Yeah, like, whatever
But never mind all that pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo. According to the Collins English Dictionary, absence is:
1. The state of being away. 2. The time during which a person or thing is away.
3. The fact of being without something; lack.
And who am I to argue?
Most of the writers of songs nominated this week – or at least of those I have picked for our list – have plumped for Definition 3, specifically the curse of abandonment. Bruce Springsteen focuses on what has been left behind by his narrator’s partner (“Coffee cups on the counter, jackets on the chair…”), painting a vivid scene of the desolation created by the absence. John Sebastian goes one step further, making the deserted room itself the protagonist of his song. But what to do about such an absence? Billie Holiday rather passively (if gorgeously!) asks: “Lover man, oh where can you be?” The Great Lake Swimmers, however, refuse to take the absence lying down; they head out looking for their missing love. As for The Zombies, they somewhat huffily request us not even to bother trying to find their eponymous missing heroine – she’s just not there, alright?! Best to just forget her. In his evocative torch song, Midnight In Trieste, Philip Jeays has tried to forget his lover, “with sailors’ wives and whisky” no less, but when it rains he is haunted still by her absence. The rain is a recurring motif of absence for our bereft songwriters. Call it metaphor, call it pathetic fallacy, but for the Grateful Dead, waking up to find themselves alone, it looks like rain. Bryan Ferry, meanwhile, thinks he’ll walk out in the rain to get over his loss. With all this gloom – of mood and weather – thank heavens for Abba. Frida pines for an absent lover but knows that, come tonight’s concert, he’ll be out there in the crowd and she’ll feel his presence. And as for Franz Ferdinand, the cheeky wee scamps are missing their girl enough to want her to come on home, but, they tell her, “Don’t forget to leave.” Maybe absence can sometimes be a blessing then.
1. You’re Missing – Bruce Springsteen
2. The Room Nobody Lives In – John Sebastian
3. Lover Man – Billie Holiday
4. Where In The World Are You Now? – The Great Lake Swimmers
5. She’s Not There – The Zombies
6. Midnight In Trieste – Philip Jeays
7. Looks Like Rain – Grateful Dead
8. End Of The Line – Roxy Music
9. Super Trouper – Abba
10. Come On Home – Franz Ferdinand
PS If my technological know-how is up to the job, below should be a Spotify list for all the choices bar Philip Jeays (who is, er, absent from Spotify).
Yeah, I know it’s rather early but I’m rubbish at waiting for the sake of it!
Oh! I should share that with Zalamanda, I think…The waiting is, of course, the hardest part – but I’m pleased to say it’s over for my son and daughter-in-law whose son was born an hour or so ago.
yeah hey hey – congrats tfd (they couldn’t have done it without you)
Thank you – yes, he’s James Gabriel Owen Rose, known to his friends as Jimmy.
It’s a bit sad that his name doesn’t really reflect his Hispanic heritage – Maki says today is St Inocencio’s day, but I’m afraid it’s too late…
Congrats on the new addition to the TFD family!
Yay!!! Congratulations, TFD! Does he have a name yet?
Sorry, steen – wrong place
That’s one more for the Events of 2010, then. Many congratulations.
Congratulations, TFD!
Oh, and you’re far too gracious. I did say that I deliberately wasn’t nomming Bruce because I didn’t know the song in its original version. It’s all yours – although I’ll accept a small amount of kudos or whatever for the inspiration
Yay! I got Zedded!
At the risk of casting aspersions on the last couple of official gurus, I have to say that I actually enjoyed reading this in its own right, rather than simply skimming through in order to start tutting about the lamentable choice of songs. Very nice bit of work, and thanks for all your efforts.
That’s not to say that I’m not tutting about the lamentable choice of songs, mind…
Sorry, didn’t mean to threadjack, bishbosh
Don’t be daft – very exciting news! Congrats to one and all!
Well done Bish! Well written, well argued and just about the best way the thread could have been wound up. Massive New Year hugs from Madrid and so sorry you won’t be able to make the Chester social.
now – bishbosh
I only got back late night to a decent computer – and haven’t even finished listening to my options.
…..but -bloody obvious ABBA – when you could have got tuesday weld – covering ‘the day before you came’!
I’m speachless…
nice work fella – write up lovely, must be said.
cheers.
Hey Shane! I loved both Tuesday Weld songs suggested but tried to avoid zedded songs (eg, The Day Before You Came) so as to, er, cut down my listening load, if I’m honest! And before anyone says anything, yes, Camera Obscura’s version of Super Trouper is lovely but I wanted to end on a more upbeat note!
let you off then – heehee
You didn’t realise it was an audition, did ya bish? You’ve got the job (despite overlooking Sparklehorse!)
