing to say), but all the time my friends and I were “going out” to find that special person to “stay in with”. At this stage in life being a singleton would be very different indeed, but I’d like to think I could cope if god forbid it should ever happen.
But I’m probably going to remember this week as being one of watching a lot of really good films. Last weekend we watched I Swear about Scottish lad, John Davidson, who developed Tourette’s Syndrome at the age of 12. It did really well at the BAFTAs although there was a bit of fallout after the inevitable happened at the actual ceremony. It could have been edited out but I suspect those in charge of televising the show were making a point. Anyway, it was very funny (made that way deliberately) but also heart-warming. The real John has done much to raise societal awareness of the condition so that others don’t have to go through what he did as a youth. It’s going to be one of my favourite films of the year.
Once Mr WIAA had left for his trip, I had full control of the remote so the next film I watched was this one, Man On The Run, a Netflix documentary about the years after the break up of the Beatles when Paul McCartney set out on a whole new journey, ending up fronting a highly successful band that I liked a lot during my teenage years, Wings. Did I enjoy it? There was nothing new to learn from the doc but you did get to see a lot of footage from the farm on the Mull of Kintyre. It wasn’t glamorous at all, just a ramshackle holding with outbuildings and sheep, but the growing family could relax and be at one with nature, which really suited them at the time.
What I did take away from it however was that because Paul didn’t deal with the finances, he lost a lot of good band members by not realising they were only being paid a small retainer for being in this new endeavour of his. At first they were flattered to have been asked, but that wears thin after a while. Also, Paul and Linda literally spent all their time together, with Linda even becoming the first recruited member of the new band. It didn’t come naturally to her and the fans at first were pretty scathing but it meant they could carry on being a family unit, wherever the wind took them, which is why they stayed together until Linda sadly died of cancer, at age 56.
It was however lovely hearing all those Wings songs played throughout the doc and they even show the session where they were photographed for the Band On The Run album cover. A veritable who’s who of mid ’70s stars. Can you still name them all?
Band on the Run by Wings:
I’ve almost run out of words which is a shame as I’ve left the best ’til last. My friend came round on Thursday night for cocktails and a film, and it didn’t take long for us to choose Song Sung Blue starring Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson, which is currently on Prime. For once it’s not a biopic but instead the real-life story of a couple from Milwaukee, Wisconsin who back in the mid ’90s start “interpreting the songs of Neil Diamond” (they refused to call themselves a tribute act). They say real life is stranger than fiction and in the case of these two, that was the case. I won’t say much more about them in case of spoilers but suffice to say they became quite big cheeses in their local area. Like with Paul’s doc, we get to hear all those great songs again and it shows what can happen when a couple spend all their time together. Like the film I Swear, it is both funny and heart-warming. Another one for my list of favourite films of the year.
There were so many songs in the film that I found it hard to pick one to share. Play Me is a 1972 song from Neil’s album Moods. It was also hard to find a decent clip of the song but here is one of him performing it with Shirley Bassey, dressed in one of his most extreme bejewelled outfits. He is clearly using all the powers at his disposal to make Shirley fall in love with him, and by the end of the song, I think she has.
Play me by Neil Diamond:
Until next time…
Play Me Lyrics (Song by Neil Diamond)
She was morning, and I was night time I one day woke up To find her lying beside my bed I softly said “Come take me” For I’ve been lonely in need of someone As though I’d done someone wrong somewhere But I don’t know where, I don’t know where Come lately
You are the sun, I am the moon You are the words, I am the tune Play me
Song she sang to me Song she brang to me Words that rang in me, Rhyme that sprang from me Warmed the night, and what was right Became me
You are the sun, I am the moon You are the words, I am the tune Play me
And so it was that I came to travel Upon a road that was thorned and narrow Another place, another grace Would save me
You are the sun, I am the moon You are the words, I am the tune Play me You are the sun, I am the moon You are the words, I am the tune Play me……
Postscript
In case anyone is is interested, here is a picture of the real-life couple who were the inspiration for the film Song Sung Blue, and a link to the documentary made about their lives is included below.
I spent a few days in our capital city earlier this week and presumed I would write about that trip here, but to be honest I’ve written about trips to Edinburgh quite a few times already and also about get-togethers with the ex-flatmates from Aberdeen days (which this was) so I won’t bore you too much. Suffice to say it was an excellent trip and a few things were experienced for the first time such as: being locked in an Escape Room; a tour of Gladstone’s Land (a very old house on the Royal Mile owned by the National Trust for Scotland); and, an exploration of all the curious monuments built at the top of Calton Hill. In the 19th century, Edinburgh was envisioned as the ‘Athens of the North’ and a version of the Parthenon was begun in 1822. The project was ambitious, aiming to commemorate those who fell in the Napoleonic Wars, but was left unfinished due to lack of funds.
