Long Live the Village Green was once a blog in which I shared my concerns for our earth's well being, while exploring ways to make my life more sustainable and less harmful to the planet. Time passes and focus shifts, especially when forces array themselves against the public school system. As a public school teacher, I see top-down decisions destroying years of progress and growth. This blog will now focus on speaking truth to those who would privatize education.
If you happen to be living or visiting in the UK, you can attend an Obama inauguration viewing party -- for free -- at the Theatre Royal Stratford East, in East London. It is a very appropriate place to hold such an event, as this area of East London is home to immigrants from around the world, a microcosm representing the world's hopes and dreams:
Obama Inauguration
Barack ObamaCelebrate the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama with Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Theatre Royal will be screening the full historic event LIVE from Washington DC as it happens on Tuesday 20 January.
The Inauguration of Barack Obama is scheduled for 5pm. Our doors are open from 4pm.
The event will be hosted by Kat Francois
Live entertainment in the Bar, DJ ‘til late
Hot Dogs, popcorn etc!
FREE ENTRY
Places are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis so, to make sure you get yours contact Emma on 020 8279 1138 or e-mail: invites@stratfordeast.com
In the same email from the the Stratford East, this request. If you haven't voted in the Theatregoers Choice Awards for Ray Davies's musical, Come Dancing, there's still time:
What's On Stage Theatregoers Choice Awards
There's still time to vote in the What's on Stage Theatregoers choice awards. We're chuffed to have 2 of our shows nominated. So if you haven't cast your vote yet then click here.
Ray Davies and the Kinks released Come Dancing on State of Confusion in 1983. A wonderful video soon followed, complete with period characters and costuming, and it was shot at the Ilford Palais, the dance hall lovingly brought to life in the song's lyrics. Ray's been talking about writing a musical based on that song for years.
This is not one of those "grab a bunch of a pop group's hit songs and try to write a story around them" types of musicals now popping up all over Broadway and the West End. Come Dancing is is authentic in content and presentation, without any excess. It is all heart and full of truths both hard and tender. As fellow Kinks fan Rupert advised me outside the theatre -- you will need a hankie to get you through it. Rupert and his aunt had seen the matinee and were lingering outside the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Rupert had managed to snag an autograph from Ray when he dashed out for something to eat between shows.
I stood in front of the theatre, in awe of its storied past. It was Joan Littlewood's home for many years, the place where she produced theatre with a social conscience and used techniques that were innovative for her time. And oh yes, she was a total rarity -- a woman directing and producing in an era that was singularly devoid of women in creative control of what appeared on a professional stage. Her work was born of commedia mixed with agitprop. "Oh What a Lovely War" first appeared here, along with "A Taste of Honey" and "Fings Ain't What They Used to Be." The theatre has maintained its mission of service to the community, a community that features 160 different spoken languages brought there by immigrants from around the world.
Littlewood described theatre as a living breathing process: "Good theatre draws the energies out of the place where it is and gives it back as joie de vivre." Come Dancing lives up to Littlewood's expectations of good theatre. It was the perfect venue for this musical tale of a working class family living in post-war Britain in the years just before birth of rock and roll.
The big bands played jazzy dance music on a Saturday night at the Ilford Palais. The stage setting was simple and inclusive of the audience, spilling over and blurring the line between audience and performer. The Palai's dance floor was bordered by cafe chairs and tables on the side and back, while on the other side a functioning bar served both actors and audience during the pre-show and at the interval. The five piece band was perched up above the band leader's microphone at the rear of the stage. Front and center, a revolving circle provided dancing and acting spaces. Actors flowed in and out of audience areas, and on stage local couples danced through time back to the 1950s
There were no glitzy set changes. Pools of light served to define places other than the dance hall. We always knew where we were: on a rooftop, in the family home, out in the street -- even though there were no furnishings. The acting was impeccable, each character vibrant and all too human. Based on Ray's memories of observing his older sisters' preparations for a Saturday night dance, the plot involves the love of a young white girl for a black musician from Jamaica. The impossibility of such a connection is juxtaposed with the moment in time when black music began to stir the souls of young white teenagers. Indeed, three young men form a rock band as the the Big Band era winds down. The new beat underscores the changing rhythms of life in Great Britain. Old ways are broken up as entire neighborhoods are torn down, families relocated and given elocution lessons to cover cockney origins.
The musical confronts the harsh reality of a white culture that could not bring itself to talk to, let alone shake the hand of, a black person. It also reminds us of our working class roots and how socio-economic forces and family culture shaped our outcomes.