And congrats to tfd and (growing) family
Thanks, everybody…
…bishbosh, I feel I should point out that the person who’s missing in You’re Missing isn’t Bruce’s girlfriend: it’s someone (the father of the family, I’ve always thought) who went off to work one morning and never came back – the morning having been September 11 2001 and the work in an office in the World Trade Center.
Just makes it a bit more, you know, absence-y.
Oops. Have slightly amended text. Must listen more closely…!
Excellent news here in so many ways!
Bishbosh, I really enjoyed reading that, please have a gold star and go to the top of the class. Thank you for liking the Great Lake Swimmers enough to include them in your list [thr fiver's on its way]
TexanFamilyDelight – well done! When will you get your first cuddle?
Hey, debbym – you and me on the list, yay!
Not till March 9 I’m afraid…
Wow -thanks for the bishitudes BB. I’m specially pleased with the John Sebastian pick. It’s a song always makes me pause. Great list to pop in the player & well written. Cheers
Come on, then, Bish: what’s the new theme?
Awesome list and write up, Bish, and thanks so much for taking it on! You’re definitely hired.
Very nicely done, Bishbosh! You’re a natural! Love the list and the write-up.
Are you up for another week? If not, I’d love to see a Saneshane topic/list, but I don’t suppose you have time?
Aw, bless you all. Not sure I have the time to take on another one – I really should have spent yesterday and today completing my tax return or doing some studying or tidying my flat (etc etc etc), but listening to (almost!) all your noms was far more appealing a prospect!
Shane, what do you reckon? Or is anyone else up for it? Abahachi, could you be tempted? You could set your own topic…
Bish – I forgot to say thanks for the Zombies listing. If this was a topic as usual on the mothership, i would have been beaten to that song 12 times over by the time i showed up.
And i’ll second Shane, Aba, and add Fintan or Shoey too as new guru.
You’re welcome, Amy! For the record, I really liked “Memory Motel”. And was kind of taken with “Pepper”. (Not to mention a host of other songs you and everyone else nominated!) I honestly have so much respect for our proper gurus having had a quick amateurish go myself – I ended up with a ‘shortlist’ of about 40 songs that I more or less had to eenie-meanie-miney-mo to get down to 10 (taking nothing away from those I ultimately settled on, of course!).
Yeah, i had a huge dond list, and that was without any eye to a proper and integrated playlist too. I have huge respect for our gurus, which is why i don’t gripe about the final listings and am grateful for any A or B they may toss my way. I remember for one topic (i think it was opening lines), Paul just said the hell with it and went for an all punk list, which was a good call and the way to fly for that one.
Glad you liked Memory Motel (and Pepper) – now for my next mission – see if i can get Shane to come around a half a degree or so towards the Stones! (probably not happening).
I like taking on too much work – so I’m up for it.
shall have a think while bathing the kids then get back to you all this evening with a theme – (once they are settled in bed)
Hurrah!
You’re hired, thanks so much!
Well done, shane – excellent!
yippee!
So a theme: HAVOC should do us.
I like a bit of chaos and disruption and this is a good a time of year as any to sing about it.
So let’s go.
I don’t mind it being one line that evokes the spirit of it or the whole song.. just make it interesting for me to listen – odd twisted minds will prosper – but a normal very well known song, will do just fine, as long as it surprises me – enjoy.
(just spell out WHY for me- I’m a bit dim)
post suggestions in the HAVOC post up top:
http://thespillblog.co.uk/2010/12/28/makes-the-havoc-grow-stronger/
Adding my admiration for the job you’ve done bishbosh!
lovely write up BB, really enjoyed reading it, it sounds like you had a lot of work on your hands, but you took it on and did an admirable job – I salute you, sir!
Congrats to the TFD family too….I do like happy news!
loving the A-List spotify list too. Does RR usually do this? If not, they should, it really helps put the write up into perspective
PaulMac used to put the As and Bs together into a spotify list but it seems to have fallen by the wayside recently.
Oh well, always been more of a B-lister, I s’pose. Throw in a few paragraphs, though, & Bish has this column thing sorted.
Wow, somehow I missed this until now. Jeays scores, wow! Great piece of work Herr Boshmeister, great read, great list and great stamina. Looking forward to your next one already
Lovely work Chrisbosh – and humble thanks for choosing the mighty Roxy Music…
I’m a few days late on the havoc so I suspect I’ll pass that topic.