Lyrics · Music · Trivia

“Up the Junction”, “Virginia Plain”, and “The Rose”

In two previous posts I have written about a favourite pop trivia challenge of mine, namely: What do the songs “Virginia Plain” and “Up the Junction” have in common with each other, and with no other singles that have reached the UK Top 10? The second of these pieces was posted in September 2020. The… Continue reading “Up the Junction”, “Virginia Plain”, and “The Rose”

Lyrics

The lyricist who never rhymed “heart” and “apart”, or so I thought

The words “heart” and “apart” are often used as rhymes, in song lyrics and in poetry. Shakespeare used this rhyme. So have Bob Dylan, Hal David and Dorothy Fields, so there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s got form, you know. But, as I have noted previously, in this Menu Item, and in this piece from… Continue reading The lyricist who never rhymed “heart” and “apart”, or so I thought

Home life · Language · Learning · Lyrics · Music · Word of the week

Word of the week: Milord

My daughter is taking her Mock GCSE exams this month. When she started senior school she did well enough in her initial assessments to be selected for Mandarin classes. She was in the “MEP” (Mandarin Excellence Programme), a pathway that offered extra tuition in the language and the prospect of an extended trip to China… Continue reading Word of the week: Milord

Lyrics · Memories · Notes from West London · On my radio

“Live my days, instead of counting my years”

Earlier this month, 1966 was one of the featured years on an edition of BBC Radio 2’s “Pick of the Pops”. I’ll be specific: it was on Saturday 6 August, and the broadcast is available, here, until 6 September 2022. It’s well worth a listen. There are many highlights, including #1s by Small Faces (“All… Continue reading “Live my days, instead of counting my years”