There are twenty new songs in Come Dancing. They are not typical musical theatre by any means. They are not written to stop the show with excessive glitter and an endless chorusline, but simply to tell the story. Their changing musical influences chart the progress of a young man's musical education. Ray has stated that music in this show is a tribute to the first music he listened to -- his older sisters' records. I'm probably not the only one looking forward to an original cast recording of Come Dancing. Fans are hoping for a move to the West End, and then on to NYC.
The dancing is wonderful, the singing glorious, and the story is one not to be forgotten. My only nagging concern about this musical is will it be allowed to stand on its own without the presence of creator/narrator Ray Douglas Davies? Yes, it is his story, but it is a story that should eventually be released for others to perform for audiences scattered here and there. As pleased as I was to be leaning over the royal circle balcony for a fantastic view of Ray telling his tale, I could not help but think that "Tired of Waiting" at the beginning was not necessary. I did note that the family name in the musical is not that of "Davies." I tried to imagine some other actor telling the tale as if it were his own. I'm quite sure that it would work, which pleases the director within me.
Tired of Waiting (Ray) Come Dancing - part (Ray) My Big Sister (Ray) Putting on the Face (Ray, the Sisters) Gonna Change the World (Rita) Saturday Night (Tosher, Sid and Basil) When the Band Begins to Play (Frankie, Company) A Penny for your Thoughts (Frankie) Because I'm Yours (Frankie, Annie) The New Towns are Coming (Rose and Arthur) I Got Me a Knife (Tosher) Rock Till You Drop (Tosher, Basil and Sid) Believe in Yourself (Rita) There's Gonna Be Something Better (Julie, plus Rita) We Might Never Be This Way Again (Company) Do It! (Rita) Why I Love You (Frankie) If I remember correctly, this is a pastiche of a very bad love song and is only a snatch Wherever You Go (Julie) Truly Beautiful (Company) The World Won't Keep Us Apart (Julie, Hamilton) In Heaven (Company) A Better Thing (Ray, Hamilton, Frankie) and Come Dancing as an all cast finale
In an interview, Davies stated that the story is timeless, that youth, violence, family conflict and class are all intertwined and continually played from generation to the next. The only thing that changes, he said, are the clothes. See for yourself in the show extracts released to YouTube by the theatre:
Tonight is one of those I don't have time to blog nights -- there's been a lot of that around here lately, sorry! It's the busy fall production season along with a bunch of other looming deadlines as well as wonderful travel opportunities.
I hope to be blogging to you from the UK this weekend as Ray Davies must trump DEVO. No offense DEVOtees -- I'm plenty pissed that concert was scheduled for the one weekend of the past 15 years I will happen to be in England! I'm quite sure that the Civic will be THE place to be in Akron, Friday night. I'll be jealous of you all on Friday, if you promise to drool with envy over my front seat ticket to see Come Dancing on Saturday!
But I vowed to see "Come Dancing" when I first heard Ray was writing it over a dozen years ago. And so I'm off Thursday night and back Monday night. Going to see as much theatre as I can possibly fit into the extended weekend including a John Webster play, The White Devil. From Wikipedia: "The play itself explores the differences between the reality of people and the way they depict themselves as a good, "white" or pure." It sounds so topical.
But the reason I opened up Blogger tonight really has nothing to do with anything I've just written. I was motivated by Rachel Maddow, who has fast become my favorite commenting TV head. She had Connie Schultz on tonight (go here for Connie's take on Sarah Palin and be sure to read this one.) -- and that made me wonder why Connie's opinions haven't been sought out more often? It was totally refreshing to see her on screen chatting one-on-one with Rachel, who doesn't go for the bunch of voices chattering in opposition shtick. She prefers to go face to face with one guest at a time, engaging them with insightful questions that draw the discussion to deeper levels rather than the shows that prefer to have people shouting over each other.
She had Barbara Boxer on and asked her about will the Democrats do something about the abuses of power and spying on citizens that went on during Bush's years of expanded presidential super powers. Boxer said yes, but they have to do it in the right way -- so that it will never happen again. She also commented that the Democrats are going to have huge urgent tasks ahead of them so it might not be the first item on the list.
I say this to Senator Boxer, whom I admire greatly, look -- you have all those standing committees in the senate with the power to convene, investigate and take testimony. Surely one of them is available for examining domestic spying procedures. If you get that big old fool proof majority this time, put FISA back under judicial oversight. All the schlepping around the globe with terrorists and torturing them in secret foreign locations -- that needs to stop too.