The National Monument, Gladstone’s Land and The Secret Lab Escape Room
Despite being with two scientists, we were very bad at solving the puzzles within the cells needed to escape the secret lab, and had to be let out after an hour. The kind of thing you get better at with practice we were told, but quite pricey, so I might just put it down to a fun, one-off experience.
But this is a music blog so did anything pique my interest when in Edinburgh? As expected the rest of our party were not particularly bothered by my renewed interest in what’s happening in the charts, but wherever we went to eat there was always a mixtape (no doubt of the digital variety) playing, and a game of “name that tune” began. Everyone knows about this place so of course the pressure was on for me to identify whatever was playing first. I was most impressed by Mr WIAA however who straight out of the traps got this 1979 song by McFadden & Whitehead, Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now. The restaurant must have gauged that its patrons were of a certain age as the next song up was another from 1979, Making Plans For Nigel by XTC, and yes, I did get that one first. I hadn’t thought about them or their song for some time, so resolved to do some research when I got home.
Making Plans for Nigel by XTC:
The song marked XTC’s commercial breakthrough and spent 11 weeks on the UK Singles Chart peaking at No. 17. The song’s writer was bassist Colin Moulding who said, “When I was about 16, my father wanted me to stay on in school. But by that time, I really didn’t want to do anything other than music… , so in a way, is it autobiographical? Well, a little bit. I knew somebody called Nigel at school and I think that, when you write songs, it’s a lot of things all wrapped up.”
XTC formed in Swindon in 1972 fronted by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding and gained popularity during the rise of punk and new wave in the late 1970s. Andy Partridge credited John Peel as responsible for getting them a recording contract after he asked them to do a session for his show. Andy, who wrote the majority of XTC’s songs, was the group’s frontman and de facto leader. He drove the band’s image, designed many of their record sleeves, and handled most of their interviews. The band were noted for their “Englishness”, their songs from the same school of small town English songwriting invented by Ray Davies of the Kinks, and followed by the Jam, the Specials and mid 1990s Britpop.
XTC
So, “What’s It All About?” – I just never know where my blog posts are going to end up and after writing about my trip to Edinburgh, I doubt if many of my readers would have thought it would be a potted history of XTC. The link was of course that their song became an earworm (which Martin at New Amusements calls, “couplets lodged in my hippocampus with the tenacity of bathroom sealant sticking anywhere you don’t want it to go”) for the rest of the trip.
As for making plans for our children, DD seems to be sorted, now happily doing what we always knew she would be good at despite the fact she rebelled against it heavily 10 years ago. One ex-flatmate has two children who are similarly sorted and she is also now a grandmother whereas the other ex-flatmate didn’t have any children but is an auntie and honorary auntie to many. None of them are called Nigel.
Until next time…
Making Plans For Nigel Lyrics (Song by Colin Moulding)
We’re only making plans for Nigel We only want what’s best for him We’re only making plans for Nigel Nigel just needs this helping hand
And if young Nigel says he’s happy He must be happy He must be happy in his work
We’re only making plans for Nigel He has his future in a British steel We’re only making plans for Nigel Nigel’s whole future is as good as sealed
And if young Nigel says he’s happy He must be happy He must be happy in his work
Nigel is not outspoken But he likes to speak And loves to be spoken to Nigel is happy in his work
Maybe it’s because I’m yet again following the UK Music Charts (for the first time in many a year), but I thought last Saturday night’s Brit Awards, held for the first time in Manchester, was a vintage edition. There were many amazing performances and I recognised the names of just about everyone who was nominated for awards.
The Brits is a very polished affair nowadays, far removed from the mayhem and irreverent behaviour of days gone by, but you still get a few glimpses of it, especially from host Jack Whitehall. But I suppose the music industry is a very polished business nowadays too, with the winners usually alumni from The Brit School. This year was no exception with the big winner of the night being the lovely Olivia Dean. Her The Art Of Loving album has been either near, or at the top of the UK Album Chart since last October. If you like a story song or something quite raucous, this album is not for you, but it certainly seems to have hit the spot for much of the British public. Here is the song from her award winning album that she performed on the night.
This is what Olivia said about the album in an interview with Elle magazine:
I thought that I would like to write an album reflecting on my understanding of love, the last two years of my life, and everything that’s happened. It’s obviously a topic that a lot of people have written songs about, I’m very aware, but I don’t think that takes away from the importance of it.
