Week 373 – The Difference Between Stories And Songs, No Place For ‘Whistling Jack Smith’ And What The Fuck Will We Be Writing About?

Leila and her lists are killing me!!

I am also a list lover.

So from that I’ve thought about one thing that saddens me about a story compared to a song…A song can make you smile straight away, a story, well you need to get into the crux of it. To be fair though, the ending of a story is better, a lot better, than a few beats of a drum.

With me, most songs have memories attached.

‘Seasons In The Sun’ – Terry Jacks – First time I thought about death. (I was only seven but I was a really, really fucked up kid)

All Glam Rock – Especially Gary Glitter – That was my childhood. Mr Glitter ruined me in later life with the contradiction that I loved his music but hated what he was.

‘The Entertainer’ (Scott Joplin) – I watched ‘Pot Black’ all through the seventies.

‘Relax’ (Franky Goes To Hollywood) – I watched this on the TV show, ‘The Tube’. It blew me away as I was getting ready to go out for the night. All my friends watched it and that was the first conversation we had.

Prince – ‘When Doves Cry’ – Doing overtime for the first time. I got an extra 17pence an hour. Coincidentally that was the last time I did overtime!!

Foreigner – ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’ – This was my first slow dance with Gwen. (Fuck knows how I remember that. I had to get a description of her from a mutual friend to find her on our second date!!)

Berlin – ‘Take my Breath Away’ – Was playing in the taxi when I was heading home after my gran died. (That guy got a cracking tip as I wasn’t thinking straight)

R Kelly – ‘World’s Greatest’ – Working a nightshift at M&S. (Probably my happiest work experience but that came to an end within a year and I had to move on)

Guns And Roses – ‘Sweet Child Of Mine’- Lee Donnachies funeral – The soul only got to twenty two. Don’t do drugs kiddies – Death can happen very fucking quickly!!!

There are hundreds of others – Listen to The Cocteau Twins, ‘Treasure’ and use your imagination on *what I was doing for one full side!!!!! I think the same thing happened with Rainbow’s ‘Down To Earth’ on New Years Eve 1997.

Anyhow, I wanted to mention something that wasn’t specific memory related so I came up with this.

I’ve a list of songs that make me smile simply for the reason on how they sound. This started off with three and grew. I’ll probably think of more as the time goes by.

I also wonder if this is a trait of someone who writes, I can’t switch off. I wish everything that I thought of ended up as a story but it doesn’t.

It takes me about an hour to walk the five miles into my work and I find myself thinking so much about the dead (Is that worrying??) and I realise that I’m at a time in my life that I know more dead people than alive.

The scenarios that invade my head would probably keep a shrink living for many a year.

But what the fuck – I accept all those demons, looking for another story.

Am I accepting of my artistic process or just a fucked up weirdo???

…I know not!!!!

I can’t really say to family and friends if they ask how I was doing, ‘Oh I’m fine, I’m wondering if I’ll find any inspiration from you dying….Maybe the more horrible the better??’

I do find that when we can initiate emotion, we can write!

…But back to happy thoughts!

See below for the list and I’m always delighted to read your agreement or disagreement and most importantly, the ones that you come up with.

Okay onto this week’s stories.

For the first time in a wee while, all our stories are from new writers – We love that just as much as we love a week of our old guard!

To all these writers we send them a warm welcome and we hope to see much more of their work.

As always our initial comments follow.

First up was ‘A Boy named Sue.’ by Scott Taylor.

‘Calling his mother a cow meant so much.’

‘This had a deeper thread to it.’

‘I loved the OTT attitude.’

On Tuesday we published, ‘These Hands‘ by Rob Vogt.

‘Very well done.’

‘Great tone.’

‘You got a sense of feeling from this.’

Kwan Kew Lai broke the back of the week with, ‘Still A Child.‘

‘Authentic.’

‘Resigned at the end.’

‘This would be a privilege to publish.’

Thursday brought us ‘Lottery’ by Meredith Rohn.

‘Weird – I loved that.’

‘Unexplained enough for me.’

‘There is something in this that made it different.’

And we finished off with Robert Bishop’s ‘The House Across The Street.’

‘What a very strange MC!’

‘The writer shows courage in giving us his MC.’

‘To write a character that is hated is a job well done.’

Just to finish off.

I’ve stated on many a post that I can’t believe the imagination of Leila / Dave / Marco / Tim. I am in awe of Tom and his productivity.

I struggle to find new material – I need a line or an outlook. The weird thing is there is a lot out there but I’m wary of dipping my toe. Not because I’m frightened but because I know that my own voice would come through and that isn’t a good thing when writing a story.

With that in mind – This is a real headline, ‘Trans killer identifying as baby in Scots jail, demanding nappies, blended food and that guards hold her hand.’

I am fucking speechless – In so many ways.

I’d allow this murdering (Did we forget that?) fuckwit to have what they wanted as long as they took a jag of jollop loaded with Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Hib and Hep B – If they want to be a child let the dice role!!!

If they survived, I’d put them in the Paedo wing!

Although that would be a disappointment for all involved….So win win!!

…Really folks – I wonder about writers today and what plots they will come up with???

The sad thing is that there will be a lot of general fiction no matter what the fucking content!!

As promised, the three songs that are now thirteen (At time of writing)

The only consideration I’d give you when you think on your own is they need to make you smile within ten seconds.

In no particular order.

1. The Monkeys – Hey, Hey We’re The Monkeys.

2. The Fratellis – Chelsea Dagger

3. Terrorvision – Oblivion

4. Chumbawamba – Tubthumping

5. Divine Comedy – National Express

6. Robin Thick – Blurred Lines

7. Lilly Allen – Not Fair

8. Clarence Frogman Henry – Ain’t Got No Home

9. Tom Petty – American Girl

10. Lisa Doolittle – Pack Up

11. The Blow Monkeys – You Don’t Own Me (For some reason this makes me smile a bit more than the equally brilliant Lesley Gore version)

12. The Animals – House Of The Rising Sunday

13. Dorothy Moore – Misty Blue

(I fucking knew it!! I’ve thought of more)

14. Queens Of Stoneage – No-one Knows

15. Dirty Vegas – Little White Doves

16. Rod Zombie – Dragula

17. Jake Everett – Bad Things (I can’t believe this is wasted in a shite TV show!)

18. The Stranglers – Waltz In Black

19. The Clown Song – DJ Rankin

20. Sparks – Amateur Hour

Jesus fuck – If I had that lot as a continual play-list, folks would think I was a happy bastard.

…Gwen would take great pleasure in enlightening them!!!

Have a listen guys and tell me if any of them did make you smile!

Hugh

*The crossword those weeks were a bastard!

Image: Pixabay.com