Song of the Day: Auld Lang Syne! (31st December 2015)

Well, here it is. The last day of this year! Where has all the time gone?

The year of 2015 has been a very memorable one, in which I have met lots of interesting new people, become reacquainted with old ones, and, unfortunately, lost a few loved ones along the way.

But, when I look back on the year, it is the good times that I remember. The times spent with those friends and loved ones, enjoying life, their company, and looking forward to what is in the future. Today's Song of the Day reflects all of these thoughts, and it is one that you will no doubt be hearing, or singing at some point late this evening, just before the New Year comes in.

Auld Lang Syne is a variation on a poem, written by Scottish poet, Robert Burns, in 1788. The words are set to a traditional piece of music, and the titular phrase roughly translates to: 'For Old Times Sake', a fitting tribute to end the year.

It is a song that calls to us to remember friendships, forgotten or not, beginning with a rhetorical question, but ending with a resolution to spend time with said friends and enjoy our time with them herein.

 I'm afraid this will only be a short post today, but such is the way of things. Enjoy the rest of the year, and reflect on it, savouring the good times that sweetened the bad.

To anyone and everyone reading, I wish you the best of years ahead.

Lyrics: 

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 

And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o'kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.

Song of the Day: Somebody Told Me (30th December 2015)

So for a little while now, I have been on a bit of a killing spree.

Fret ye not, for of course, I am talking about the American pop rock band The Killers; today's Song of the Day is one of their more well known pieces, called 'Somebody Told Me'.

The song was one of the standout tunes from the group's debut album 'Hot Fuzz',  of 2004, featuring a captivating beat, great guitar backing and attention grabbing staccato vocals from Brandon Flowers, The Killers' lead singer.

In an interview, Flowers set the scene for the song as 'someone trying to meet someone in a club', and the music does have an edgy, angsty tone. It veers more into the alternative-rock, punk revival sphere than some of the band's other hits, such as 'Spaceman','Human' or 'Neon Tiger' (stay tuned for 'Plumber', 'Chipmunk' and 'Jeremy', dates to be confirmed).

This is probably more 'teen music' than one for the older adults, but certainly, as the song was released eleven years ago, one might imagine that there are some younger adults who 'went through a phase', in which this song was the lynch pin.

Get your pretend microphones and air guitars ready, and take a listen to the song on YouTube:

Lyrics:

Breaking my back just to know your name
Seventeen tracks and I've had it with this game...
Breaking my back just to know your name
But heaven ain't close in a place like this
Anything goes but don't blink you might miss...
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight...
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight 

Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential 

Ready, let's roll onto something new
Taking its toll and I'm leaving without you

Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
I said heaven ain't close in a place like this
Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight...
Never thought I'd let a rumor ruin my moonlight

Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
A rushin', a rushin' around

Pace yourself from me
I said maybe baby please...
But I just don't know now...
When all I wanna do is try

[x3]
Well somebody told me
You had a boyfriend
Who looked like a girlfriend
That I had in February of last year
It's not confidential
I've got potential
A rushin', a rushin' around

Song of the Day: Mona Lisa (29th December 2015)

Have you ever listened to a song and thought:

'Hmm. What does this actually mean?'

....Was it 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'?

 Yeah, me too.

However, today's Song of the Day is a song about a mystery woman, who shares her name, and character, with a woman you might recognise, shown in the picture below-

'Mona Lisa' was written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingstone for the 1950 film 'Captain Carey, U.S.A', starring Alan Ladd and Wanda Hendrix. However, the song is most well known for being sung by the wonderful Nat King Cole, adding yet another 'classic' to his portfolio, and securing #1 on the Billboard singles chart for eight weeks in the year of 1950.

The painting from which the song gains its namesake is the 'magnum opus' of Leonardo da Vinci. The painting, with its beautiful subject is one of the most famous paintings in the world, in no small part because of the lady's famous 'smile'. New art study has 'confirmed' that this artful rendering of human emotion was painted in a deliberately ambiguous fashion, and acts as an optical illusion. The Guardian featured an article some time back suggesting that the smile changes in severity or tenderness depending on where the painting is viewed. Personally, I like to imagine Nat King Cole, standing in the Louvre, serenading a 500 year old painting. It's something I'd have paid to see.

The song itself is one of longing and loneliness, whilst also a comment on beauty and calm. It is one of his finest, and most relaxing songs.

