There is not a lot to be said about Acton, a small hamlet in Staffordshire. You could so easily drive through it without knowing and yet, without its existence, I may well not have existed!
The one building that is there, an old Wesleyan Methodist Church that closed in 2003, is where my father, Charles Matthews, went to Sunday School, then to Chapel. Where he met my mother Irene Lily Matthews, née Talbot. Where they first started courting, all very prim and proper in those days. Where Dad first qualified for his 75 years as a Methodist Local Preacher.
I will add some photographs to a later post, and give a little more detail. I thought it appropriate that for the last of my two years worth of Lundi limericks (Lundi being french for Monday, for those who hadn’t noticed!!) I should write about somewhere extra special.
Bridget had a few things to finish in order to find her inner peace.
She found it!
I heard a Doctor on TV saying at this time, when we all are forced to stay at home, we should focus on inner peace. To achieve this we should always finish things we start. Now or never! Time to finish old projects and calm down by doing so.
I bought this album and, until very recently, it was still hidden away in a drawer, complete with all the original inserts. I took the very difficult decision to donate all of my vinyl to charity. I’m glad that I did but, my goodness, it hurt!
Most of the songs on the album were written during March and April 1968 at a Transcendental Meditation course in Rishikesh, India. This particular track has had all sorts of speculation about its true meaning with, as usual, suggestions that there was a sexual connection, a drug connection, and many other thoughts.
Whatever it was, or was not based on, why not just sit back and enjoy it just for the music. I do!
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
She’s not a girl who misses much Do do do do do do, oh yeah She’s well-acquainted with the touch of the velvet hand Like a lizard on a window pane The man in the crowd with the multicolored mirrors On his hobnail boots Lying with his eyes while his hands are busy Working overtime A soap impression of his wife which he ate And donated to the National Trust
I need a fix ’cause I’m going down Down to the pits that I left uptown I need a fix ’cause I’m going down
Mother Superior jumped the gun Mother Superior jumped the gun Mother Superior jumped the gun Mother Superior jumped the gun Mother Superior jumped the gun Mother Superior jumped the gun
Happiness is a warm gun (bang, bang, shoot, shoot) Happiness is a warm gun, momma (bang, bang, shoot, shoot)
When I hold you in my arms (ooh, oh, yeah) And I feel my finger on your trigger (ooh, oh, yeah) I know nobody can do me no harm (ooh, oh, yeah) Because
Happiness is a warm gun, yes it is (bang, bang, shoot, shoot) Happiness is a warm, yes it is, gun (happiness, bang, bang, shoot, shoot) Well, don’t you know that happiness is a warm gun momma? (Happiness is a warm gun, yeah)
Well, I didn’t expect to be back so soon with this, but I so enjoyed the first Smile time that I had to discover just where those children lived.
They are from Podersdorf am See, a small market town in Austria with a population of only about 2,500. They are very near to the Slovakia and Hungary borders, so my guess at East European was pretty accurate.
They have what appears to be a fantastic primary school with a fine musical tradition, and here they are, with my Smile time #2, singing “Good Morning, Did you sleep well? I love the anticipation of the percussionists!
There are many things in life that make me smile, and I like to smile! It is so much easier than frowning, or grimacing.
I have decided to, occasionally, pass things on that I happen across that have made me smile. The first is something that I included in a comment on Colleen Brown’s lovely blog, The Chatter Blog. If you’ve never read any of Colleen’s words, or seen her delightful drawings, I can guarantee that you will find many a smile amongst her wise words and insightful sketches.
It’s a gibberish song, widely spread around the world and popular among Scouts and Girl Guides as a campfire “round”. Originally Scandinavian. Sounds as though these are East European children. I bet you smiled!
Quokkas twice in a day has to be some sort of record.
Apart from that, this is really lovely, and well worth a look at the original too. There are some nice people around, and you don’t have to look far to find them!
Recently Sunny Skyz posted a collection of the most wholesome tweets of 2018. I’m recycling a few of my favorites here. See them all here.
OK, I know it’s Monday. So, what if I am a little late? I can cope with that, I’m retired!
My first thought for Helen’s prompt of give/giving was to offer you I gave you all by Mumford and Sons. If you want to, you can still listen to it here.
The problem with SLS is that I tend to get carried away when researching what to offer. I end up, every week, spending time listening to loads of music when I really should be doing other things. It’s a great problem to have!!!!!!
If you want to take part, or wish to listen to all the other musical offerings, you can find everything here.
I finally settled on another Mumford and Sons song, Awake my soul – Live at Red Rocks. It doesn’t really fit in directly with the prompt, apart from the fact that the group give a fantastic performance, they really enjoy it, as do the audience, and I hope that you will too!
How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes I struggle to find any truth in your lies And now my heart stumbles on things I don’t know My weakness I feel I must finally show
Lend me your hand and we’ll conquer them all But lend me your heart and I’ll just let you fall Lend me your eyes I can change what you see But your soul you must keep, totally free Har har, har har, har har, har har
Awake my soul, awake my soul Awake my soul
How fickle my heart and how woozy my eyes I struggle to find any truth in your lies And now my heart stumbles on things I don’t know My weakness I feel I must finally show Har har, har har, har har, har har
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die Where you invest your love, you invest your life In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die And where you invest your love, you invest your life
Awake my soul, awake my soul Awake my soul For you were made to meet your maker Awake my soul, awake my soul Awake my soul For you were made to meet your maker You were made to meet your maker
Songwriters: Benjamin Walter David Lovett / Edward James Milton Dwane / Marcus Oliver Johnstone Mumford / Winston Aubrey Aladar Marshall
"If only half of the history that has happened in Nottingham had happened in some other place, that place would be famous; but because it did happen here no one knows".
Thank you to Jim Adams, who hosts Song Lyric Sunday and gives us the chance to share lots of familiar, and some not so familiar, songs.
