Thursday, August 28, 2008

Relentlessly Trawling


A few posts ago, I revealed my Latest Listening Choices for the Dumped Woman on my iPod. Of course most Dumpees  would gravitate to what I like to call The Wailing Woman Genre, also known as Victim Tunes.  I'm no exception. 
Lately, I've become obsessed with discovering my Top 10, or even my Top 100 Victim Tunes. But why not My Top 500? It's not as if there's not millions to choose from.
Between lessons, I sit at my desk in the staffroom, earphones in position,  relentlessly trawling through iTunes. Today, both Aunt Neddy & Trixie loudly complained that they could hear the earthy tones of ADELE (she only has a one-word name & it's inexplicably capitalised) asking 'Why be Right as Rain, it's better when there's something wrong' coming through the earphones & it was disturbing them. I hadn't realised until now that they both have Bionic Ears. That's a sadly dated reference to the eighties show, 'The Bionic Woman' which was a companion piece to 'The Six Million Dollar Man'. I personally didn't watch either show because I was too busy at the time relentlessly trawling bars searching for 'Mr Right', but my parents watched them. 
Ah, the Eighties! 1986 was a particularly Bad Year for Me & I celebrated  by having A Mullet. Next blog entry will contain at least one photo of Me with Mullet.  In the accompanying text, I'll reveal my Poor Dying Mother's reaction to it. It's almost a tearjerker. 
Anyway, I've just rediscovered at least some of the great Victim Tunes from that time. Aretha & Tina Turner were my favourites. Aretha had a couple of hits, with a silly song which  I quite liked, 'Who's Zoomin Who?' & my Personal Favourite, 'Another Night', where she loudly proclaims - 'My Man.....I Don't Need YOU to be bringin me down.....HEY!!!' I listened to it last night in bed just before I turned the light out. It made me feel surprisingly good & didn't disturb my sleep at all.
But the Song That Speaks to Me Most at the moment has got to be Dusty Springfield's 'Goin Back'. Strictly speaking, I don't think it's really a Victim Song, but it's got a sad, slightly knowing & regretful tone to it. In fact, I think that it was played when Dusty's coffin was being carried out of the church at the end of her funeral. 
Here's some of the words:
'I think I'm goin back
to the things I learned so well
in my youth.
I think I'm returning to
Those days when I was young enough
to know the truth.'
I just love the photo of Dusty singing in 1964.  I was desperate to look just like her. Unfortunately, that was virtually impossible because I was eleven at the time. Here's me, standing next to the sewage pipe in our backyard in Bondi, Sydney, wearing the outfit I wore to see The Beatles live. On the night, I wore a long Beetle Pendant & red tights & black patent shoes. Mum made me wear my hair like that. I would have preferred a beehive.
If anyone has any suggestions to add to the Top 500 list, I'd love to hear them.

2 comments:

Darla said...

(LONG)... "Black Coffee" recorded by a few people but best by Sarah Vaughan. My choice for company when I've got the blues.
Here ya go!

I'm feelin' mighty lonesome
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor from nine to four
In between I drink
Black coffee
Love's a hand-me-down brew
I'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room

I'm talkin to the shadow
One o'clock till four
And Lord, how slow the moments go
And all I do is pour
Black coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hangin' out on Monday
My Sunday dreams to dry

Now man was born to go a lovin'
But a woman was born to weep and fret
And stay at home and tend her oven
And down her past regrets
In coffee and cigarettes

I'm moonin' all the mornin'
Moanin' all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much heart to fight
Black coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's drivin' me crazy
This thinkin' 'bout my baby
Might maybe come around

Darla

Jane said...

What a flashback. My 80s (late 70s) victim tunes would include..

Pearl's A Singer
Don't Give Up on Us Baby
Joelene
Every Breath You Take ( I am a closet stalker which I changed to good use by becoming a legit stalker (journalist) )
Because the Night (bizarre choice I know but it is still one of my faves)
I could go on....
And I have joined the 21st century. I bought an iPod Nano yesterday!