Rachel had a guest later on, a lemon-sucking Enterprise Institute upper class twit who attempted to make the point that the tone of Rachel's show was equivalent to the threats and derogatory remarks coming from the McPalin rallies. The guest smirked and sneered as he derided the first 41 minutes of her show, which as I mentioned, featured two very distinguished American women who engaged quite civilly with Rachel from unabashedly progressive viewpoints.
Yeah -- I'm digging the Maddow show and hope you are too. Here's a fine example. Rachel Maddow on Sarah Palin's lies:
Boy do I need a break from politics and the financial collapse of life as we know it. How about you? Here's a clip from Ray Davies' video blog about his new musical, Come Dancing, which is in previews now and press night fast approaching on Sept 24th. I have been studiously avoiding reading fan reviews and comments on the show in previews because I want to view it with uninfluenced eyes, and as Ray notes -- they are at the point of testing it out and changing and refining the production, so what is up now may not be what I'm seeing on October 18th.
Wow! Breaking news here from Jolly Old England - Ray Davies will star in his own musical, Come Dancing! He will play the role of Terry, the musical's narrator. Hmmm, wondering how many solo numbers he wrote for himself? Will he dance as he narrates? I'm remembering that charming little soft shoe number he did in Absolute Beginners.
The musical is based upon the era of big band music, right before rock and roll. Davies used to watch his older sisters get ready to go out to the Ilford Palais, a storied dance hall long since torn down and paved over, according to the Kinks song "Come Dancing" that has turned into the title of this musical.
I had no idea that Ray would be in this production when I ordered my front row ticket earlier this week! Only 40 pds, which seems not so expensive these days, but I was reminded that the Stratford East is not West End, more like off-B'way here in NYC. Anyway, to say that I am thrilled beyond all imagining that I am actually going to be in the audience for this production is not an exaggeration! Will try to blog about it from the UK if at all possible. I've got until mid October to figure it all out!
I've been waiting years for this! We've heard hints and promises about this musical over the past ten years. Finally, it reaches the stage this fall. I am madly going over my finances and calendar to make sure I can get there for a weekend.
Latest News: Kinks-y musical at Stratford East First published: 16 Jul 2008
Ray Davies, former front-man of sixties band The Kinks, has turned his tuneful hand to theatre, creating new musical Come Dancing, which will premiere at the Theatre Royal Stratford East this autumn.
Inspired by the famous Kinks song of the same name, Come Dancing, which runs from 13 September to 25 October (press night 24 September), is set in the 1950s around the Ilford Palais ballroom. Conjuring the innocent, care-free days of youth, it tells a tale of love triumphing over adversity.
Davies, whose hits with The Kinks include Waterloo Sunset, You Really Got Me, All Day And All Of The Night and Lola, has written a host of new songs for Come Dancing, in addition to working with writers Paul Sirett and Terry Johnson to create the book for this new production.
Sirett's work has previously been seen at Stratford East, where his Ska musical The Big Life was a huge hit, prompting a transfer to the West End. Playwright and director Johnson is also no stranger to London's Theatreland, where his previous productions include Dead Funny, Cleo Camping Emmanuelle And Dick and Hitchcock Blonde.
The production is directed by Theatre Royal Stratford East's Artistic Director Kerry Michael, who directed Stratford East's most recent West End transfer, The Harder They Come, which is currently entertaining audiences at the Playhouse.
Come Dancing's creative team also includes designers Harriet Barsby and Jenny Tiramani, musical director Robert Hyman, choreographer Omar Okai and lighting designer Jo Joelson. Casting is yet to be announced.
Show Details: Come Dancing showing at: Theatre Royal Stratford
I forgot that I had attempted to take some pictures at the Todd Rundgren concert a couple of weeks back. Not very successful, mainly due to the thick crush of the crowd. I had no desire to push my way up front. When I got to the House of Blues and discovered how uncomfortable the standing situation was going to be, I found a spot next to a rail upon which I could lean and didn't want to give that spot up. Unfortunately, the tallest men in the club decided to plant themselves in front of me throughout the evening. Arggh!
Anyway, this dim shot gives you Todd and Rachel at either end with somebody's head in between. I remembered I'd taken this photo upon hearing from a Cleveland music blogger who attended the show but didn't get any pictures. He says he didn't get a photo pass. I'm assuming that's like a press pass that would give him special access for photographic purposes.
