It's been a hectic week here at Top Ten Towers - not much time for blogging.
Fortunately, George was ready to step in...
A few days ago, in the must-listen-to-every-song-all-the-way-through Namesakes series, Rol wrote that despite the title of his blog he does not actually write a Top Ten piece any more. (I'm glad to see George is finally calling that series by its proper name.) I emailed him to say that I had started several but never got to ten songs. Well, now I have. So here it is. A “Top Ten Dairy Songs”. A teacher of English would know: is it ironic that a top ten dairy list is compiled by a vegan? (Yes.)
The songs below are not in any order of preference.
1. Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band - Ice Cream for Crow
The title track of his last album, and a rollicking great, almost rockabilly, song.
How insanely catchy is that riff? Maybe this is the best song in the list.
2. Hot Butter - Popcorn
Readers older than Rol might remember this hit from 1972.
In parts it sounds a game of pong gone mad. I’ve done a Rol here in stretching/ignoring the rule that the song itself must pertain to the title, but I can’t see any objection coming from either Rol or regular reader Ernie.
I object on the basis that I do remember it and wish I didn't. Ernie?
3. Billy Bragg - The Milkman of Human Kindness
One of my favourite “sing-along-with-Billy-Bragg” songs.
Am I the only one who started to lose interest in his music after the first two albums?
Hopefully.
4. Led Zeppelin - Custard Pie
It never occurred to me before writing this piece that this song might not actually be about the stuff you pour on your apple pie or rhubarb crumble.
Anyway, components of custard are dairy, so it’s in the list. That funky bit in the song is made by a clavinet. I think.
5. Larry Williams - Peaches and Cream
Not one of his better known songs, but a fine 2 minute blast of rock and roll. And given it’s a 1950s rock and roll song, I suppose the peaches and cream of the song are not actually a fruit and a dairy product.
6. Tarnation - Little Black Egg
Bending the rules again*, but I’ve always lumped eggs in with dairy, probably from years of saying “vegetarian and no eggs no dairy”. Sung by one of my Top Ten favourite female singers. Mr CC has written (here) about our attempts to see Tarnation in Sheffield, he got the train from Glasgow, me driving up from Birmingham. Indeed he is very lucky never to have seen them twice!
*I'd have been crucified if I'd tried that.
7. Quim Barreiros - Omelette
And from the absolutely fantastic Quim Barreiros, from the first album of his that I purchased, “A cabritinha” (I’m 99% confident he is not referencing little female goats) and here you can see the great man in action, musically that is:
And I actually think this is a song about making an omelette. Of course, my knowledge is Portuguese entendres / sexual slang is almost zero. (I do know not to go to Mrs Woman in the veg shop and ask for tomatoes, though, only for tomato.*)
*The mind boggles.
8. The Handsome Family - The Sad Milkman
Another milkman song, by the Handsome Family:
That's my favourite - and a great relief, since I was worrying George might include Ernie's Namesake.
9. The B52s - Quiche Lorraine
And as I am including eggs, here’s the obvious one:
10. Wynonie Harris - Keep On Churning ('Til The Butter Comes)
Possibly my favourite of this list, and I am 100% confident that this song is using a sexual metaphor.
Somehow this song wasn’t banned. If anyone is thinking of doing a My Top Ten Sweetie songs, can I suggest Lollipop Mama by Wynonie Harries, a song that is of course about, according to wikipedia, a type of sugar candy usually consisting of hard candy mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking".
So there you are, a Top Ten Dairy Songs list, that probably only has one song about a dairy product.
And if he posts this, thanks go to Rol. Enjoy the music.
Thank you, George, for bringing the tone of this blog down several notches. Always good to see.
