Day 5 – The 30 Day Song Challenge – A Song that reminds you of someone...

Song 5 – A song that reminds you of someone– ‘You and Me Song’ – The Wannadies.

The Wannadies

This one goes back to the mid/late 1990’s when I lived in Cheltenham for 2 ½ years.  My first job, my first long term girlfriend, my first flat, my first time properly away on my own (I don’t really count University as you’ve got a whole world readymade to fit into).  It’s a funny period of my life really.  There’s not a single person I met from that time that I’m still in touch with and it’s not a place I ever go back to and so it’s kind of shut away in my head, I’ve no-one to reminisce with about it.  I did go to see my old flat a few years ago when I was passing on the M5 and was surprised to find I didn’t really have any sentimental feelings for the place at all.  I think I changed a lot in the years up to then and then again when I first came to work in Nottingham, but for all the new things that happened, I don’t think it’s left a mark at all.

(This homemade Disney clips video is fun)

Anyway, my girlfriend of the time and I went to watch ‘The Wannadies’ at Bristol Bierkeller.  They were a band I really liked and although she was a bit of a rock chick, they were guitar based enough for her to enjoy too.  It was a fine live show and this was probably their best known song and perhaps the one they encored with.  It’s also a song on the ‘Romeo and Juliet’ soundtrack, which was almost our first date but I was too scared to make a move.  Our first actual date?  ‘The Wedding Singer’ with Adam Sandler.  Told you I’d changed a lot! Actually that's the first and last Adam Sandler movie I paid to watch, although the ‘Funny People’ is actually well worth a look and there's probably a fair bit of talent and a lot of self awareness there, if only he'd use his powers for good.

The song!  It's a fun bouncy piece of power-pop.  They were always a much sharper band lyrically than you expected too.  They sounded all sweet but the lyrics were often barbed and full of anger.

I could probably have picked a lot of songs that reminded me of her from our breaking up, but it’s better to remember a happy time I think.

 “And it’s you and me always, and forever”.  Not as it turned out, but it was fun for while.  This one’s for you Victoria Barnard.

David Millington

5th April 2011

Nottingham