Waiting On The Platform…

It’s been a long time since I wrote a song.

 

Waiting on the platform
A ticket in my hand
A passport to happiness
A key to wonderland

Sitting in the carriage
A book on the seat
A pointless distraction
From the girl I’m off to meet

Blocking out the scenery
As it flies past my ear
I’ve got a feeling
It’s gonna be the perfect year

Because when I’m with her
My life feels so complete
It’s like I’m flying
No other moments compete
I just can’t help it
I wish that time could repair
That stupid, unfair flaw
Which means she’s not always there

 

Listening to the driver
As he ticks off the stops
In a blissful little bubble
Free of grumpy raindrops

Arriving at the station
A smile on my face
Wider than this city
So hard to erase

Sitting down to wait now
As she zooms below the street
The second she emerges
Life’s taste will be so sweet

Because when I’m with her
My life feels so complete
It’s like I’m flying
No other moments compete
I just can’t help it
I wish that time could repair
That stupid, unfair flaw
Which means she’s not always there

Remembering the last time
I held her to me close
My heart starts vibrating
It’s tough to compose

I can’t quite believe it
That someone like her
So talented and pretty
That time starts to blur

Should not only be
An amazing and trusted friend
But the first one to want me
To let me protect and depend

Because when I’m with her
My life feels so complete
It’s like I’m flying
No other moments compete
I just can’t help it
I wish that time could repair
That stupid, unfair flaw
Which means she’s not always there

There’s no one quite like her
No one could compare
She makes me act all silly
And adopt a stupid stare

I hope she’ll always call me
When she’s feeling low
Even the briefest conversation
Has me wishing for slow-mo

When it’s time to go home
Depart London and leave
Of course I’ll be sad
And might have to grieve

I’m leaving a great city
And the only girl I need
But I can’t always live in Heaven
And demand perfection for my greed

Because when I’m with her
My life feels so complete
It’s like I’m flying
No other moments compete
I just can’t help it
I wish that time could repair
That stupid, unfair flaw
Which means she’s not always there

I wish that time could repair
That stupid, unfair flaw
Which means she’s not always there

Waiting on the platform
A ticket in my hand…

The best of today’s opinion in The Guardian: plus some music

A number of articles have caught my eye today, the best of which an exploration of the pitfalls of adaptations by Sarah Churchwell in The Guardian. Principally she focuses on a foolhardy forthcoming adaptation of Fitzgerald’s celebrated novel The Great Gatsby, which is to star Leonardo DiCaprio and be directed by Baz Luhrman, who seems to only churn out turkeys of late (eg the dismal Australia). I found the article to be brilliantly insightful as well as accesible, as I have not yet read The Great Gatsby but Churchwell explains the nature of the book and how any film will inevitably fail to capture its crucial essence so well, without ever patronising. I find the whole business of transforming pieces between genres of immense creative interest, and enjoyed playing with the craft during my English A-Level. There are certainly many reasons for adapting great works if they are adapted well, but Churchwell makes a vital point that some qualities simply cannot be transferred and filmmakers and playwrights would often do better to acknowledge this fact. Her well expressed and insightful musings on Gatsby’s theme of possibility over actuality and the idea that a film adaptation is trying to realise the dream and therefore destroys it, seem particuarly spot-on. I am encouraged to read the novel and discover what the fuss is about, especially before I view the planned film.

The title of her piece is also a clever play on Dawkins’ The God Delusion, perhaps simply inspired by the Gs.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/15/great-gatsby-delusion

Also on The Guardian website is an articulate expression of the grievances of students following the Coalition’s recent announcement of planned education cuts. Lizzie Dearden, a student at York, highlights far more clearly and simply than I the devastating impact the cuts and raised fees will have and are having on young people, and how these impacts contradict the progressive message of economic recovery continually broadcast by the government.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/16/liberal-democrats-betrayed-students

A final piece from The Guardian‘s opinion section is an interesting piece by their prolific commentator Polly Toynbee, investigating the government’s announcement of the development of a “happiness” index. Now even from my basic knowledge of philosophy and ethics and limited life experience, I can confidently state that happiness cannot be measured and in any case attempting to is nothing new; just look at the long history of Utilitarianism. However it does seem obvious as well that the concerns of voters are not purely economic and the development of a country and its world standing cannot simply be categorized through GDP alone. So like Polly in this article I applaud the attempts to broaden data, under whatever dubious banner (“well being” certainly stirs understandable derision), whilst also joining Polly in being clear that Cameron’s Conservatives take no credit for the changes, at a time when inequality is increasing and therefore well being declining.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/nov/16/unhappiness-david-cameron-wellbeing

And to finish off, a link to a brilliant band. Their recordings simply do not compare to seeing their electrifying live performances, but nevertheless wonderful lyrics and uplfiting melodies can be found. Seek them out for the real experience but I give you Tankus the Henge:

http://tankusthehenge.bandcamp.com/album/tankus-the-henge