You can take a listen on YouTube below:

Lyrics:

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa
Men have named you
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only cause you're lonely
They have blamed you
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art

[Instrumental Interlude]

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there, and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa
Or just a cold and lonely, lovely work of art

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa

Song of the Day: When I Was A Boy (28th December 2015)

Today's Song of the Day comes from the band that produced such hits as Mr Blue Sky, Telephone Line and Moment in Paradise. Formed in Birmingham by Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne, it was once known simply as Electric Light Orchestra, or ELO,  but was rebranded as Jeff Lynne's Electric Light Orchestra in 2012, as Lynne became the sole remaining member of the original group. ELO's use of synth instruments combined with modern rock styles created a vibe beloved by many, and one which Jeff Lynne was keen to continue in the newest album, 'Alone in the Universe', 2015.

Some may argue that the ELO vibe has become muted over the years; I would agree that the newest album pales in comparison with the likes of 'Zoom', which the band released in 2001, but 'When I was a Boy' is definitely still worth mention (and purchase). 

It is nostalgic, and ridiculously catchy. Lynne's verses will take you back to earlier times where music became the driving force in many people's lives; this is undoubtedly inspired by the bands roots, and it's drive to experiment with modern rock styles. The chorus shines with ELO harmonies and will delight old fans and new listeners. It really is good that the ELO legacy will continue, even if Lynne is now free to make it entirely his own.

You can take a listen on YouTube below:

Lyrics:

When I was a boy, I had a dream, all about the things I'd like to be

Soon as I was in my bed, music played inside my head

When I was a boy, I had a dream

When I was a boy, I learned to play, far into the night and drift away

Don't want to work on the milk or the bread, I just want to play my guitar instead

When I was a boy, I had a dream

And radio waves, kept me company

In those beautiful days, when there was no money

When I was a boy, I had a dream

When I was a boy, I had a dream, finding out what life could really mean

Don't want a job cause it drives me crazy, just wanna sing, "Do you love me, baby?"

When I was a boy, I had a dream

And radio waves kept me company

In those beautiful days, when there was no money

When I was a boy, I had a dream

When I was a boy

Song of the Day: Song of the Volga Boatmen (25th December 2015)

I have always been a great fan of classical music; I was raised on it. Along with this, over the years I have developed a taste for choral pieces too, one such arrangement being 'The Song of the Volga Boatmen'.

The song is known in Russian as Эй, ухнем!, or 'yo, heave-ho!', and was apparently sung by the barge workers who dragged large boats along the banks of the Volga River, in central Russia.

The Volga River is the longest river in Europe, and barge-haulers were used to transport vessels between central Russia on towards the Caspian sea.

The piece itself fits beautifully with Ilya Repin's painting entitled 'Barge Haulers on the Volga' (as you can see, below) and the choir gives the feeling of struggle, yet a communal one. Everyone pulls their weight, and everyone has a part to sing. It is a lovely piece.

Over the years, the song has been popularised in several different styles, by many different artists. It even reached #1 in the USA during 1941 (strange, I know), after its arrangement in jazz form (even stranger, I know) by Glenn Miller and his band (you couldn't make this up, could you).

There won't be a Song of the Day on Saturdays or Sundays, I'm afraid, but for now you can take a look at the Song of the Volga Boatmen on YouTube, below. I've also included the lyrics, in Russian and English.

Lyrics:

(Russian)

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz!

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz!

Razovyom my beryozu,

Razovyom my kudryavu!

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Razovyom my kudryavu.

Razovyom my kudryavu.

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz!

My po berezhku idyom,

Pesnyu solnyshku poyom.

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Pesnyu solnyshku poyom.

Ey, Ey, tyani kanat silney!

Pesnyu solnyshku poyom.

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz!

Ekh, ty, Volga, mat'-reka,

Shiroka i gluboka,

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Ai-da, da ai-da,

Volga, Volga, mat'-reka

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

Yeshcho razik, yeshcho da raz!

Ey, ukhnem!

Ey, ukhnem!

(English)

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Once more, once again, still once more

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Once more, once again, still once more

Now we fell the stout birch tree,

Now we pull hard: one, two, three.

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

Now we pull hard: one, two, three.

Now we pull hard: one, two, three.

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Once more, once again, still once more

As we walk along the shore,

To the sun we sing our song.

