By Nicko
Filling an absence …
If you think about it, there are many spaces that are best filled. Literally or figuratively. Even space fills what was there before the Big Bang or [insert your creation story here].
Lungs for a start, because without breathing we don’t last long. The heart, with blood but in song usually metaphorically hollowed out by personal tragedy. Sometimes filled, but often not. This isn’t the happiest of topics. Minds too.
Inanimate too, blank slates, pages or generations. Vessels of all sorts. Musically speaking, containers for buskers, although e.g. Blind Lemon Jefferson’s wasn’t being filled in his Tin Cup Blues.
Potholes and other holes. Which may be dug for a purpose and filled, such as a grave (best to avoid for as long as possible) or no reason at all.
None of that’s saying much, so given the risk of readers blanking out, here are the lists. I hope there’s not a crossword cross word over them.
The Beatles – Fixing A Hole (Uncleben)
Fill cracks and fix holes. Not real ones, says Paul. Metaphorical ones to keep annoying people out (lots of would-be hangers on). But then again, he says it’s an ode to pot.
Fill Me Up – The Three Johns (Vikingchild)
They are the vessel to be filled. Short, sharp and with a comedic edge.
Drones – Sprints (Max Visconta Nuclerosea)
She's not happy. People are empty drones. Her glass is empty, yours isn't. You are getting better, she's getting bitter (apparently not getting Bitter to fill her glass). Like Courtney Barnett wedded to Amyl & The Sniffers (maybe).
This Empty Place – Dionne Warwick (Fred Erickson)
One of more than a few weepers, the heart is an empty space/hole and only he/she/they can fill it. Di gilds it with class though. See The Supremes below.
Empty Room – Arcade Fire (BenazirGalbasi)
Rooms can be filled. They don't have to be but when AF say 'Said your name in an empty room' they must mean they want it full of the one who's left. Common theme. Upbeat music, downbeat words. Also not uncommon.
A Pearl – Mitski (vanwolf2)
Pearls are valuable, no? Not to Mitski, it's filling a space her head as a reaction to a past relationship as she apologises for being remote in this one. Even though he/she fills a hole. Another animated vid (a good one).
Vacancy – Culture (TarquinSpodd)
They want more vacancies for the poor bredren and sistren to fill. Food to fill the belly, houses to fill etc. Ten Culture tracks in the Marconium versus one Culture Club track, which is nice.
One Inch Punch – YĪN YĪN (Traktor Albarost)
Empty your mind. Put water in a cup, it becomes the cup (or bottle or teapot). Some cod Eastern philosophy from a Dutch band. Makes some sense though, like my beloved aphorisms from the classic Monkey TV show. Great tune too.
My World Is Empty Without You – The Supremes (SweetHomeAlabama)
Same as Dionne. Needs him. Tender touch fills her hole, so to speak. Not a big Supremes fan, but this is a good one.
Blankest Year – Nada Surf (Noodsy)
Had a blank year? Fuck it, have a party.
Jesus Wrote A Blank Check – Cake (tincanman2010)
Jesus issues checks, not cheques, being American. At least a MAGA cultist might tell you that. Tincan notes the youth will not understand, nor the danger in writing a blank cheque. My brother asked if I had a hiccupping, repeating record I could play for his kids because they didn’t understand the ‘sound like a scratched record’ line.
What’s Inside A Girl? – The Cramps (TarquinSpodd)
Hollow, hollow, what have we here? Mama says girls are hollow inside. Some space in the girl is rilin’ up the boys, that’s for sure.
My Coloring Book – Barbara Streisand (pejepeine)
Not a real one, but the singer, who's parts get coloured. Grey, blue, green. Heart gets coloured empty, which is a common hue (and cry) for those bereft.
Blank Page – Smashing Pumpkins (Uncleben)
Slow, atmospheric gloom sans guitar. Blank page is all the rage, never meant to say anything. Oblique, but about Billy Corgan's marriage break up. Perhaps like The Triffids Wide Open Road - regret, tiredness and paralysis, but also a blank page/wide open road to anything they want, which is usually cold comfort. The leak to fill isn’t in the roof, but the wall. Planting trees is good, Bill.
Amphora To Fill A-List Playlist:
Fixing A Hole – The Beatles (Uncleben)
Fill Me Up – The Three Johns (Vikingchild)
Drones – Sprints (Max Visconta Nuclerosea)
This Empty Place – Dionne Warwick (Fred Erickson)
Empty Room – Arcade Fire (BenazirGalbasi)
A Pearl – Mitski (vanwolf2)
Vacancy – Culture (TarquinSpodd)
One Inch Punch – YĪN YĪN (Traktor Albarost)
My World Is Empty Without You – The Supremes (SweetHomeAlabama)
Blankest Year – Nada Surf (Noodsy)
Jesus Wrote A Blank Check – Cake (tincanman2010)
What’s Inside A Girl? – The Cramps (TarquinSpodd)
My Coloring Book – Barbra Streisand (pejepeine)
Blank Page – Smashing Pumpkins (Uncleben)
Beaker To Fill B-List Playlist:
The Hole – Jake Thakray (Uncleben)
Two comedy joints to begin. Hilarious both. Don't fill strange holes with your finger. Not only doors - be judicious sticking in your finger in a dyke like that Dutch boy did(n’t). Levee-ty might ensue.
