Name That Tune: Our Top Ten Alison Songs

I had half a mind to feature Alison Krauss at the top of this post, until George said:

I'm sure some one will suggest Alison Moyet but it sure as hell won't be me.

After that, my mind was made up. After all, I have a lot of time for Alison Moyet, writer of one of the smuttiest pop songs ever to find its way into the pop charts (Prince excepted). Let's just say I don't think she's singing about the flu jab in this song.

As for Allison Krauss... well, I did find this nice little tribute.

The Stills - Allison Krauss

Jim in Dubai also put forward these guys...

The Allisons - Are you Sure?

Finger-snappin' goodness.

What did you have for me that didn't make the Top Ten?

We'll start with Rigid Digit... who also reminds us of Alison Goldfrapp.

This won't make the Top 10, but...

Annihilator - Alison Hell

...my question is, how much were they paid by Richard Branson for the free advertising?

This probably should...

Alison Gross - Steeleye Span

It was on the shortlist.

Walter suggested this from my shortlist...

The Pixies - Allison

As well as a couple more strong contenders...

Lagwagon - Alison's Disease 

Waxahatchee -Witches

There's nothing here to gain 

Allison always had a heavy disdain 

For every link in that old chain

John Medd was still stinging a bit from my Adamski rejection last week...

This is a bit like cricket: I can play the game but I'm not very good at it.

This'll probably get me another ticking off (it's quite lonely here on the naughty step).

Nearly all the Alisons I know/have known have usually being called Ally. It's not an unusual derivation; the spelling can change - Ally, Alley, Alli - but ask any Alison and she'll no doubt concur.

So, I'm going for Alley Oop. I wrote about it once, hereabouts.

The Hollywood Argyles - Alley Oop

No ticking off, John. But no place in the Top Ten either as I think that's a bit of a stretch... and I'd end up having to find a place for Gasoline Alley and Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley too. Among others.

Jim in Dubai offered this...

The Huntingtons - Alison The Bomb

...which I reckon is cut from the same cloth as these...

Jeff Rosenstock - Hey Allison

American Hi-Fi - Allison

Now, I did suggest that abbreviated forms of Alison might be allowed, although the only one I could find myself was this...

Belle & Sebastian - Allie

George, however, had this to say...

I am relieved that the only derivations of Alison allowed are Alyson and Allie, and that Alice is not, so no one can suggest Living Next Door To Alice by Smokie.

Beat you to it, George.... (twice!)

My Top Ten Alice Songs

My Top Ten Alice In Wonderland Songs

Now, just before we get onto this week's scrapings from the hard drive, here's a word from our own Alyson which will allow me to set a rule for future editions.

Also, Beautiful South with Song For Whoever. 

Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue...

Yes. But much as I like that song, I think it may be banned for ballot stuffing. Unless I'm really desperate one week.

The same rule may also apply to this...

George Strait - All My Exs Live In Texas

And Allison's in Galveston

Somehow lost her sanity

And this...

Weezer - Smart Girls

Yumi, Sherie, Alison, Mary

Which one do I want to marry?

Hard-drive scrapings, then?

CUD - Alison Springs

Richmond Fontaine - Allison Johnson

Woodpigeon - The Alison Yip School For Girls

Finally, a couple of lyrical nods...

The Streets - Empty Cans

I really feel like things clicked into place at some point

Or maybe it's the fact that me and Alison really got on

The Courteeners - Are You In Love With A Notion?

You told Alison next door

That all your dreams were made

Time for the Ten...


10. Gin Blossoms - Allison Road

Let's start with these guys. One Hit Wonders, maybe... but they had more than one good tune.

So she fills up her sails with my wasted breath

And each one's more wasted that the others you can bet

On Allison Road

Now I can't hide so why not drive

I know I want to love her but I can't decide

On Allison Road

9. Rick Springfield - Alyson

And then, the only one I could find with the "pretentious" spelling. (Not my word: see below.)

8. Slowdive - Alison

Points to Rigid Digit for remembering this shoegaze classic.

7. Gordon Lightfoot - Poor Little Allison

Poor little Allison, standing in the night wind

Wishing out loud, turning her face to the summer rain

Hard to forget, always in step with the world she's in

6. 60 Ft Dolls - Alison's Room

You know I'm a sucker for obscure Britpop tunes.

5. Townes Van Zandt - You Are Not Needed Now

Well, Allison laid a hex on me

And every time I turn around

It's swimming through the air above my bed

A lovely song, though it does sound like he's singing "Allison laid an egg on me".

4. The Chesterfields - Alison Wait

Suggested by both Walter and Jim in Dubai. Rightly so.

3. Spearmint - A Week Away

Less well known than many of the songs in this countdown, but one of my favourite indie bands and a great lyrical Alison...

Alison cheated at Scrabble

And then she still lost

You call her a cheat

And then she gets in a huff

2. The Lemonheads - Alison's Starting To Happen

I'll let C take this one...

I'm thinking that the obvious second one to the obvious first one must surely be Alison's Starting To Happen by the Lemonheads, and what a great song.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

1. Elvis Costello - Alison

And who better to introduce our obvious number one than "Alyson" herself...?

One of my favourite songs of all-time - Alison by Elvis Costello. It was played constantly during my last year at school, a year which is up there as being was one of the best of my life to date. Still get teary when I listen to it as a couple of the really good friends from those days are no longer with us, and of course I reminisce about all the romances that didn't last the distance. A bittersweet (for me) but beautiful song.

I think I've mentioned this around here before but I use my middle name for blogging purposes for fear of people in the real world finding what I write (about them). As a second layer of security/anonymity I changed the middle 'i' to to a 'y' which I now regret as a bit pretentious, like Fiona becoming Ffyona. Oh well, too late to change now but I think we would all agree with Elvis Costello that the true spelling should be Alison.

There have been a number of decent covers of this song, including...

Everything But The Girl - Alison 

Vic Chestnutt - Alison 

Linda Ronstadt - Alison 

But the original is unbeatable.


OK, I started you with a couple of easy ones. Let's see how you cope with the letter B.

NEXT WEEK: OUR TOP TEN BEN / BENJAMIN / BENNY SONGS

All I can tell you is that the Number One will not be a rat.