Top Ten In Between Songs

I'm in between a great many things at the moment. In between jobs. In between ages (hey, kids - Rol's life begins on March 19th... apparently!). In between... oh, I'm sure I'm in between some other stuff. Just go with it, will you? It's ten great songs, that's all you need to know.

10. Idlewild - The Space Between All Things

There's something about the lyrics to this particular Idlewild track that reminds me of Lloyd Cole. It's got that same sophisticated sadness.

All the walls of your house were painted in deep blue
You're at that indecisive age to choose colours that reflect you
And everything and nothing is in the space between all things

The best thing about Idlewild will always be their lead singer's name though. Roddie Woomble. Genius.

9. Rufus Wainwright - Between My Legs

Rufus gets all gynaecological. I can handle the notion that he's "wearing his heart between his legs" but I get the juvenile sniggers when he sings "And I shed a tear between my legs". What, like doing a wee?

8. Mary McGregor - Torn Between Two Lovers

Written by Peter of ...Paul & Mary fame, and inspired by Dr. Zhivago. You didn't know that, did you? You did? Smart arse.

I love this picture of Mary McGregor I found on wikipedia. It's so fresh-faced and 70s. She could be an Angel, Charlie.

7. The Melting Ice Caps - Between Eros & Agape

The Melting Ice Caps are ace. Which seems like a rather unecological thing to say. But the band are literate, sensitive, tuneful and witty. What else do you want from your lyricists? This track (along with a bunch of their other excellent singles) is available to download free from their website. Go do it now!

6. The Persuaders - A Thin Line Between Love & Hate

No, not Roger Moore and Tony Curtis.

"Four of the hottest young men in the business - and by 'hot', I mean they're really doing it, and doing it out of sight."

With an intro like that, how could you resist?

Great late night soul. And if Samuel L. Jackson ever formed a band...

The Pretenders did a pretty mean cover too.

5. The Hold Steady - Stuck Between Stations

She was a really cool kisser and she wasn't all that strict of a Christian
She was a damn good dancer but she wasn't all that great of a girlfriend
He likes the warm feeling but he's tired of all the dehydration
Most nights are crystal clear but tonight it's like he's stuck between stations

And that is why The Hold Steady rock my world.

Plus, the video looks like it was made by Tony Hart and Morph.

4. Donald Fagen - Walk Between The Raindrops

More great late night listening. Hey man, don't dis (one half of) The Dan.

3. Billy Bragg - Between The Wars

Watch Steve Wright try to pretend he understands Billy Bragg as he introduces this song on vintage TOTP. Then watch a 12 year old Billy sing his heart out. Was he ever that young? Were any of us...?

2. Sleeper - Inbetweener

In remembering Britpop, Sleeper often seem to slip through the cracks. Which is a shame, because Louise Wener wrote some nice, sub-Cocker lyrics and had the sexy popstar pout down well. I recently discovered their debut album had been re-issued as a 2-disc set with b-sides and live tracks thrown in. Well worth a re-appraisal.

1. The Cure - In Between Days

Yeah, like it could have been anything else.




Tip of the hat to The Go-Betweens... but which is your favourite in between song?

The Neverending Meme

Happy New Meme! Stolen, as these things usually are, from Sunday Stealing.

1. Song that always makes you sad?

I've mentioned this many times before, but it never fails to bring a tear to my eye.

2. Last thing you bought?

The "new" single from the reborn Ultrasound.

3. Last person you argued with?

Probably Louise. I'm sure I was in the wrong.

4. Do you put butter on before putting peanut butter on?

No, I stop at the butter. Peanut butter is the work of the devil.

5. One of your stuffed animals’ names as a kid?

Huggy Bear.

6. Did you ever at one time own a Barenaked Ladies CD?

Still do.

7. Favourite day of the week?

Saturday looks good to me.

8. Favourite sundae topping?

I'm pretty happy with just the ice cream, but I like a splash of raspberry vinegar on my 99.

9. Did you take piano lessons?

Yes. For about ten years. Can I play the piano? Sadly, not.

10. Most frequent song played?

Impossible to answer. At the moment, I'm rather taken by Vermillion by Guillemots.

11. T.V. show you secretly enjoy?

Deal Or No Deal. At one point I watched it every day. I'm on the wagon now though, I haven't touched a drop in 4 or 5 years, and I'm staying away from the boxes.

12. Would you rather play basketball or hockey?

I'd like a hockey stick for everyday use.

13. Date someone older or younger?

Louise is my younger woman.

14. One place you could travel right now?

Anywhere warm, quiet and green.

15. Do you use umbrellas?

No. I'm a hard northerner.

16. Do you know all the words to the Canadian national anthem?

Eh?

17. Favourite cheese?

Can't beat a nice bit of Cheddar.

18. The Smiths or The Cure?

Sorry, Bob.

19. Do you prefer blondes or brunettes?

Gentlemen Prefer Brunettes.

20. Best job you ever had?

All the ones that never paid me any money. As soon as you start earning money for a job, you know it's gonna be a pain in the arse.

Top Twenty Train Songs

I know, it's been a while. You've been getting Top Ten withdrawal, haven't you? To make up for it, here's 20 songs about trains. Because there's a new Denzel Washington movie out this week where the train don't stop for nobody... or something. It's got Captain Kirk in it too (no, not The Shat). I might have to go watch that...

20. The Doobie Bros - Long Train Running

Likely to be the first and last time the Doobie Brothers appear in one of my lists, unless I do a What A Fool Believes Top Ten.