So, Olivia won the award for Album Of The Year and lo and behold, she also won the award for Song Of The Year for her collaboration with Sam Fender (who himself won the award for best Alternative/Rock Act, for the second year running). I have been remiss in not updating my followers on what has been at the top of the UK Singles Chart for the last two weeks – well, it’s that very song, Rein Me In.
Four weeks ago I wrote about the Grammys and how both Olivia Dean and Lola Young won awards. Here at the Brits, things followed the same pattern as Lola Young also won an award, this time for Breakthrough Artist. Again, like at the Grammys, an artist singing in Spanish won a big award. This time it wasn’t Bad Bunny, but a genre-defying Spanish pop star called ROSALÍA who won the award for International Artist of the Year and delivered a spectacular performance of her song Berghain, for which she brought out the Heritage Orchestra and Björk, who was making her first appearance at The Brit Awards in ten years (at 1:35).
I don’t know about you but I thought that was the performance of the night, and there were plenty this year to choose from. I think we’ll hear a lot more from that particular lady. For the rest of this year’s winners just click on the Brit Awards link at the top of the page.
ROSALÍA and Bjork
I’m posting early this week as we’re heading off to Edinburgh tomorrow to meet up with my two ex-flatmates (they are mentioned around here often) and their husbands. Back in the day we were often a party of six, but back then the partners were different. It seems none of the boyfriends morphed into husbands which is probably a good thing. I don’t think any of them follow the charts, or are particularly interested in who won Brit awards this year, but who knows, they might humour me if I give them the lowdown. We did always watch TOTP however and they will remember that I was always the one who rushed home for The Tube on a Friday after work. A great start to the weekend!
Until next time…
Rein Me In Lyrics (Song by Sam Fender)
I let go of everythin’ I ever had ‘Cause I couldn’t give the love you deserved By The Gunner, you shouted, “Oh, my God” It seemed churlish, but it’s what I was owed, I suppose
Every flagstone of this town bears our prints And all the bars ’round here serve my ghosts and carcasses I wish I knew these things when I was young ‘Cause now I’ve just gone so numb
We take whatever we can to get the reason back So, please, don’t rein me in Don’t rein me in Please, don’t rein me in
I’m workin’ myself up to a nice, warm bliss All my memories of you ring like tinnitus If I stop, it’s just pain Please, don’t rein me in
There’s nothin’ brave in walkin’ alone Love in exile has nowhere to go, so come on home Mm-mm, don’t run away from my tenderness You’re so afraid of that heart inside of your chest
We were doin’ so well, but you were scared to be held Took the easiest way out I see the tears of a man too proud to reach for a hand Oh, let my love keep you safe now
So, please don’t Don’t rein me in Please, don’t rein me in
Now I’m working myself up to a nice, warm bliss All my memories of you ring like tinnitus If I stop, it’s just pain Please, don’t rein me in
And I’m, I’m stood here chewin’ everyone’s lugs off Telling everybody how much I – it up Telling everybody how much I – it up Telling everybody but you, how much I – it up
Slow down (don’t rein me in) Slow down (don’t rein me in) Don’t
And I’m workin’ myself up to a nice, warm bliss All my memories of you ring like tinnitus If I stop, it’s just pain Please, don’t rein me in
Now I’m workin’ myself up to a nice, warm bliss (workin’ myself) All my memories of you ring like tinnitus (my memories of you) If I stop, it’s just pain Please, don’t rein me in
I wasn’t sure what I was going to write about when I woke up this morning but then I heard the news that the singer/songwriter Neil Sedaka had passed away at the age of 86, so it became obvious. I thought I had written about him a fair few times around here but not as often as I’d thought once I looked back, so maybe it’s just that many of his songs were radio staples when I was growing up, both the ones from the early ’60s and then the ones during his successful second career in the ’70s. I didn’t know it back then but he had also written many hits for other artists, first of all with his childhood neighbour Howard Greenfield and then later on with Phil Cody.
Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield were one of the many successful songwriting partnerships who took up residence in the Brill Building on Manhattan’s 49th Street in the late ’50s (written about here). Along with Gerry Goffin / Carole King and many other pairs, they churned out hit after hit for people like Connie Francis, Jimmy Clanton and the big Girl Groups of the day. Neil’s first big international hit was in fact Oh! Carol, written about his old high school sweetheart Carole King (she added the ‘e’ later).