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

To the sun we sing our song.

Hey, hey, let's heave a-long the way

to the sun we sing our song

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Once more, once again, still once more

Oh, you, Volga, mother river,

Mighty stream so deep and wide.

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

Ay-da, da, ay-da!

Volga, Volga, mother river.

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Once more, once again, still once more

Yo, heave ho!

Yo, heave ho!

Song of the Day: I Wanna Be Like You (December 24th 2015)

Today's Song of the Day is one that you should all be familiar with. If not, you need to learn the bare necessities. Pronto.

'I Wanna Be Like You' was one of the stand-out tunes of the wonderfully energetic Disney film, The Jungle Book. Sung and danced by King Louie (voiced by Louis Prima) and his band of baudaciously jazzy monkey underlings, as well as Baloo in disguise, the song featured alongside other classics such as 'the Bare Necessities' and 'That's What Friends Are For'.

The Jungle Book was originally released in 1967 (I had to check this figure many times, as I couldn't believe it was actually that old), but is still rated #31 out of the top 100 Disney films according to Disney Movies Guide, and I would strongly suggest that its lasting appeal is due, as in most Disney films, to the absolute ear worms that the thing will have you singing for a good week or two after watching (at the very least).

'I Wanna Be Like You' was originally intended to be sung by Louis Armstrong, and the song definitely has an Armstrong-esque vibe to it, bringing the world of jazz to a youthful audience, featuring trumpet solos, double bass twanging, and episodes of scat singing between the self-proclaimed king of the swingers and the under-cover bear, Baloo. Mowgli is being pestered by the king to reveal the promethean power of man; the ability to create fire, believing this will transform him from an orangutan into a human... your move evolutionists.

You can listen to the original song on YouTube below, as well as the awesome version sung by Paolo Nutini at Glastonbury in 2007:

Lyrics:

Now I'm the king of the swingers, the jungle V.I.P 
I reached the top and had to stop 
And that's what bothering me 
I want to be a man, man-cub, and stroll right into town 
And be just like those other men 
I'm tired of monkeying around 
Now don't try to kid me, man-cub, I'll make a deal with you 
What I desire is man's red fire to make my dreams come true 
So give me the secret, man-cub, clue me what to do 
Give me the power of man's red flower so I can be like you 

Ooh-bi-doo, I wan'na be like you 
I want to walk like you, talk like you, too 
You see it's true, an ape like me 
Can learn to be like you, too 

Now don't try to kid me, man-cub, I made a deal with you 
What I desire is man's red fire to make my dream's come true 
So give me the secret, man-cub, clue me what to do 
Give me the power of man's red flower so I can be like you 

Ooh-bi-doo, I wan'na be like you 
I want to walk like you, talk like you, too 
You see it's true, an ape like me 
Can learn to be like you, too 

Break it down boys, break it down boys, break it down 
Break it down boys, break it down boys, break it down 

Now I'm the king of the swingers, the jungle V.I.P. 
I reached the top and had to stop 
And that's what bothering me 
I want to be a man, man-cub, and stroll right into town 
And be just like those other men 
I'm tired of monkeying around 

Ooh-bi-doo, I wan'na be like you 
I want to walk like you, talk like you, too 
You see it's true, an ape like me 
Can learn to be like you, too 

Can learn to be someone like me

Song of the Day: Applaus Applaus (December 23rd 2015)

Heute, das Lied des Tages wurde durch eine Deutsches Rockband gemacht. Sie heißen 'Sportfreunde Stiller.'

Weil habe ich nicht Deutsch in der Schule um fast funf Jahren gelernt, kannst ich nicht das alles in Deutsches schreiben, so...

..... That's better. To recap for those who couldn't quite understand my appalling German, the song of the day for December 23rd 2015 is by the German rock band 'Sportfreunde Stiller'. The 'Stiller' section of the name derives from an old football (soccer) coach of the members of the band, whilst the first part literally means 'Sport friends.' That's Germans for you.

The song I would like to share is 'Applaus Applaus' (Applause Applause), released both as a single, and included as the third track on the album 'New York, Rio, Rosenheim', published in 2013.

Featuring heartfelt main verses and an upbeat and catchy chorus, it is definitely one you will be singing along to (in German, of course)

You can listen on YouTube, below, and read the lyrics, both in German and English underneath that. Enjoy!

