One of my missions in life now that I'm the world's first official Word Wrestler is to clean up bad spelling on the internet. So to help out, here's ten singalong spelling lessons from rock and pop...
10. Carla Thomas B-A-B-Y
(From 'The Platinum Collection'.)
We'll start with an easy one, and theoretically one of the first words we should all learn to spell. A classic slice of Atlantic soul from Carla.
9. The Fall - C.R.E.E.P.
(From '50,000 Fall Fans Can't Be Wrong: 39 Golden Greats'.)
What kind of creep has got Mark E. Smith's goat?
His oppression abounds, his type is doing the rounds
He is a scum-egg; a horrid trendy wretch
We need more songs with the word "scum-egg" in the lyrics, regardless of the spelling.
8. Jimmy Ruffin - As Long As There Is L-O-V-E
(From Hold On To My Love.)
Another easy one, probably the most spelled song in the history of pop. Few are the artists who spell it L-U-V... most notably Slade, but Noddy Holder's spelling was always atroshuss.
See also L-O-V-E (Love) by Al Green or Edwyn Collins and Orange Juice.
7. Piney Gir - K.I.S.S.I.N.G.
Sadly, I can't find Piney Gir's wonderful sitting-in-a-tree song anywhere on youtube, but you can hear it on her hugely entertaining debut album Peakahokahoo
(eat that, spellchecker!) Mansun are practising the same word, but they spell it K.I. Double S. I.N.G.
6. John Cougar Mellencamp - ROCK In The USA
John Mellencamp spells out a tribute to 60s rock from one of my favourite albums of the 80s, Scarecrow.
5. Pulp - F.E.E.L.I.N.G. C.A.L.L.E.D. L.O.V.E.
Jarvis decides that sex is the best way to teach spelling, on the sleaziest track from Different Class.
And as I'm standing across this room
I feel as if my whole life has been leading to this one moment.
And as I touch your shoulder tonight
This room has become the centre of the entire universe.
4. Tammy Wynette - D.I.V.O.R.C.E.
(From 'Stand By Your Man: The Very Best Of Tammy Wynette'.)
Tammy spells out the words she doesn't want her son to understand in this classic country heartbreaker. Billy Connelly spells the same message a little differently.
3. Noah & The Whale - L.I.F.E. G.O.E.S. O.N.
(From 'Last Night on Earth'.)
Charlie Fink's story about Little Lisa Loony Tunes owes a sizable debt to Walk On The Wild Side, but that doesn't stop it from spelling out one of the catchiest singles of the year.
2. Aztec Camera - How Men Are
(From 'The Best of Aztec Camera'.)
Wait... shouldn't that be H.O.W. M.E.N. A.R.E.?
No, it should be P.E.R.S.P.E.C.T.I.V.E. - definitely the longest word I've asked you to spell today. Roddy Frame handles it with style.
Why should it take the tears of a woman
To see how men are?
1. Aretha Franklin - R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
(From 'Queen Of Soul - The Best of Aretha Franklin'.)
Otis wrote it, Aretha made it live forever.
Find out what it means to me...
This concludes today's spelling test... unless you have anything you'd like to add? Pity no one ever wrote a song called... A.N.T.I.D.I.S.E.S.T.A.B.L.I.S.H.M.E.N.T.A.R.I.A.N.I.S.M.
...or did they?