19. Whistler - Don't Jump In Front Of My Train

A wistful indie gem from the mid-90s, dedicated to all of you who have been held up on your way home by some selfish suicide...

18. ELO - Last Train To London

Considering my love for all things Electric, Light and Orchestral, this should be higher in the list. Unfortunately it suffered a little overkill in my head between 15 and 20 years ago when "the radio" decided it was one of the best testing oldies ever and subsequently played it three times an hour for about 6 months nonstop.

17. Johnny Cash - Hey Porter

You can't help but think it was a simpler, better world when Johnny Cash began writing songs back in the early 50s. You know, when train companies paid someone to help you with your bags...

See also Rock Island Line, Orange Blossom Special, and a bunch of other Man In Black songs I don't have time to link to.

16. Thea Gilmore - Don't Set Foot Over The Railway Tracks

Sadly, one of Thea Gilmore's greatest songs can't be found anywhere online for me to point you to. It's available on her album Songs From The Gutter though, and well worth tracking down.

Don't set foot
Over the railway track
The Heathens and the spin-doctors
Are waiting round the back
The skies are always sullen and
Rain races to the tarmac
So don't set foot
Over the railway track

Don't set foot
Over the railway track
The grass isn't green its yellow
And the pavement is all cracks
The graveyard's in a coma
The church has got the blues
And Jesus has a nose-ring
And Mary has tattoos

Girls paint their skins like corpses
And have hair of scouring wire
And the men all look like demons
See them dancing round their fires
Every door has leprosy
Every house has got the clap
So don't set foot
Over the railway track

15. The O'Jays - Love Train

A prime slab of Philly cheese.

14. Bruce Springsteen - Downbound Train

You should have realised by now... if these lists don't contain a Morrissey track, they must by law feature The Boss. If you don't like it, you know where the Next Blog button is.

13. Gordon Lightfoot - Canadian Railroad Trilogy

A true story of blood, sweat and tears. Songwriting as history lesson - if my history teacher had sounded like Gordon Lightfoot, I wouldn't have dropped it at the end of the Third Year.

12. Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip - Last Train Home

In which the beardy rapper finds himself on the last train home, surrounded by people who are "either stinking of weed or stinking of beer, being loud and obscene or sitting in tears". No wonder he doesn't want to be there.

11. The Monkees - Last Train To Clarksville

I'll meet you at the station... for our last bit of nookie before they ship me off to war.

10. Soul Asylum - Runaway Train

I'll play this one for Tony McGee, the biggest Soul Asylum fan I know.

9. The Cure - Jumping Someone Else's Train

Don't say what you mean
You might spoil your face

8. Spearmint - The Train

Shirley Lee's observational tale will be familiar to most commuters...

Everybody runs down the steps in case the train is coming
They didn't run when they left their houses
Didn't run along the street or down the escalators
Just for this very last bit

As the train arrives they start to walk along the platform
As though it might just go right past
As though today it might be too short

People crowd around the doors, initially letting people get off
But soon pressing forward
Even though there are empty seats they push anxiously
As though the doors may close before they manage to get on

A man insists that people should "move down, please!"
He does this in a haughty and petulant manner
But he's the same man who didn't move down the other day
I see him often

And just as the door is closing, and as the beeper's beeping
A man with a backpack hurls himself in
His rucksack gets trapped between the closing doors
He struggles, the doors re-open, and he stumbles into the carriage
Embarrassed and relieved
People look disapproving
"How selfish," they think
Some look away, but each of them has done the same at some point in the past

Some people are reading newspapers
Many seem transfixed by the newspaper of the person next to them
And are snatching covert glances
Even if they have the same paper themselves

Several people are reading novels
You can tell what the latest bestsellers are
Just by looking down the carriage...

And that's when the story really begins.

7. Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia

I never realised just how sad this song is until I heard the Neil Diamond version.

6. Elvis Presley - Mystery Train

I love the illiterate arguments people have on youtube...

The words to the song is : Train I ride , sixteen coaches long NOT Train arrive ..... At least if you are gonna put up info on the record at least get it right ........

THANQ a lotttt for ur info but this is not my problem, It's the lyric 's web site problem ,and The English not my 1st language ,I just love the King and adore this song u should thank me and say good word .

5. Stephen Duffy & The Lilac Time - The Girl Who Waves At Trains

You're as welcome as a Christmas rose
Like a shotgun in a field of crows
As breathless as my fifth form prose

Stephen, I hate to pick, but how welcome is that shotgun if you're a crow?

4. Elbow - Station Approach

Guy Garvey describes the uplifting emotion of returning to your hometown by train after a long time away...

The streets are full of Goths and Greeks
I haven't seen my mum for weeks
But coming home I feel like I
Designed these buildings I walk by

This song also wins through the typical Garvey compliment, "You little sod, I love your eyes". What an old romantic he is.

3. Paul Simon - Train In The Distance

Everybody loves the sound of a train in the distance
Everybody thinks it's true

One of the best songs Paul Simon ever wrote.

2. Ocean Colour Scene - The Day We Caught The Train

Say what you want about Britpop, say what you want about Ocean Colour Scene... but this is a gorgeous blast of euphoric, picture-painting singalong pop that I'll never grow tired of. Could have been Number One but I bottled it...

1. The Jam - Down In The Tube Station At Midnight

Weller used to be such a great storyteller. Why doesn't he tell stories like this anymore?



So... which train did I miss?