my faith in love is still devout...

Earworms of the Week

"Aces High" - Iron Maiden

For various reasons, not least an ill-timed puncture and an elderly punture repair kit, I decided to run into work this morning. I've done it several times before, but all of those previous occasions were when I was in training for the London Marathon. It's not all that far - 3.6 miles - but there's something about having a run home on tired legs looming in front of you that really underpins your day. It also feels like a bit of a milestone: the road to London 2016 starts here. I didn't get a ballot place, and never really expected to after getting lucky at the first attempt last year, but I will be committing to running to raise money for the MS Trust again, and the campaign starts here. So what music do you reach for when you step out of your front door at 7am on a foggy Friday? Iron Maiden, of course. I ran in my bobble hat for the first time since early spring and when I got to work, a frost had developed on my t-shirt. Good times to be alive, my friends.

"I Kissed a Girl" - Katy Perry

When contemplating this year's playlist for the seven year old, I did quite a bit of pondering about what makes a good pop song. I had thought that early Britney Spears stood up with anything, but when played side-by-side with Abba, they weren't even in the same ballpark. Time will tell, but Taylor Swift works, I think and I was very pleased to see that this song stood up pretty well too and wasn't shamed by the comparison with the untoucheable Swedes. Whether or not it's appropriate material for a 7 year old remains to be seen, although I'm inclined to think that she'll likely just view it as a catchy song, which is more or less how it should be (although I won't be putting "Blurred Lines" on next year's CD, and not just because I hate the song.

"Sail Away (Orinoco Flow)" - Enya

My desk neighbour has a Spotify Premium account, and because he likes to wear his headphones at his desk, he's quite a good source of extremely random songs that have somehow ended up on the playlist that he's listening to. Today's little corker was Enya. It's pleasant enough, but would you actively seek it out?  And wasn't Orinoco in the Wombles?

Pearl & Dean theme ("Asteroid")

Masterful. I couldn't really name a single advert that I've seen in the cinema, but surely we can all remember this. Papa-papa-papa-papa-papapa etc.

"Stray Cat Strut" - The Stray Cats

I've no idea where it came from, but the unmistakeable bassline from this just popped into my head the other day. I've never owned it and, in fact, I'm not all that sure that I've ever listened to the song all the way through.... but there it was. Well played, internal jukebox. Well played.

"Bump n Grind" - R. Kelly
"Baby Got Back" - Sir Mix-a-lot

Speaking of song's that probably aren't appropriate for the playlist for a child's CD... although they may well love both songs purely for their melodies and choose to sing them at entirely inappropriate occasions. Hmmm. On second thoughts..... putting them on a playlist for someone else's child is sounding better by the minute.

My mind's telling me no....

"What She Said" - The Smiths
"Rusholme Ruffians" - The Smiths

These two songs by the Smiths came up in two completely unrelated conversations this week, and on both occasions a shared love of the band took us seamlessly from conversation to song. A light-heated chat about how the day was nearly over and we were all another step closer to the grave quickly led to a burst of:

"I smoke 'cos I'm hoping for an
early death
AND I NEED TO CLING TO SOMETHING !"

(as well as "Waltzing Along" by James, which is a brilliant song too)

And as for Rusholme Ruffians, well it's Goose Fair in Nottingham this week. I've lived here for eighteen years now, and I've still never been. Apparently it's a big deal, but as far as I can tell it's just a really big fair, albeit one that has an inexplicable love of polystyrene cups of minted peas and is absurdly, laughably expensive to go on any of the rides (no doubt including the whirling waltzer). I've never seen the appeal, to be honest.... but I do love this song and it's utterly blatant stealing of the riff from "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame". Genius steals, right? Besides, Morrissey's lyrics are better.

That'll do. Have a good weekend, y'all. I'll be watching the rugby with my eyes closed on Saturday, and then enjoying Tonga v Argentina as a neutral at Leicester on Sunday, hopefully after successfully bagging Glastonbury tickets.

Alright.