How about a brief series looking at the lyrics of a few songs from the golden period of 'big song' lyrics – between about 1965 and 1975.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love all these songs – always have done, always will – but as each year passes, each time I hear them my mind goes rounder and rounder as I wonder how on earth the songwriters came up with those lyrics, to that tune, in that way, in that time.
Plus just check out the clip, it's fantastic...
Number 1: Georgy Girl.
I love Lynn Redgrave. Fact. I love the film. Fact. But then I also love the film The Knack and Ray Brooks (aka, to all intents and purposes, my dad) chasing Rita Tushingham down the street whilst she screams rape in a faux Rita Tushinghamy manner. But even I can see that scene hasn't stood the test of time very well.
And, increasingly, that's how I feel about the lyrics to Georgy Girl. Which to be honest I never paid any attention to for years. It's a happy song isn't it? Ting a linging along. I certainly remember my nan and mum singing it when I was young. They went something like “Hey there Georgy girl, da di da di da di da....” whistled even. It was happiness in the kitchen. But god knows why. Ok, yes I get it - it's about re-invention, confidence, embracing the new – the times they were a-changing. But, even so:
Why do all the boys just pass you by?
Could it be you just don't try, or is it the clothes you wear?
Blimey, try that now and you'd be plastered all over Twitter for fat-shaming or something. And that's the tidied up version for the single, even in 1968 the men in charge presumably doubted the lyrics to the opening of the film so much they thought they'd best tone them down:
Look at the boyfriends you don't get
never had a real one yet
just look at the clothes you wear.
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