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Posts Tagged Song

Archive

March 19, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: Making American Recordings

Johnny Cash and his guitar in a room, with the ghosts of the men he used to be. That’s the way to make new history. Take the last quarter century and put it in the bin. Make the song the thing. Make it the only thing. Let the song ring out its truth. Let the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged "Singer", American Recordings, Country, Johnny Cash, Making American Recordings, Music, Poem, Poem: Making American Recordings, Song, Songwriter ·

Archive

December 10, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: Dear Prudence,

My parents planned to name me Prudence if I was a girl. I wasn’t – so that is pretty much that. I hated the name – but loved the song; when I heard it was because my dad always loved that tune from The White Album it made more sense, or something like that. Now […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Dear Prudence, Poem, Poem: Dear Prudence, Prudence, Prue, Song, The Beaetles, The Beatles, White Album ·

Archive

June 10, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: The Makings Of You

Ask Curtis, it’s true it’s almost impossible to do when it comes to reciting the makings of you I listen to the song so often. It’s the one that softens me like nothing else could ever do. When I first heard it I stopped everything I ever thought I was doing. Just listened – played […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Curtis Mayfield, Lyrics, Poem, Poem: The Makings Of You, Song, The Makings of You ·

Archive

December 10, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: Big Jobs

My life is measured in walks and work, not much of one makes for increases in the other column My life is many miles of footsteps, sometimes searching for a meaning, some meaning, any meaning – other times simply demeaning But that leads me on (leads me) and I lead the dog (or is he […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Big Job, Big Jobs, Big Log, Job, Poem, Poem: Big Jobs, Robert Plant, Song, Walk ·

Archive

November 3, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Dylan Jones: The Wichita Lineman – Searching In The Sun For The World’s Greatest Unfinished Song

The Wichita Lineman: Searching In The Sun For The World’s Greatest Unfinished Song Dylan Jones Faber & Faber Social It’s anyone’s guess what the “greatest” song of all time is – but a clever choice might be Wichita Lineman as recorded by Glen Campbell and written by Jimmy Webb. You could certainly do a lot […]
Posted in Blog, Reviews · Tagged Author, Book, Book Review, Dylan Jones, Dylan Jones: The Wichita Lineman, Faber & Faber Social, Glen Campbell, History, Jimmy Webb, Music, Music History, Searching In The Sun For The World’s Greatest Unfinished Song, Song, The Wichita Lineman: Searching In The Sun For The World’s Greatest Unfinished Song, Writer, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

October 21, 2019 by Simon Sweetman

Poem: Wind Chimes

What’s the last song that made you feel like you actually stopped existing? That was the question. And there’s only one answer. That one by The Beach Boys… The one that goes, “On the warm breeze the  little bells/Tinkle like wind chimes Though it’s hard I try not to look at my wind chimes Now […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Beach Boys, Poem, Poem: Wind Chimes, Song, The Beach Boys, Wind Chimes ·

Archive

May 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World

I think it took me over ten years to write this song. I know I started on the verses in 1980 after the demise of Negative Theatre. I’d read an interview with Steely Dan where they talked about mu major chords and I played the A, E, A, D, C#m, D, A, E, A pattern […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged #205, A Snakelike Life, Art, Castaneda, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Holloway Rd, Holloway Road, Jon Mcleary, Music, Negative Theatre, Painting, Song, Songwriting, Spines, Steely Dan, Stop The World, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 205 Stop the World, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 205, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Writing, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

March 27, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200 The Last Cigarette In The World

I watch another boat in the harbour sail out Sitting on my own in the bay By the time you get to China on that slow ship I’ll have bitten all my nails and crumbled into the carpet   You had no clear idea of what you’re looking for You only knew you couldn’t stay […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 200, Cigarettes, Death, Ghost, Ghost Stories, Ghost Story, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Hawker St, Jon Mcleary, Lyric, Music, Oriental Bay, Rock'n'Roll Suicide, Smoke, Smoking, Song, Songwriting, Spines, Suicide, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLearThe Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLearyThe Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 200 The Last Cigarette In The World, The Last Cigarette In The World, Two Hundred, War Stories, War Stories # 200, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Weekly Column, Wellington, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, Ziggy Stardust ·

Archive

March 21, 2018 by Simon Sweetman

On: Giving Up Everything

Elton John had it wrong – or rather Bernie Taupin if you prefer. Sad songs are not the ones that say so much – it’s only a special type of sad song; where there’s hope peeking through, where there’s an attempt at stoicism – the head being held high, an aim to move on, an attempt at rebirth or a […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 000 Maniacs, 10", 2014, Blog, Elton John, Giving Up Everything, Hope, Lyric, Meaning, Natalie Merchant, On: Giving Up Everything, Sad Song, Sad Songs, Self-Titled, Song, Songs, Songwriter, Songwriting, Sony Lyric, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

Archive

December 7, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Don’t Give Up…

The original plan Peter Gabriel had for his song Don’t Give Up was for it to be a duet between him and Dolly Parton. He wrote it with Dolly in mind. She gave up before she began; she had no interest in recording the song with him. Gabriel heard it, in part, as a country song. You hear the song […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 1980s, Classic Album, Dolly Parton, Don't Give Up, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Sinead O'Connor, So, Song, Willie Nelson ·

Archive

November 19, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

Truly Bizarre: The Story of ‘How Bizarre’

How Bizarre is 20 years old. In fact a little older now even. When I was asked to write a book about important/favourite songs I was encouraged to make it a personal selection but there was a list supplied of obvious contenders. Top of that list was How Bizarre.
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Album, Book, Documentary, Kiwi, Memoir, NZ, OMC, On Song, Otara Millionaire's Club, Pauly Fuemana, Simon Grigg, Single, Song, Truly Bizarre: The Story of 'How Bizarre' ·

Archive

October 23, 2017 by Simon Sweetman

The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 184 Matinee Idle

They got me in to play a track and talk about the album and it meant a lot to me. I’ve been listening to Matinee Idle ever since I found out it was on all those years ago – every public holiday in New Zealand in the afternoon. Phil O’Brien and Simon Morris have this […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Epidural, Ghost Story, Guest Blog, Guest Post, Interview, Jon Mcleary, Matinee Idle, Phil O'Brien, Radio, RNZ, Sex Can Be Sad, Simon Morris, Song, Spines, The Ghost, The Ghost of Electricity, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 184, The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 184 Matinee Idle, The Spines, War Stories, War Stories # 184, War Stories by Jon McLeary, Wellington, Your Body Stays ·
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