Hole In The Ground - Bernard Cribbins (vastariner)
Buries man in bowler hat. It seems the hole has nothing to fill it with, but then it does. Bit of class war here, which is nice.
Empty Spaces – Pink Floyd (happyclapper)
Filling the gaps in Pink’s wall. They’re spaces too. Mid length edit of just the animated part from the movie. Album version is shorter, full movie clip ends with smashing stuff sounds. Some suggested filling at the beginning of the vid.
My Mind Ain’t So Open – Magazine (severin)
That anything can crawl right in. It’s not 1978 anymore, but it’s again pertinent. It’s not good to be too blank a slate for the swirling dis and mis BS. A bit of an open mind to be filled with the right stuff is what you want. Short and sharp.
Buckethead – Meat Puppets (Uncleben)
Buckets are to be filled. Holes in buckets too (more than one song there). This bucket is the head. Potentially empty but fill it with what the bucket likes a lot, urge the Puppets. Not about Buckethead the guitarist.
Collection Plate – Ka (ajostu)
Interesting one, with odd gospel background. Ka wants what’s in the collection plate, not filling it.
Blank Expression – The Specials (MussoliniHeadkick)
Says it all. I hope they get filled with a smile.
Beds Too Big Without You – Sheila Hylton (pejepeine)
The Police song, also nommed.
Empty Pages – Traffic (AltraEgo)
Staring at empty pages. Writer's block? Or stuck in his life? He has someone to help though. Fills his well. Nice vocals and piano, Stevie.
Hole In The Heart – Karine Polwart (Suzi)
Top track, perhaps not enough filling of the hole for the A (if it would fit). I hope she does.
Si Tú No Estás Aquí – Rosana (Maki)
Yet another’s gone, leaving a hole. Maki puts it well: "The vacuum left behind when the loved one is missing or has left. The space that can only be filled by that one person." Often doesn't work.
Routine – Steven Wilson with Ninet Tayeb (bluepeter)
Unimaginable tragedy in school shootings although repeated in the US. The gun culture is unimaginable to so many outside of there. How does this woman fill the hole on losing hubby and kids? Routine is how. I think the void will be too big.
Glass To Fill Guest Guru List:
Breathe (In The Air) – Pink Floyd
Not much point breathing if it isn’t in the air…anyway, lungs have to be filled. Holes and graves also included. And don’t be afraid to care.
Empty Bed Blues – Bessie Smith
Wakes with an awful aching head and a half empty bed. She needs it filled. The new man is the best coffee grinder she could find and what’s more a deep-sea diver who can search her depths.
Toothache Blues – Lonnie Johnson and Victoria Spivey
Not the only dentist filling a cavity song…and another saucy blues. Vicky needs her cavity filled and Lon is a quick-filling dentist with a drill.
Empty Belly – The Ethiopians
Belly gets empty, can’t get plenty to fill it in Babylon. And they won’t work for no wicked man.
Empty Pocket Waltz – Connie Converse
Like The Ethiopians, they aren’t flush. Rent and doctor paid, but that leaves an empty pocket to fill. Strange bird, the cup of success remained empty, then filled her V-dub beetle with stuff in 1974 and just disappeared.
Empty Streets – New Life Trio
SHA mentioned liminal spaces. Empty streets in the hours before day qualify. They will soon fill with people doing stuff. The Vibration Black Finger cover is longer and good. A bit cultish now, like Connie.
Till We Fulfill Our Love – Clarion Fracture Zone
Well, it’s a type of filling. Short, spooky voices in the background, lovely instrumentation and playing as usual. I was thinking of clarinet virtuoso Tony Gorman’s longer solo tune Unfulfilled Dreams but it’s not on YT and no time to make a video. So he’s here in CFZ.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: Fill in the blanks: songs about empty, but fillable spaces. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
New to comment? It is quick and easy. You just need to login to Disqus once. All is explained in About/FAQs ...
Fancy a turn behind the pumps at The Song Bar? Care to choose a playlist from songs nominated and write something about it? Then feel free to contact The Song Bar here, or try the usual email address. Also please follow us social media: Song Bar X, Song Bar Facebook. Song Bar YouTube, and Song Bar Instagram. Please subscribe, follow and share.