A little family anecdote now. We always used to find a song for DD’s birthday so that when she came into the living room to see the balloons, banners and pile of presents there was an appropriate track playing in the background. Obvious I know, but when she turned 16 we chose Neil’s 1959 song Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen. Now that I’ve listened to the lyrics properly it possibly wasn’t appropriate coming from a parent as it’s written from the perspective of a love interest, but hey, it did fit the birthday. I look back at those times and wish I could have bottled them, as time passes so quickly. In the blink of an eye they have grown up and flown the nest (but often come back again, as happened to us).
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen by Neil Sedaka:
Neil had more hits as an artist in the early 60s, Stairway to Heaven, Calendar Girl and Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, but everything changed after the British Invasion and suddenly the Bobbys (Darin, Vee and Vinton), the Frankies (Avalon and Valli) and the songwriters of the Brill Building became unfashionable and were left out in the cold. Neil carried on songwriting but he didn’t have any more hits until he moved to the UK in the early ’70s and hooked up with the future 10cc at their Strawberry Studios in Stockport. He started writing with Phil Cody and made two albums there one of which featured the song Solitaire made successful by the Carpenters, and the other featured the song Love Will Keep Us Together made successful by Captain & Tennille. Neil’s partnership with Howard Greenfield was now over but his next purple patch was just round the corner.
If like me you were a teenager in the early 1970s, you would have been glued to the TV screen on a Thursday night to watch Top Of The Pops. In amongst all the glam rock artists with their outrageous outfits, we often used to have this middle-aged guy (he was only in his mid 30s at the time) sitting at a piano singing pleasing pop tunes. This song, Laughter in the Rain, reached the No. 15 spot on the UK Singles Chart in 1974 but reached the top spot on the US Billboard Chart. Neil was back.
And here is yet another little anecdote involving DD. A couple of years ago we gave her a turntable for her birthday as the young people seem to have fallen in love with vinyl, as we did back in the day. She has built up a collection of contemporary albums but in amongst these she has also acquired some classic albums by the likes of Sinatra and the Carpenters (we have obviously had an influence on her). I went round to visit recently and she showed me her new purchase, it was the Laughter in the Rain album. “Have you heard of Neil Sedaka?” she asked. I was taken aback but I think she has good taste in music so he has clearly stood the test of time.
Neil followed the success of Laughter in the Rain with a more politically motivated song, The Immigrant, which was inspired by his parents and by John Lennon, then facing immigration issues. The Immigrant reached No. 22 on the Billboard Chart.
The Immigrant by Neil Sedaka:
All these years later, a very apt song for the times we live in. Think it would be banned by “the administration” today.
Neil continued to write songs and perform over the next few decades. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2020, Neil launched a series of free mini-concerts, released through his social media channels, as a method of entertaining his fans during the pandemic. Despite having been nominated for five Grammy awards, he sadly never won the coveted trophy.
Until next time… RIP Neil Sedaka.
The Immigrant Lyrics (Song by Neil Sedaka / Phil Cody)
Harbours open their arms to the young searching foreigner Come to live in the light of the beacon of liberty Plains and open skies billboards would advertise Was it anything like that when you arrived Dream boats carried the future to the heart of America People were waiting in line for a place by the river
It was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere
Now he arrives with his hopes and his heart set on miracles Come to marry his fortune with a hand full of promises To find they’ve closed the door they don’t want him anymore There isn’t any more to go around Turning away he remembers he once heard a legend That spoke of a mystical magical land called America
There was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere
There was a time when strangers were welcome here Music would play they tell me the days were sweet and clear It was a sweeter tune and there was so much room That people could come from everywhere
Baz Luhrmann has been doing the rounds this week appearing on the various chat show sofas promoting his latest film, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. I love Baz Luhrmann films and have written about three around here, most recently the Elvis biopic, filmed in his usual sumptuous style. The new film is a documentary and concert film, featuring long-lost footage from his Las Vegas residency (1969 into the 1970s), as well as previously unseen footage from Elvis: That’s the Way It Is and Elvis on Tour, all uncovered during production of the biopic. I can’t currently see it on any local listings but I hope it comes to a cinema near me soon.
It was inevitable that when Baz was interviewed on the radio they would play his 1999 UK No. 1 spoken-word song, “Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen)“. I listened to it and was surprised that so much of it is still relevant to us today. No mention of social media or reality tv shows back then of course (both very bad for your health), and I think the sunscreen message has been fully embraced by now, but many other worthy bits of advice.
But before we listen to it again, here is its background, none of which I knew before. First of all, Wear Sunscreen (as it came to be known) was an essay written as a hypothetical commencement speech (when students graduate from High School) by American columnist Mary Schmich, originally published in 1997. The essay gave various pieces of advice on how to live a happier life and it spread massively via viral email.
Baz used the speech in its entirety for his “song” and although I thought he had narrated the lyrics it seems they were recorded by an Australian voice actorcalled Lee Perry.
Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) by Baz Luhrmann:
The lyrics are quite lengthy but I’ve gone through them and added my own thoughts on whether they still hold up today (in bold below). In my humble opinion, most of them do. What do you think?
Until next time…
Everybody’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen) Lyrics (Song by Nigel Andrew Swanston / Tim Cox)
Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ’99 Wear sunscreen
Think we’re all well aware of the dangers of the sun nowadays but back in the day we Scots suffered greatly to get that golden tan. Sunscreen didn’t even exist when I was young, only calamine lotion for after you’d got burnt. I myself have paid the price and even had to have a chunk of my scalp removed a couple of years ago down to skin cancer. Fortunately the youth of today don’t really sunbathe but go on travel adventures to unusual places and use fake tan instead! I now worry that my daughter and her pals will discover in a few years time that the tanning spray contains a cancerogenic property. Would be ironic but not unlikely.
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it A long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists Whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable Than my own meandering experience, I will dispense this advice now
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, oh, never mind You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth Until they’ve faded, but trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back At photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now How much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked You are not as fat as you imagine
Funnily enough, when I look back, we Scottish girls were quite plain with our short mousey hair and spotty white faces. It wasn’t until we got into the 1980s that we started to get adventurous with our hair, perming and colouring it. That was also the decade of sunbed tans (see previous response), and bright coloured clothes and make-up, so the photos of myself as a teen are not my favourites but rather ones of my older self. Teens today are very glamourous and many will carry it through to adulthood what with Botox, lip-fillers, hair extensions and a dose of Mounjaro. Again I worry about the long-term side-effects of these treatments.Talking of which…
Don’t worry about the future Or worry, but know that worrying Is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum The real troubles in your life Are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind The kind that blindsides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday Do one thing every day that scares you
Still true. I had a discussion with a colleague at work about how we worry about deadlines all the time, but in reality we will be blindsided at 4pm on a Tuesday. The following Tuesday she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Saying, don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours
Still true. Be kind to those who no longer fit the bill but also don’t put up with nonsense from those who used to fit the bill, but no longer do.
Floss
Definitely – twice a day if possible otherwise you’ll get gum disease and lose all your teeth. Just sayin’.
Don’t waste your time on jealousy Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind The race is long and in the end, it’s only with yourself Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults If you succeed in doing this, tell me how Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements
All still true. The race is indeed long and it’s only with yourself. Surround yourself with like-minded people and you can’t go wrong. Try to remember the compliments and challenge the criticism – it probably comes from people who don’t even know you.
Stretch
Yeeeesssss……
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life The most interesting people I know Didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don’t Get plenty of calcium Be kind to your knees You’ll miss them when they’re gone
I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life at 17, when in Scotland you have to make all those career choices for the future. Somehow however, it all falls into place, and remember that hobbies done in your spare time are sometimes exactly what you wanted to do with your life. Enjoy them.
Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the ‘Funky Chicken’ On your 75th wedding anniversary Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much Or berate yourself either Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s
When you are 17the thought of having children might make you go eurgh…, but your body clock will let you know when the time is right, if ever. If you divorce at 40 it must be the right thing for you. If you have a 75th wedding anniversary it must also have been the right thing for you.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can Don’t be afraid of it or what other people think of it It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your own living room Read the directions even if you don’t follow them Do not read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly
Walk, climb, dance and don’t believe all the images on social media. They are filtered or created by AI.
Before and after AI
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good Be nice to your siblings, they’re your best link to your past And the people most likely to stick with you in the future
Try not to burn any bridges as hard to come back from. Get those stories and anecdotes on record before it’s too late and…, collect the family recipes.
Understand that friends come and go But a precious few, who should hold on Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle For as the older you get The more you need the people you knew when you were young
Make the effort to hold on to the special ones. They don’t come along often in life. Live in New York City once but leave before it makes you hard Live in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft
Travel
Travel if you can, it broadens the mind, but not to a resort where they serve British food and only speak English.
Accept certain inalienable truths Prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too, will get old And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young Prices were reasonable, politicians were noble And children respected their elders
Still true.
Respect your elders
If they are worthy (I can think of a few in public office who aren’t).
Don’t expect anyone else to support you Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse But you never know when either one might run out
Still true. Important to be able to stand on your own two feet if need be.
Don’t mess too much with your hair Or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85
I think that ship has sailed for most women irrespective of age. We can’t resist messing about with our hair – always have, always will.
Be careful whose advice you buy but be patient with those who supply it Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past From the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts And recycling it for more than it’s worth
What's It All About? 