England 2 Columbia 0 - Kirsty MacColl

Lately, with dear husband travelling for part of most weeks and with work being busy, I've needed music to help give me energy.  So, I've been listening to a tape we put together last year which we call "Uppity Women 2" (hat tilts to Saffire, and yes, we also have an "Uppity Women 1" that we put together a few years ago). 

The song that has particularly stuck in my head today is England 2 Columbia 0,  by Kirsty MacColl (thanks to my sister who, fairly recently, had me listen to some of Kirsty's songs!).  The songs that I've heard of hers are wonderfully opinionated and wittily written.  In England 2 Columbia 0, the situation of the woman is compared to Columbia's in the game on the TV.  She's on a date with a guy - and doesn't know that he's married until he passes out and his friend tells her:

...If he hadn't taken pity on my heart full of desire.
I might never have found out, that you're a serial liar!
You lied about your status.
You lied about your life.
You forgot you had three children. 
You forgot you had a wife.
Now it's England 2 Columbia nil.
And I know just how those Columbians feel.

The song goes on, and she recovers (well, sort of).  It's got a Latin beat; from what I have read, this album, Tropical Brainstorm, was inspired by Brazilian and Cuban music. 

Another favorite from this album is Treachery - where she's stalking a fan who has deserted her:

I'm stalking a fan
He lives in a high rise block
And here I am
He shouldn't have turned my rock
He's brushing his teeth
He doesn't look bad from this far
I'm hailing a cab
And I'm gonna follow his car

Wherever he goes
I won't be too far behind
Just hanging around
Driving him out of his mind

Treachery made a monster out of me...

Sadly, she died in a boating accident five years ago, though she was able to save her son.   From what I've read, she never got the fame or success that she probably could have had - often due to problems in the music business.  For instance, in 1985, the company she was under contract to went bankrupt.  Nobody bought her contract so she was unable to record in her own right for a few years. 

I'll be looking up more of her music - and you should listen too (along with the above two songs, I also highly recommend In These Shoes).

Comments

[Stephen Schaunt]

My wife love listening to her songs too and she felt so sad when she found out that Kirsty MacColl died to save her son. Accidents do happen all the time no matter how careful we are. My brother just recently had a terrible accident and the accident lawyer (Oakland) helped him all the way through the entire process. Here in Bay Area, auto accident attorneys got great legal advices for the victims of any vehicular accident, too.

[Guy Chambliss]

Music can uplift one's spirits, especially when we lose someone. She was so brave, and even if she didn't live long, her music serves as a constant reminder to her son that he had a good mom.