Well, that old adage, “If you want something done, ask a busy person” turns out to be correct! My old life, which incorporated the heady world of secure employment as well as blogging, acting as Mr WIAA’s unpaid secretary, caring for my mum and filling the role of chief cook and bottle-washer is now a full eight weeks behind me, but I don’t seem to be getting any more done in the course of a week than before – Very strange.
Not having been in this position before I had no idea how it would pan out – I think I had this romantic notion that I would finally get round to writing that opus which would earn me millions, I would sweep through the house like Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen creating a tranquil “haven in the Highlands” and home-cooked meals would await the family every evening….. The list goes on.
But no, it turns out that you just get a little more sleep (which is good as I didn’t get enough before, sometimes blogging until well after midnight), you spend a bit more time on housework (but no-one even notices unless for some reason it stops being done, so a bit of a thankless task really), faff about on the computer far too much and watch a bit more telly (quite a bit more actually down to the curse of the boxset). So, a life outside the home awaits me in the new year I’ve decided, although I’m a tad sceptical about how easy it will be for someone of my vintage to actually acquire paid employment in today’s job market – Time will tell I suppose and should make for some interesting blog posts.
But although this blog does tend to become a place for me to offload my thoughts, it’s supposed to be about music and this morning that quirky Icelandic songstress Björk was to be heard on the radio promoting a show she is to take part in later on tonight. They don’t get much more bonkers than Bjork in the world of performance but I have always had a soft spot for her right from the days when she fronted The Sugarcubes. What I remember from her little slot on the radio earlier today was something about how she believes you just have to create work based on how you are feeling at the time and that is probably the case for bloggers too, which is why I’ve gone down this route today.
A song by Bjork that immediately springs to mind is this one, It’s Oh So Quiet, which was a big hit for her in November 1995 and reached the No. 4 spot in the UK Singles Chart. I remember it well because that was the month darling daughter made an appearance in the world (yes, we’ve just celebrated her 22nd birthday). It seemed to get blanket airplay right at the time we, as new parents, were navigating that tightrope between trying to be “oh so quiet” and coping with a “riot of crying”, so all very timely. Ironically that was also the last time I was a stay-at-home person, but as anyone who has had children knows, those first few weeks and months are no picnic and unlike now there was never enough time for anything, especially sleep. Different times.
It’s Oh So Quiet by Björk:
Appropriate that Björk Guðmundsdóttir should feature in this post as my last one (link here) featured music by a Greenlander band called Nanook. She is pretty unique in the world of music and has gone on to have a career spanning four decades having developed an eclectic musical style that draws on a wide range of influences. She has also won numerous awards including five BRITs. As for the song It’s Oh So Quiet it was originally recorded by the American singer Betty Hutton in 1951 as a cover of the German song Und Jetzt Ist Es Still. As I often say around here, every day’s a school day.
So, “What’s It All About?” – It turns out that unless you are officially retired with an income to match and have no responsibilties to speak of, after a couple of months of enjoying the luxury of being at home when all your old colleagues are still beavering away on the 9 to 5, you start to hanker after a life out in the real world. Back in the days of DD’s “gap year” when she was pondering over what she wanted to do with her life, I kept labouring the point that everyone needs something to get up for, a purpose. Time to heed my own advice I think but will just make sure I finish decluttering the loft first!
Until next time….
It’s Oh So Quiet Lyrics
(Song by Hans Lang/Bert Reisfeld)
It’s. Oh. So quiet
It’s. Oh. So still
You’re all alone
And so peaceful until…
You fall in love
Zing boom
The sky up above
Zing boom
Is caving in
Wow bam
You’ve never been so nuts about a guy
You wanna laugh you wanna cry
You cross your heart and hope to die
‘Til it’s over and then
It’s nice and quiet
But soon again
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So what’s the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love
It’s. Oh. So quiet
It’s. Oh. So still
You’re all alone
And so peaceful until…
You ring the bell
Bim bam
You shout and you yell
Hi ho ho
You broke the spell
Gee. This is swell you almost have a fit
This guy is “gorge” and i got hit
There’s no mistake this is it
‘Til it’s over and then
It’s nice and quiet
But soon again
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So what’s the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love
The sky caves in
The devil cuts loose
You blow blow blow blow blow your fuse
When you’ve fallen in love
Ssshhhhhh…
Postscript:
Having just watched that video clip of Bjork singing It’s Oh So Quiet, I am reminded of the film La La Land which did so well earlier this year at the Oscars. What with the yellow dress, and the street scenes where everyone somehow spontaneously joins together in a well-choreographed dance, it is another wonderful homage to those great musical films of yesteryear.
What's It All About? 