But when they’re parking their cars on your chest
You’ve still got a view of the summer sky
Taken from the song ‘Know Your Onion!’ from the album Oh, Inverted World (2001) by Albuquerque artist The Shins.
Greetings, Kermit the Frog here
And today I’d like to tell you a little bit about the color green
Do you know what’s green
Well I am for one thing
You see frogs are green, and I’m a frog
And that means that I’m green, you see
Taken from the opening lines of “Bein’ Green”, widely considered to be Kermit the Frog’s signature song. About embracing your identity, it has been covered by artists including Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett.
I’ve always been a big fan of Depeche Mode, the phenomenal electronic band from Basildon. They’ve been around since 1981, and their latest album Momento Mori was as great as ever. I was lucky enough to see them again at Twickenham stadium 10 years after the last time.
A montage from my recent gig at Emirates Stadium to see Sheffield artists Arctic Monkeys perform hits from The Car tour. The Hives opened (“Hate to Say I Told You So” being a highlight) before Alex Turner and co played “Body Paint” and There’d Better be a Mirrorball, as well as classics like “Do I Wanna Know?”, “Brianstorm” and “Why do you Only Call me When you’re High?”
Okay, I know none of us is really travelling right now, but just had to share it.
And I know we weren’t perfect but I’ve never felt this way for no one
And I just can’t imagine how you could be so okay now that I’m gone
Guess you didn’t mean what you wrote in that song about me
‘Cause you said forever, now I drive alone past your street
Taken from Olivia Rodrigo’s debut song Driver’s License (2020), which has smashed all number of records, including being one of the most dominant number one’s in US Billboard’s Top 100 history.
Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life
The opening lines of Bitter Sweet Symphony by The Verve, taken from their masterful third studio album Urban Hymns (1997). Starting with a gorgeous orchestra sound, it was a huge smash and one of the defining Britpop songs of the 1990s.
They passed me by, all of those great romances
You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances
My picture clear, everything seemed so easy
Taken from the song One of Us by Swedish pop group ABBA. It was the first single from their final studio album The Arrival (1981). I’ve posted Fernando and The Winner Takes it All. Feel free to share your favourite ABBA song.
I was waiting so sad happy
Thought I lost you in a nightmare dream
You were too high to hold on
I was losing all track of time
Taken from the song Sad Happy by Liverpool band Circa Waves, from the English band’s fourth studio album Sad Happy (2020).
Alex Raphael 