By Severin
Brevity:
The use of brief expressions
The attribute of being brief or fleeting
A staccato Beatles riff, and a meditation on the possibilities of even the briefest meeting of minds.
“It’s not important for you to know my name, nor I to know yours. If we communicate for two minutes only it will be enough. It doesn’t matter if we never meet again. What we have said will always remain. If we get through for two minutes only it will be a start.”
The first of the “singer-songwriters”, if there can be such a thing, muses on the fleeting beauty of everyday life and its poignancy.
“And the lights going on in the shops and the bars, and the lovers looking for the first little stars. Like life, like a smile, like the fall of a leaf, how sad, how lovely, how brief.”
A phrase normally used for pop music success is subverted and twisted as a young man’s determination to destroy himself is observed.
“He is a boy. He’s very thin. Until tomorrow took heroin. Don’t like himself very much, ‘cause he is set to self-destruct.”
Lovers must part almost as soon as they met. One Australian legend covers a song made famous by another. The tune is Russian. The sentiment is universal.
“Like a drum my heart was beating and your kiss was sweet as wine but the joys of love are fleeting for Pierrot and Columbine.”
Equality of brevity. Each performer has their allotted time to speak. 21 seconds and then you must give way.
“I got 21 seconds before I got to go. I got 21 seconds to say what I got to say. You won’t like me anyway. Did you see me on the video?”
Doom and gloom as expected from the ice maiden. Musically and lyrically. For the hunter and the hunted it has been a short wait.
“It has not taken long. It has not taken long to feast our naked eye upon the open blade. The hungry beast has found her calling. Calling help me please.”
A glimpse or a more direct eye to eye contact? Love at first sight any way you read it. Yes, I’m certain that it happens all the time.
“Just one look and I fell so hard in love with you. I found out how good it feels to have your love. Without you I’m nothing. That’s all it took. Just one look.”
Some people can’t be pinned down. But they can have their moments of kindness. Not everyone rations them out quite so precisely though.
“Do you remember that one week when I was a good girl to you? It was not that long ago. Maybe you should remember that one week. The good girl isn’t often here. I’m changing every week.”
Another glimpse. Is it love this time?
“How can it be that we shared a secret in that one brief moment? Our eyes were windows and in those moments I hope for him again.”
It certainly is in this disco world.
“If you get a flu attack, for 30 days you’re on your back. It only takes a minute girl, to fall in love.”
A boat rolling down the River Thames. An entire affair in a few stolen moments in a self-contained world.
“At London Yard I held her hand, at Blackwall Point I faced her. At The Isle of Dogs I kissed her mouth and tenderly embraced her. But now, alas, the tide has changed. My love she has gone from me.”
Two short statements. Clearly nothing else needed saying. It’s quite simple really.
“And then you’ll know.
We kiss.”
The Abrupt A-List Playlist:
The Jam – Start
Connie Converse – How Sad, How Lovely
The Slits – Instant Hit
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – The Carnival is Over
So Solid Crew – 21 Seconds
Nico – It Has Not Taken Long
Doris Troy – Just One Look
Say Sue Me – One Week
Natacha Atlas – One Brief Moment
Tavares – It Only Takes a Minute
Maddy Prior and the Girls – Sweet Thames Flow Softly
High Contrast – Brief Encounter
The Brief 'n' Brusque B-List Playlist:
The Unthanks – Where’ve Yer Bin, Dick?
Major Lance – Um Um Um Um Um Um
Warlock – Three Minute Warning
Fleetwod Mac – Dragonfly
The Easybeats – Good Times
Jazmine Sullivan – 10 Seconds
The Stranglers – 5 Minutes
The Zombies – Brief Candles
The Cure – Seventeen Seconds
Madonna (feat Justin Timberlake & Timbaland) – 4 Minutes
Whitey – Brief and Bright
Eddi Reader – Dragonflies
Inner Life (feat Jocelyn Brown) – Moment of My Life
Pink Floyd – Time
Guru's Wildcard Pick:
This song was nominated but not this version which I prefer to The Beatles.
Kuricorder Quartet – I’ve Just Seen a Face
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations from last week's topic: Time is short: songs about brevity. The next topic will launch on Thursday at 1pm UK time.
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