His name is Kevin Conley and he's got a lot of great shots of both local and international musicians performing at various NE Ohio venues on his blog, The Music View. Check them out and see how many of the shows you attended. Kinks fans should note there is a very fine shot of Ray Davies doing one of his solo shows at the Odeon.
We are spending nothing this 4th of July holiday, instead staying home to keep an eye on neighbors with illegal fireworks. The garden hose is out and ready for any fires.
In celebration of the cheap life, let's take a look and listen to the Kinks in glorious form from 1979 in Providence RI. This has outstanding videography, including some quality time focused on Dave the Rave's virtuoso guitar playing.
Ray's on tour this summer, visiting points in Canada and certain NW states of America. Details here. I will not be burning up extra carbon to attend. The show this spring at the Beacon is still reverberating round my brain! But if you live close to a venue, snap up a ticket for a really great show.
Cheap is small And not to steep But best of all Cheap is cheap
A lovely collage of sights and scenes of Kinkdom in "London Song," an affectionate haunting view of the "dark passages and alleyways of London" by Ray Davies, first recorded on The Storyteller album.
This fan-created video nicely illustrates the places and characters that populate the song, including William Blake, Max Wall and the Kray Twins (very dangerous people, the Kray Twins!) With some views of the Clissold Arms too! Enjoy...
On the way to the concert this evening, I took along the latest New Yorker to read on the train from NJ. One man's reflection on mortality and end of life issues put me in a very gloomy frame of mind. The writer, Michael Kinsley, is my age. He writes of baby boomers facing the final elbow, and how no matter how much we work to extend our little lives, the odds are relentless. If you want to check it out, the article is online here.
The marquee at the Beacon Theatre announced: Ray Davies -- Sold Out! Underneath, a large crowd of mostly boomer-types mingled and buzzed. Still under the influence of Kinsley's meditation and the over-powering production of Macbeth I saw this past weekend, I entered the theatre acutely aware of the receding hairlines, the crinkles and crevices of age, and the stiffening spines of my fellow boomers.
Good heavens! How old is Ray now and how many years have we all been showing up for his shows? And can we really continue to believe that "you and me last forever -- all day and all of the night!"
Inside finally, and I feel comforted by a glorious old theatre with a carved and gilt covered early 20th century proscenium carefully preserved and now framing speakers, mic stands and guitars all ready for the show. A sudden darkening of the lights and suddenly, there he is, like so many times before. Front and center, music about to begin. My heart goes thump along with the opening chords -- it is one of my favorite anthems -- I'm Not Like Everybody Else. The audience goes wild, the aging boomers are young once again. We shriek and bob and sing along.
The show was more than I every could expect. Ray fed off the audience's energy and vice versa. We all sang every song, even the new ones. This was a dedicated audience. The set list is as follows (as best as I could scribble it down in the dark):
I'm Not Like Everybody Else Where Have All the Good Times Gone? Well Respected Man Til the End of the Day After the Fall Dead End Street The Tourist 20th Century Man (dedicated to his dad, "a socialist far left of Lenin") Working Man's Cafe
Intermission. Kinky story: the restrooms were down stairs below orchestra level. For the first time in my life, the men's line was ten times longer than the women's! All the women were laughing about it, as we zipped round the long line of men. One said, well there never were very many women at Kinks concerts. Another said, too many older guys drinking too much beer!.
After the interval, Ray started solo with some songs from the new album:
In a Moment One More Time Vietnam Cowboys The Real World (which is about a young woman Harvard grad who found herself tending bar in New Orleans) Real World No One Listens
Then he tossed in the rarely performed Fancy, followed by Sunny Afternoon Come Dancing So Tired Set Me Free All Day and All of the Night
And then all these as encores:
Low Budget (This made me extraordinarily happy!) Waterloo Sunset Lola Days Imaginary Man Victoria
Forgive me if I left anything out. I expect a complete set list will be posted at the Unofficial Kinks Web Site.
I took some pictures and will try to get some up once I'm home from vacation along with more thoughts and reflections.
Needless to say, I left the theatre in a far better mood than the one I had entering it. Ray had the answer for all the reflections upon mortality I had been drawn into. He said, "As long as I'm alive, I'll be writing songs."
As long as I'm alive, I'll be listening. Thanks Ray!
Here's something just posted to YouTube -- a segment of a play televised live in England in 1 starring a young and handsome Ray Davies as a marathon piano player. (Full credits here.) The play is about a young fellow trying to make something out of an event in which he commits to playing non-stop for 4 days. There's a sleazy manager and a wife with some issues.