Lyrics: 

(German)

Ist meine Hand eine Faust machst Du sie wieder auf

und legst die Deine in meine.
Du flüsterst Sätze mit Bedacht durch all den Lärm
als ob sie mein Sextant und Kompass wär’n.

Applaus, Applaus
Für Deine Worte.
Mein Herz geht auf,
Wenn Du lachst!
Applaus, Applaus,
Für Deine Art mich zu begeistern.
Hör niemals damit auf!
Ich wünsch mir so sehr,
Du hörst niemals damit auf.

Ist meine Erde eine Scheibe, machst Du sie wieder rund.
Zeigst mir auf leise Art und Weise was Weitsicht heißt.
Will ich mal wieder mit dem Kopf durch die Wand
Legst Du mir Helm und Hammer in die Hand.

Applaus, Applaus
Für Deine Worte.
Mein Herz geht auf,
Wenn Du lachst!
Applaus, Applaus,
Für Deine Art mich zu begeistern.
Hör niemals damit auf!
Ich wünsch mir so sehr,
Du hörst niemals damit auf.

Applaus, Applaus
Für Deine Worte.
Mein Herz geht auf,
Wenn Du lachst!
Applaus, Applaus,
Für Deine Art mich zu begeistern.
Hör niemals damit auf!
Ich wünsch mir so sehr,
Du hörst niemals damit auf.

(English)

If my hand is a fist, you open it
and lay yours in mine.
You whisper sentences with caution through all the noise
as if they where my sextant and my compass.

Applause, applause
for your words
my heart opens up
when you laugh!
Applause, applause
for your way to enthuse myself
don't stop doing that!
I wish so much,
you'll never stop doing that!

If my earth is a plate, you make it round again.
You show me in a silent way what it means to be far-sighted.
If I want to bash my head against a wall
you put a helmet an a hammer into my hand

Applause, applause
for your words
my heart opens up
when you laugh!
Applause, applause
for your way to enthuse myself
don't stop doing that!
I wish so much,
you'll never stop doing that!

Applause, applause
for your words
my heart opens up
when you laugh!
Applause, applause
for your way to enthuse myself
don't stop doing that!
I wish so much,
you'll never stop doing that!

Song of the Day: Separate Ways (December 22nd 2015)

In a new feature- one that I perhaps have a chance of carrying on purely because I listen to such a wide variety of music- I present to you:

Song of the Day

In these posts, I will try and share with you an amazing song that I enjoyed today, and that I hope you will enjoy too.

Today's song is 'Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)' by Journey.

This classic rock tune was first released in the 1983 album 'Frontiers' and was written by Jonathon Cain and Steve Perry.

You might have heard it in the soundtrack for the thoroughly enjoyable 2010 reboot of the Tron series, featuring alongside artists such as Daft Punk (and to my mind, stealing the show)

Take a listen on YouTube:

Lyrics:

Here we stand
Worlds apart
Hearts broken in two, two, two
Sleepless nights
Losing ground
I'm reaching for you, you, you

Feelin' that it's gone
Can't change your mind
If we can't go on
To survive the tide
Love divides

Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched
And went our separate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched
And went our separate ways

Troubled times
Caught between confusions and pain, pain, pain
Distant eyes
Promises we made were in vain
In vain, vain

If you must go
I wish you love
You'll never walk alone
Take care my love
Miss you love

Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
How we touched
And went our separate ways
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you
Though we touched
And went our separate ways

[Instrumental Interlude]

Oooooooooh
Someday love will find you
Break those chains that bind you
One night will remind you
If he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you
You know I still love you

I still love you, girl
I really love you, girl
And if he ever hurts you
True love won't desert you

Word Play: Gadget

One of the things that fascinates me about the English language is the etymology of everyday words and phrases that we'll throw out into our conversations. These are words that we won't usually think twice about- words that we take for granted- but they each have their own interesting histories, and have often come a long way from their original meanings. So why not explore these origins from time to time? In some cases, it can add emphasis or meanings to a word that you had otherwise been unaware of. I'll start us off.

