8 August - Guilty & Pleasures

Haven't done masochism for a while so it is that I go along with Ezzie to the 23rd birthday party of this girl Holly who works as PA to Charlotte Church. All guests are similarly fresh faced/eager/in second or third jobs and looking to go forward, become more successful: this one books talent for a TV show, that one works at some ad agency that no longer has the names of the owners in the title like in my good old 80's you know, Bartle Bogle Hegarty and so on. Enought to make you feel sick, but for some reason they like us being here. As they are however below the age of my minimum young person to my Mrs Robinson, I just drink my rose' and gaze into the distance.
Holly and her best friend dance professinally in their spare time and also at Guilty Pleasures, the club. I shagged their main Mr dj (hi Sean R) when he was only djing at work parties back in ’87 and the E’s were good. And Holly was four years old. Oh dear. Now am going to cry about lost youth indeed. And my old Beetle, and my old flatmate Danni, and that other friend who that night had to come down on the sofa whilst listening to me and Mr Dj keep it up for hours. I told you the E's were good then.
I ask her friend how is it possible that the music is guilty pleasures for them as the connotations of its shamefulness/cheesiness are surely lost on people who were not really there then in the first instance, but she doesn’t comprehend the question and just says 'It’s nice music'. But she didn’t slow dance to Can’t live without you by Harry Nilsson in 1974 so.. here you go, in case you’d forgotten, my guilty pleasure #1, and the lyrics go:
"No, I can't forget this eveningOr your face as you were leavingBut I guess that's just the way the story goesYou always smile but in your eyes your sorrow showsYes, it showsNo, I can't forget tomorrorowWhen I think of all my sorrowsWhen I had you there but then I let you goAnd now it's only fair that I should let you knowWhat you should know.I can't live if living is without youI can't live, I can't give any moreCan't live if living is without youI can't give, I can't give any moreNo, I can't forget this eveningOr your face as you were leavingBut I guess that's just the way the story goesYou always smile but in your eyes your sorrow showsYes, it showsCan't live if living is without youI can't live, I can't give anymoreI can't live if living is without youCan't live, I can't give anymore(Living is without you)"

However, whilst checking the internet for these lyrics I also found this other song Harry Nilsson wrote, presumably several years later and after not getting the girl, repeatedly, turned him into a bitter and twisted chap. Don’t think I ever heard it on the radio given the fucks in the lyrics and am not as sad as ever going out to buy a Nilsson album… so can’t think of the tune.

"You’re breakin’ my heartYou’re tearing it apart so fuck youAll I want to do is have a good time now I’m blueYou won’t boogaloo,Run down to Tramps, have a dance or two, ooohhhYou’re breakin’ my heart,You’re tearing it apart but fuck youYou’re breakin’ my heartYou’re tearing it apart, boo-hooYou stepped on my assYou’re breakin’ my glasses tooYou won’t drive my car, might be a starI’ve had enough of youI’m goin’ insaneThere’s no one to blame so fuck youInstrumental break #1You can’t have your wayThere’s nothing left to sayThere’s nothing left to do, ooooohhhYou’re breakin’ my heartYou’re tearing it apart so fuck youInstrumental break #2You gotta have your wayThere’s nothing left to sayThere’s nothing left to do, ooooowwwYou’re breakin’ my heartYou’re tearing it apart but I love you"