Om en halv times tid skriver vi den 1. maj. En masse mennesker hældes ud på gaden til arbejdsløshed, fordi andre har fået lov til at udfolde deres økonomiske grådighed helt ud. Liberalismens – eller kapitalismens – overdrev – eller normalitet. Men dagen i morgen, der handler om, hvordan det ellers kunne være, hvis ellers vi kunne tage os sammen til at være solidariske (uha…), fortjener vel en sang eller to. Rigtig god 1. maj!
Up to mighty London came an Irishman one day,
As the streets are paved with gold, sure ev’ryone was gay;
Singing songs of Piccadilly, Strand and Leicester Square,
Till Paddy got excited, then he shouted to them there:
Chorus:
“lt’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go;
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
To the sweetest girl I know!
Good-ye, Piccadilly!
Farewell, Leicester Square!
It’s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there! ”
Paddy wrote a letter to his Irish Molly O,
Saying, “Should you not receive it,
Write and let me know!
If I make mistakes in spelling, Molly dear,” said he
” Remember it’s the pen that’s bad,
Don’t lay the blame on me.”
Molly wrote a neat reply to Irish Paddy 0.
Saying. “Mike Mahoney wants to marry me, and so
Leave the Strand and Piccadilly, or you’ll be to blame
For love has fairly drove me silly, hoping you’re the same!”
I går var jeg sammen med en person, der ikke kunne gætte, hvor Tipperary lå. Og straks dukkede melodien op i mit hoved. It’s a long Way to Tipperary/To the sweetest Girl I know… Vi sang den igen og igen i skolen, og tænkte næppe meget over, at den også kunne bruges til at marchere i krig med. Det irske regiment brugte den under første Verdenskrig og siden tog englænderne (og mange andre) den til sig.
Sangen er udnævnt til at være en af den hundrede bedste gennem tiderne af Rolling Stone. Så må det jo være sandt… I hvert fald var den gennembrudssinglen for power-pop-pigebandet The Go-Go’s tilbage i 1981, hvor den også var en skæring på debutalbummet Beauty and the Beat.
Jeg faldt over denne gamle optagelse, hvor Jane Wiedlin fortæller om, hvordan sangen blev til – efterfulgt af en sprælsk optagelse med tøserne…
Og her er så den samme sang med den engelske gruppe Fun Boy Three, hvor sangskriver Terry Hall er forsanger med tidstypisk firser-popstjerne-hår. Det er også sjovt at høre, hvor forskellig den sang kan lyde i amerikansk mainstream-pop-rock-version og så sofistikeret engelsk art-pop-udgave:
Bloggens læsere vil vide, at jeg har en svaghed for den britiske sangfugl Lily Allen, der ikke alene er en fryd for øjet, der ser, men også synger fortræffeligt og hæver intelligensniveauet i poptekstland betragteligt. Og selvfølgelig har Jools for længst opdaget Lily og taget hende med i sit aftenshow. Her seneste med sangen “Not Fair” om pigen, der finder den Eneste Ene og så viser det sig, at han ikke dur til noget i sengen. Den poptekst var ikke gået i vor moders tid….
Oh he treats me with respect
He says he loves me all the time
He calls me 15 times a day
He likes to make sure that I’m fine
You know I’ve never met a man who’s made me feel quite so secure
He’s not like all them other boys
They’re all so dumb and immature
There’s just one thing that’s getting in the way
When we go up to bed you’re just no good
Its such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and its apparent it’s all over
It’s not fair
And I think you’re really mean
I think you’re really mean
I think you’re really mean
Oh you’re supposed to care
But you never make me scream
You never make me scream
Oh it’s not fair
And it’s really not ok
It’s really not ok
It’s really not ok
Oh you’re supposed to care
But all you do is take
Yeah all you do is take
Oh I lie here in the wet patch
In the middle of the bed
I’m feeling pretty damn hard done by
I spent ages giving head
Then I remember all the nice things that you ever said to me
Maybe I’m just overreacting maybe you’re the one for me
There’s just one thing that’s getting in the way
When we go up to bed you’re just no good
It’s such a shame
I look into your eyes I want to get to know you
And then you make this noise and it’s apparent it’s all over
It’s not fair
And I think you’re really mean
I think you’re really mean
I think you’re really mean
Oh you’re supposed to care
But you never make me scream
You never make me scream
Oh it’s not fair
And it’s really not ok
It’s really not ok
It’s really not ok
Oh you’re supposed to care
But all you do is take
Yeah all you do is take