I saw a video of the black and white broadcast at a Kinks Fan Club meeting in the UK in the mid 90s and was quite taken by Davies' performance. The stage missed out on a major talent when he chose to stick to rock and roll as his major art form.
For a recent CNN interview with Ray, go here. In this one, he reveals that the shooting incident that left him recovering at Charity Ward Hospital in New Orleans made him think about ending his performing career. Thank dog he didn't and I get to see him next week at the Beacon in New York.
We get so many visits to the Village Green from folks looking for more information about the Kinks song Everybody's a Star, I thought it would be helpful to post the actual track from Soap Opera for our Saturday night rock out.
This song was NOT created to sell a certain brand of sneakers. Everybody's a Star is the opening number in a witty and timeless piece of rock and roll theatre. The plot concerns a pretentious rock star who decides to trade places with a perfectly ordinary man, in order to get material for a new song. The rock star approaches "Norman" with the promise that he can make anybody into a star. The song cleverly makes reference to Shakepeare's "All the world's a stage and all the men and women merely players."
We all read lines and we all act a part We all need a script and an audience to play to No matter what you do or who you are -- Everybody's a star!
So our rock star trades places with Norman, living the ordinary life with an ordinary wife (Ordinary People) and a boring job in the city. He gets up in the morning to face the awful commute by train (Rush Hour Blues), puts in his hours at his dull job (Nine to Five), takes the same train home every night (When Work Is Over), and stops at the pub for endless drinks (Have Another Drink). He wanders home in the wee hours (Underneath the Neon Sign), his life a pitiful and drab repetition day after day. He day dreams of a romantic adventure (Holiday Romance) but even his fantasies end in failure and rejection.
At home, he sings a wry duet with his wife about how happy they make each other, but the reality is -- he cannot stand her cooking (You Make It All Worthwhile). A final flare up ensues:
After dinner Norman becomes depressed.
STAR: Norman's office got on my nerves to-day.
WIFE: What do you mean? You are Norman!
STAR: (Shouts) I am a star!
WIFE: You're not a star Norman. You're just a plain ordinary little bloke and even if you walked down the street in a silver suit people still wouldn't recognise you. You're dull, ordinary and uninteresting! You're a drag!
Star rises from his chair and smashes the dinner plates to the floor.
STAR: I hate this house and I hate you, but more than anything else I hate those ducks!
WIFE: Don't you touch those ducks Norman! They were a present from my mother. Look, Norman, I've had enough of you and your ridiculous fantasies. First of all you wanted to be a painter, then you wanted to be an astronaut, then a footballer and now you're playing at being a rock singer. If you touch those ducks I'm leaving! (Ducks On The Wall)
At this point in the show, we realize that there are several layers of fantasy going on here. The so-called rock star may have been ordinary Norman all along. Perhaps all the songs we'd been hearing were merely Norman's fantasies created to cope with his miserable life.
When I saw this show performed by the Kinks way back in 1975 at the Akron Civic Theatre, the audience became very distraught during the following song (A Face in the Crowd):
Our Star doesn't know who he is any more. Is he the starmaker, the image maker, looking for material or is he just plain boring little Norman after all? Perhaps he should accept that he is a plain ordinary bloke and not try to be something he is not.
(A) Face In The Crowd
I've got to stop faking it, I've got to start facing it, I'm going to take my final bow Then I'm going to take my place in the crowd. I know I'll get used to it, I've got to stop acting like a clown.
I've gotta start facing up to what I really am. I've got to realise l'm just an ordinary man. I think that I'll just settle down And take my place in the crowd. I don't want to lie to myself any more.
It felt like Ray Davies who was playing the part of "The Star" was telling us that he didn't want to continue to be our star. That he wanted to live the ordinary life. The emotions were palpable -- I remember quite clearly standing up and shouting "Don't stop Ray!" along with all the other fans there.
But then came the final number (You Can't Stop the Music) with it's ironic reassurance that :
Singers come and go, And stars fade away. They vanish in the haze And they're never seen again, But the music just keeps playing on.
Themes developed in this musical have been continued throughout Ray Davies' writing career. In fact, in his latest CD -- Working Man's Cafe -- the song In A Moment takes me straight back to Underneath the Neon Lights. The metaphor of wakefulness in the odd hours underneath artificial lights is a recurring theme in Davies' lyrics. (See too: Artificial Light).