Gadget

Nowadays it is the norm for people to be carrying around an assortment of 'gadgets'. A gadget in modern terms is an electronic device, often novel in its function, that can be used to make our lives easier or more entertaining. Today, a checklist for leaving the house might include:

• Remote unlocking car keys
• Smartphone
• Mp3 player/ Headphones/Earphones
• Fitness tracker/pedometer
• Smart watch
• Camcorder/ Camera
•  Battery charger/ charging cable
• Spare batteries
• Spare spare batteries

Of course, many of these gadgets have been amalgamated into one 'super gadget', allowing you to make calls, listen to music, take selfies and browse Facebook on the go. But it was not always so. Going back just 15 years and people would be carrying around satchels full of gadgets, in order to make their life less 'cumbersome', even though you could barely fit a Walkman in your pocket without your clothes ripping. Funny how that works. 

Whereas in modern popular culture it is desirable to have the smallest, thinnest, most lightweight, shiny devices possible, back in the day, it was hip to have the biggest gadgets possible. Massive boombox speakers were all the rage once (some of you may remember) and the introduction of the mobile telephone was 'groundbreaking', despite it weighing more than a small child and being sturdy enough to use as a murder weapon. This was more akin to gadgets' original meaning.

The word 'Gadget' first came into use in the latter half of the 19th century, originally spelled gadjet. It was used to describe any mechanical part or object for which a sailor, likely rum-soaked, forgot the name of. Going back even further, to the 15th Century, the slang word gadjet has been suggested to be a derivative of the French 'gâchette' meaning the catch piece of a mechanism, such as the trigger of a pistol.

One of the oldest 'gadgets' in existence is the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient analogue computer, used by the ancient Greeks for astrological study as well as for the timing of Olympic Games. It is comprised of 30 clockwork gears, and is read by the inscriptions found on the casing, though these are largely illegible now. It was discovered in 1900, off the coast of Antikythera, Greece but is said to date back to anywhere between 250-100BCE. 

So, it is understandable that today we might refer to an electronic device as a gadget, purely to avoid stating or repeating brand names or types; it is far simpler to ask someone to 'check something on their gadget' than to ask them 'would you mind looking something up on your Samsung Galaxy S6+ gold edition?'. Furthermore, like those sailors of two centuries past, we might also not understand the function of said item of technology, and therefore call it a gadget to avoid embarrassment- parents are particularly prone to this act of avoidance.

Gadgets can be a blessing and a curse in the modern era, making our lives easier with their time saving functionality, but also detracting from it with their addictive nature. We should use these devices in moderation. As for the word 'gadget', go wild.

Hello 'New' World.

At various points in my life so far I've considered writing a blog. At first this was because I loved writing short stories, often about a stuffed tiger toy I owned. These were imaginatively entitled 'Tiger's Travels'. Yes, I was cute, once. These were fun, simple stories that I thought would be cool to share with people. But bearing in mind this was back in the days of primary school, when we had very little computer access, and even less experience with word processing or internet publishing, and it is understandable that I didn't really get into blogging at this young age. Instead I wrote these and other short stories down in a little notebook given to me by one of my great-aunts- until I lost it :'(

Next was the 'Myspace stage', somewhere between the ages of 6-10, where I would collate all of the funny pictures or YouTube videos that I had stumbled across when using my local libraries' computers. I had collected some hilarious videos, let me assure you; but with the passage of time- and the forgetting of login details- that wonderful fore-runner of modern humour websites was lost for good. Shame.

In Secondary School,  from time to time, we were told that writing blogs was a good way to build up our personal writing skills as they were essentially a diary that we would be sharing with the public, giving us some sense of good-manners and propriety in the process. I was too busy reading, or playing football during this period to pay much attention to this suggestion, so this one kind of passed me by, but I trust my literary skills did not suffer; too much, at least.

The first written blogging I tried was in the later years of Secondary School and in the early part of Sixth Form. However, with my workload, this faded into nonexistence just as its predecessors had done. I wrote some short little commentaries on literary pieces, something that interested and still interests me greatly, but I found my peers were more interested in celebrity affairs (yes, that word has dual meaning), football teams or the latest run-and-gun first person shooter games, which at that point I didn't particularly feel like writing about.

I'm now at University, and it has dawned on me that a great way of building up a portfolio of writing for future use or at least giving me a way to practice writing in my downtime is to start a blog, and hopefully stick with it this time! I can't promise that I'll write often, and I can't give a catch-all statement as to what my content might be about, but I love linguistics, literature, music, science, some video games, internet shenanigans and a bit of dry humour every now and then. If any of those things interest you, feel free to keep an eye out.

M