As I mentioned on the podcast, it’s good to be celebratory at Christmas. Eat too much pavlova, reflect on the year that’s been, watch ‘Love, Actually’ again. Actually actually, I prefer ‘Brief Encounter’ and too much stuffing, but, hey, we’ve all got our rituals.
If I were to notice a trend in the upper regions of this year’s chart though, there’s maybe a little more melancholia around.
When two-fold silence was the song of love
This world couldn’t see us, Nabibah Iqbal
When life lived in dreams and time fell like rain
When all the summer flowers were for you and me
When life tasted sweet and fate was a friend
When all of my secrets were yours to keep
Stuck inside your beauty, falling in too deep
When gentle magic took me by surprise
When we felt everything standing side by side
And it’s not just the personal melancholy concerning the relationships that didn’t work out either (the abiding staple of popular music, after all).
There’s a very poignant moment in the film ‘A Private Function’, set in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, when a character opines “I miss the war”. Sometimes I too miss our war, AKA Covid lockdowns. As we’ve all got back into a working rhythm big style post-Covid, many of the stresses of 21st century living have also re-emerged. And rather than brushing them under the carpet, some of the songs here dwell on the uncertainties and imperfections of post-lockdown living.
I was particularly struck by the lyrics to our number one song:
One I’m tired of
Full Time Job, Squirrel Flower
Doing my best is a full time job
But it doesn’t pay the rent
Never wanted to be someone’s wife
Give up my whole life
So I try to be brave in the crowd
But I’m on my knees now
But let’s not leave it there. It’s Christmas. I was also struck by this lyric reminding us that everyday there are small, happy moments to be grateful for. That, in the end, is what life is, I suppose.
I like sleepin’ with the lights on
You next to me watching Formula One
(Formula One, Wednesday)