So think of Norman the next time you see that shoe commercial. If you really think that putting on a certain brand of sneakers is going to make you a star -- well, maybe in the sense that:
No matter what your occupation is Everybody's in showbiz.
As expected, Ray's appearance on Letterman is available via Youtube. Paul Shaffer runs on with a microphone and is obviously having a blast joining in the chorus of "In a Moment," a song with wonderful lyrics.
Had a great post planned for this evening, centered around Ray Davies appearance on Letterman tonight. Tune in now, kids -- he'll be on at the end of the program.
However, when I turned on my 'puter, the big No Connection message came up, taking me back to those dial-up days long ago, when one would try and try to stay on AOL without getting booted off every ten minutes. I don't know what was up with Earthlink tonight, but I wasn't getting on for almost four hours.
Wow, what do you do for four hours in the evening when your computer won't connect? Watch American Idol, of course, while talking to friends on the phone and trying to get student progress reports finished.
No time to go to the Google Reader and check out all my favorite blogs tonight. Will try to play catch-up tomorrow. Time for Ray!!! If you are reading this after Letterman, don't worry -- his appearance is sure to appear on YouTube before you know it.
PS: Working Man's Cafe was released today in the US, so don't forget to buy it.
Tackling piles Things To Do tonight, while the TV provides background noise. Suddenly, the sound of one very great rock guitarist rings out along with the vocal tones of the Bard of Muswell Hill. I'm shocked out of my seat with wonderment! Why is a song from "Soap Opera" coming from my television? Oh yeah, it's that commercial for a shoe company that has a star for a logo. Hence the use of the song "Everybody's a Star."
I believe that everybody's a celebrity, And we've all got personality And individuality. We all read lines, And we all act a part, We all need a script And an audience to play to. No matter what you do, Or who you are, Everybody's a star.
That dear friends, is my philosophy of life and theatre! Now promoting shoes undoubtedly made in China. I just hope the Davies brothers are receiving appropriate renumeration for the use of said song.
On my bulletin board at school, the following line from this song is posted:
No matter what your occupation is Everybody's in showbiz.
Because no matter what career my drama students end up in, they will make good use of their theatrical training. They will be able to communicate clearly and work well in collaborative situations. All the world will be their stage and it will need every ounce of creative thinking they can muster in order to overcome all the problems besetting them and it.
For more insight into the song "Everybody's A Star" within context of Soap Opera, the rock and roll musical it comes from, check this post.
I'm off to Cincinnati for another Critical Links in theatre education weekend. So I leave you with this nifty promo preview of the bonus DVD on the new US release of Ray Davies album, Working Man's Cafe:
Here's a song from Working Man's Cafe called One More Time. It has the curious effect of rending my heart and then patching it back up almost at the same time:
A message came in to the Village Green about Nelson and Starr, the hospital workers who tended Ray during his morphine days in New Orleans. Good to know they made it through Katrina.
Life has been not just a whirlwind but many of them. Blogging hasn't been an option for days, and I do apologize, especially since I will be taking some lengthy time off from posting here over the official school break.
However, I am happy to find that the BBC Electric Proms footage of Ray Davies singing the title track from Working Man's Cafe is now up at Youtube and posted here for everybody's listening pleasure. While I'm away, you can come here and listen to this over and over again until the album is officially released in the US in Feb 08. I think it is already available on US iTunes.
I cannot get enough of this track. I play it over and over and let the emotions wash all over me. I was born into the working class, with genetic code from generations of copper miners, cotton spinners, green grocers and stone masons. My dad was a brick layer when we were kids, which was very much a bonus for us, as he was often off work during winter snow season. He thought up great projects to while away the indoor months, like building a sailing ship to scale, a life size replica of a mummy case, and a model of the Parthenon. Eventually, he stopped bricklaying and became an antiquarian book dealer. My dad is my working class hero, for sure.
My mom was a pink collar worker until she worked her way through college and got to be a teacher after years of taking dictation, typing and assorted office work. She enjoyed teaching a lot more and kept on doing it for a long time. She lead the way into teaching and I have gamely followed her into the classroom. I will always owe her for lending me a suit jacket and skirt for the teaching interview that landed me my dream job. (First and last time I ever wore a skirt on the job!)
Now she and dad are retired and happily living in the little working class house that they built. They seek out working class cafes where a meal is cheap and the atmosphere unpretentious. I will never be able to listen to this song without thinking of them and all they have done for me. So mum and dad -- this one's for you:
