My crucial tracks from last week - From Clare to Here, Le gorille, This Is to Mother You, Failte Abhaile, King of the Road (but not that one), Merry Xmas Everybody, The Springhill Mining Disaster, and London Girl
Crucial Tracks is fab. Go and join it immediately
What song makes you feel grateful?
"Clare to Here (Live)" by The Fureys And Davey Arthur
I posted this for JukeboxFridayNight on Mastodon this week, which had the hashtag 'Travellers'
Back in the 1940s, 50 or so people came over to Salisbury from Ennis, in the County Clare, to work in the NHS
One of them was my partner’s dad, so although this isn’t a song of gratitude, it always makes me feel very, very grateful
"Clare to Here (Live)" by The Fureys And Davey Arthur on Apple music
What's a song you associate with your favorite holiday?
"Le gorille" by Georges Brassens
I didn't quite get to the George Brassens museum, and tbh my French wouldn't have been up to it anyway
Share a song that feels like it has healing powers.
"This Is to Mother You" by Sinéad O'Connor
This is quite a sad song, given what Sinead said about her childhood, but it feels to me as soothing as a warm bath
What song makes you think about the future?
"Failte Abhaile (Welcome Home)" by Damien Dempsey
I'm really, really looking forward to Child #1 coming home for Christmas
It’s not very far in the future, admittedly…but I like Damien Dempsey and this is maybe my favourite festive songs of the last few years.
"Failte Abhaile (Welcome Home)" by Damien Dempsey on Apple music
What's your favorite song to listen to while doing chores?
"King of the Road" by The Rattling Kind
From one of my 'kitchen' playlists...it's not the Roger Miller song.
Share a song that sounds like your favorite childhood memory.
"Merry Xmas Everybody" by Slade
This came out when I was 9 years old, and I think I remember seeing it on Top of the Pops.
It’s celebratory and wistful at the same time. Noddy seems to be ever so slightly detached from the festivities, at least he does to me
What's a song you'd want your best friend to hear for the first time?
"The Springhill Mining Disaster (feat. Damien Dempsey)" by Pauline Scanlon
I only heard this fairly recently. My friend likes Kate Rusby and Nick Cave (and a few Ewan MacColl songs), and this is in that sort of area
"The Springhill Mining Disaster (feat. Damien Dempsey)" by Pauline Scanlon on Apple music
Share a song that captures the feeling of being homesick.
"London Girl" by The Pogues
I'm perhaps lucky in that I've never had much cause to be homesick. I live about a mile from the house I grew up in.
However, although it’s not exactly homesickness, we lived in London for 20 years or so, and I do miss it…and this gives me an excuse to post another song about dear old London town.
This song is slightly written off in the Pogues catalogue, partly because it was on an EP along with Body of an American and Rainy Night in Soho, which are classics