Tuesday Tunes

Its an almost gladitorial battle: the feeling I should blog regularly brandishing a spear and shield, versus my reluctance to post needlessly or without value proferring a net and trident. Social media and constant engagement are necessary evils these days, because if you arent continually shouting through the digital void at people then how can you remain relevant?

Well here is my attempt at balance; a truce between the gladiators.  Every Tuesday, I'll post less than 1,000 words about a song or two. Regular, short, and plenty of material to draw from. It might even add value if you discover some new songs or artists. Should be easy, right?

The Song(s)
Song: 'Soldier' & 'Hey! Sandy'
Artist: Harvey Andrews
Album: Writer of Songs - 1972 - Cube Records
Method of discovery: A single in my parents vinyl collection - ‘Soldier’ = side A.

Research: Both songs are inspired by death, which for the first one of these, is a somewhat morbid beginning.
‘Soldier’ was inspired by the sacrifice of British Sergeant Michael Willetts during the Northern Island Conflict, a.k.a. The Troubles. The overly simplistic version is that the Irish couldn’t agree on whether or not to be one Island or two Irelands. Willetts was among the first British Soldiers to die when a suitcase-bomb was thrown into the police station where he and his squad were placed. He ran toward the bomb and used his body to shield two adults and two children from the blast, which killed him.
’Hey! Sandy’ was penned to address the Kent State Shooting, and most directly Sandra Scheuer, a University student who was struck dead by a bullet aimed for the nearby protesters. Members of the Ohio National Guard fired sixty-seven rounds over thirteen seconds, killing four and injuring nine. The reason for the shots are unclear. This incident, along with others like it eventually fuelled further protests, student strikes, and even a regular rememberance by Sandra’s sorority.

Personal thoughts: When I was 5 I had memorised 'The Soldier' by playing it repetitively, which takes a lot of patience for a 5 year old operating a record player and any parents nearby (sorry Ma, sorry Pa). When I was 11 I entered a talent competition and won a jigsaw of an elephant by singing it acapella (I hadn't learnt guitar yet). When I worked at foodtown as a teen I sang this to keep sane while stacking yet another box of bananas.

It’s fair to say that ‘Soldier' is one of my all time favourite songs, but also the first favourite I can remember, which is why I saw fit to start here.

Sometime bewteen the Elephant and Bananas, I turned over the record with curious intent.  Although I and subsequently everyone else at home had heard it before, I really listened to 'Hey! Sandy' for the first time. I felt like I'd moved a precious artifact to discover another one beneath it. Now I had two songs to love.

The melody and story of 'Soldier' captured me as a kid, and the more I’ve grown the more I understand the lyrics. Its a typical folksy tune and uses standard I-IV-V chords to keep the song jangling along. ‘Hey! Sandy’ on the other hand begins with a quavery note sustained on a Double-Bass (I think) and gradually introduces Vocals, Guitar, Electric Guitar, and even a Bodhran (again, I think. It could be a ‘standard’ drum). With the inclusion of the ii chord, it sounds a bit darker, despite the similar subject matter.

Overall I think that these two songs helped to form a lot of my interest in Lyrics in particular. But at this stage, I feel I’m at least a little biased.

Give it a go: If you like folksy tunes, or have an interest in lyrics

Give it a miss: If you don’t find value in reflecting on politically-charged-death, or death-charged-politics

[links]
’Soldier’ on Spotify, Wikipedia. Michael Willetts. The Troubles.
’Hey! Sandy’ on Spotify, Sandra Lee Scheuer and Kent State Shootings on Wikipedia.
Harvey Andrews on Wikipedia