SLS: Don’t You Want Me

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From the band’s website

 

For this week’s SLS, or to give it the full title, Song Lyric Sunday, Jim is inviting us to play an acoustic version of a song that was originally performed with electric instruments. His post Unplugged tells all. You can probably guess where the suggestion of acoustic music took me, can’t you? Yes, it’s time to break out the English folk music again!

The song I have chosen to play was first performed by The Human League, back in 1981, and as they were a synth pop band I think the definition of ‘electric’ fits well, though I’m a bit dubious about the ‘instruments’ part: does a synthesiser count? Anyway, you probably know their song, but if not you can refresh your memory by going here. One of my favourite folk bands, Show Of Hands, has made a habit over the years of playing cover versions of rock and pop songs, and have even made albums of them. I’ve seen them many times in concert, and they never disappoint, but I wish I’d been there when they invited a few friends along for this performance at the Shrewsbury Folk Festival in 2009:

And before I forget, here are the lyrics to the original:

 

You were working as a waitress in a cocktail barWhen I met youI picked you out, I shook up and turned you aroundTurned you into someone new
Now five years later on, you’ve got the world at your feetSuccess has been so easy for youBut don’t forget, it’s me who put you where you are nowAnd I can put you back down too
Don’t, don’t you want me?You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see meDon’t, don’t you want me?You know I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t need meIt’s much too late to findYou think you’ve changed your mindYou’d better change it back, or we will both be sorry
Don’t you want me, baby?Don’t you want me? OhDon’t you want me, baby?Don’t you want me? Oh
I was working as a waitress in a cocktail barThat much is trueBut even then, I knew I’d find a much better placeEither with or without you
The five years we have had have been such good timesI still love youBut now, I think it’s time I live my life on my ownI guess it’s just what I must do
Don’t, don’t you want me?You know I can’t believe it when I hear that you won’t see meDon’t, don’t you want me?You know I don’t believe youWhen you say that you don’t need meIt’s much too late to findYou think you’ve changed your mindYou’d better change it back, or we will both be sorry
Don’t you want me, baby?Don’t you want me? OhDon’t you want me, baby?Don’t you want me? Oh
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Phil Oakey / Jo Callis / Philip Oakey / Philip Adrian Wright
Don’t You Want Me lyrics © V2 Music Publishing, Bmg Vm Music Limited, Davis Does Songs

 

My boss at that time was also a fan, of folk music in general and Show Of Hands in particular, and was lucky enough to be there when they played this. I don’t think he was close enough to spot the interplay between those guys in the Chorale, though. Show of Hands is an English acoustic roots/folk duo formed in 1986 by singer-songwriter Steve Knightley (guitars, mandolin, mandocello, cuatro) and composer and multi-instrumentalist Phil Beer (vocals, guitars, violin, viola, mandolin, mandocello). They were joined by singer and double-bassist Miranda Sykes for a tour in 2004, and continued after that to perform as a trio with her – as here – as well as in their original format. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have seen them but it was always with Miranda as part of the band – she was very gracious when signing a CD for me after a show when all I could think to say was “you have a beautiful voice.” A starstruck lad of around 60, but I spoke the truth!

Their guests for this show were The Spooky Men’s Chorale, a group of Australian singers formed in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales in 2001. Their repertoire consists of songs written or arranged by their director (or “Spookmeister”) Stephen Taberner: a combination of commentary on the absurdity and grandeur of the modern male, beautiful ballads, highly inappropriate covers, and immaculate man anthems like Don’t Stand Between a Man and his Tool. From that description I think you can see why SoH chose to invite them – ‘highly inappropriate covers’ is the clue.

One of things that music does for me is to provide some fun, and that one certainly does that. I thought I’d share another of the cover versions that Show Of Hands do: this one was included on their album Covers 2, released in November 2010, and I’ve seen them play it in concert with Miranda, though she was missing for this one. You probably don’t need me to tell you this, but the original of Boys Of Summer was by Don Henley, and with this one you get a bit of Steve’s between songs chat, including  a nice impression of the BBC Radio presenter Mark Radcliffe, who really does sound like that:

Steve Knightley has a warm voice which goes well with this song, and as he once remarked during a concert I attended “Phil plays the twiddly bits,” as he does here. Much of their repertoire comprises songs offering social commentary, and they are great to see live: almost as much for Steve’s ad libs as for the music. And they play their covers for fun, which always makes for an enjoyable show.

That’s me done for today. As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed the tunes – all part of my ongoing stealth campaign to convert you to English folk music! Enjoy your day, and I’ll see you again for some Tuesday Tunes 🎶

 

PS I gather that the second video doesn’t work in the US. My apologies. This one does, thought video quality is nowhere near as good as the one I chose to play!

34 thoughts on “SLS: Don’t You Want Me”

  1. Pingback: Caught In June | Take It Easy

  3. Well … um … certainly something a bit different. Both songs were new to me … couldn’t play the 2nd one, but I found the one on your comment to Nancy and played that. I … um … well, thanks for introducing me to something completely new!

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  4. I never would have believed Don’t You Want Me would have worked acoustically but it did! Plus it was a lot of fun. That is a nice find.

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