(Well done, Elaine. Two posts in 3 g.d. months!)
As I’ve mentioned, I discovered Kirsty MacColl senior year of college, when MTV or VH-1 showed the video for Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, and the line about “I could have been someone / Well, so could anyone!” absolutely hit me in my core. More about Fairytale of NY another day (probably in 2027 at this rate).
So, A New England is one of my favorite Kirsty songs. Mostly because of the line
“People ask me when will I grow up to understand
Why all the girls I knew in school are already pushing prams”
For a woman who never got on the baby boat, it means something to me. I’m 47 years old, so those girls aren’t pushing prams (unless they are for their grandchildren and holy fuck, how am I old enough to be a grandparent?) but their children are the topic of their life. They can spend the rest of their lives talking about their son’s college applications, their daughter’s science fair, etc. What the fuck is the topic of my life? “Well, Bourbon just peed in front of the fridge”, “Ugh, long day at work!”
Well, shit, now I’m sad.
Anyway! I just reviewed the lyrics for Kirsty’s cover (versus Billy Bragg’s original, which is missing a verse that Kirsty got Billy to write when she decided to cover the song) and holy cats. There are so many great lines of this song.
“Once upon a time at home
I sat beside the telephone
Waiting for someone to pull me through
When at last it didn’t ring, I knew it wasn’t you”
And who hasn’t been there?
Even the chorus:
“I don’t want to change the world
I’m not looking for a new England
Are you looking for another girl?”
That was a legit question at one point and hearing it, it takes me back to that anger. That fear. That rage.