“Here It Is Again” by Beautiful South
It opens with a headlong rolling bassline. Then a piano starts to tinkle overtop of the bass.
Here it is again it’s so so mad
Turning young and happy into old and sad
Here it is again just passed by chance
All the way to the lawyer from a sloppy dance
It was another holiday argument
But she threw him into the sea
A glass bottomed boat pulled him up
His face was rotting in weed
It was rotting in weed, I’ve seen those people bleed
If it never happens well it happened to meDo you know who you love
Does anybody here have a clue
Just who they’re with
And it was glance by glance
And it was blow by blow
Did they know
Just who they loved
At some point the strings come in. I’m never sure if they’re there before I notice them, or if they’re just inserted so smoothly that I don’t notice when it happens.
Here it is again in the same disguise
Clean shoes, smart tie and deep blue eyes
Here it is again and it makes you sick
Watch the blind man walk along without a stick
Heads he was a beautiful lover
Tails he was definitely bad
Heads you’re like no other
Tails just the best he’d hadYou’re the best he’s had
You’re the best so far
All the way to the church from the back of a car
The voice is husky and charming, but there’s a sense of urgency to it. You’re never sure if it’s fear or anger or sorrow driving the words. You just know that you need the song to go on longer. Maybe forever.
Do you know who you love
Does anybody here have a clue
Just who they’re with
And it was glance by glance
And it was blow by blow
Did they know
Just who they loved
Just who they loved
Just who they loved
Just who they loved
Just who they loved
And then you press rewind and listen to it again, so loud that the bass threatens to destroy your cheap car speakers. Let ’em go. What a way for them to die.
Then you see the girl in the next car, giving you a funny look because she’s caught you singing along. Oh well.