Thanks everybody for your lovely comments over on the mothership, and glad the name's going down well.
Here's a question: if you were to offer ONE SONG as a (non-denominational) christening gift to a new person, what would it be, and why?
Maybe your favourite song. Maybe a song that celebrates life, or that has wisdom in it. One that means something personally to you. Or something that you think this child might never discover without your recommendation.
(No, I'm not going first - this is far too hard!)
25 comments:
WOW, look at that hair. Not used to that in babies in our clan.
Good question, and one I nearly responded to with a list. But you did SHOUT 'ONE SONG' IN CAPS, so ...
Elbow - Scattered Black & Whites.
(a) Definite celebration of life and all its ages.
(b) Means a huge amount to me, it was the 3.a.m. walking in circles lullaby background with the colic-y DarceysSis.
(c) It isn't 'Newborn', which is the default (and fantastic, but inappropriately noisy) selection that is more likely to be suggested by someone thinking 'Baby Songs' playlist thoughts.
I think i may have missed something by not going on RR this week. Can someone fill me in please?
Your beautiful girl has driven all songs from my mind... all I have is Larkin's poem "Born Yesterday".
Tightly-folded bud,
I have wished you something
None of the others would:
Not the usual stuff
About being beautiful,
Or running off a spring
Of innocence and love -
They will all wish you that,
And should it prove possible,
Well, you're a lucky girl.
But if it shouldn't, then
May you be ordinary;
Have, like other women,
An average of talents:
Not ugly, not good-looking,
Nothing uncustomary
To pull you off your balance,
That, unworkable itself,
Stops all the rest from working.
In fact, may you be dull -
If that is what a skilled,
Vigilant, flexible,
Unemphasised, enthralled
Catching of happiness is called.
I was coincidentally saying over on RR this week about the music that was playing when BB Jr #1 was born, in relation to Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)and its segue on the CD into this song, which I will forever associate with Jack's birth. Although the lyrics are rather oblique and don't refer to a child at all, the one line that struck us at the time as being most poignant was "This love. It doesn't know it is love", which to us summed up the little face looking up at us and the unspoken, not even understood, but unbreakable bond that existed between us at that moment. It's such a beautiful song and string arrangement, it remains one of my favourite songs ever and I wish you all the happiness in the world with it.
Craig Armstrong & Liz Fraser: This Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEsUiQIyzd8
@ barbryn - first up, congratulations from tous le familie Caramel. Don't know how I missed the announcement on RR - clearly not paying attention to the important things in life.
There were two songs which had a huge place in my life during the early months of the older ToffeeGirl's existence - but you've said one, so I'll make a choice.
Simply Red's For Your Babies says it all for me:
Your face is just beaming,
Your smile got me boasting, my pulse roller-coastering
You know I'd do most anything for you,
Hey I try to give you everything you need
Your whole world has changed,
The years spent before seem more cloudy than blue,
In many ways your baby's controlling you,
When you haven't laid down for days
And so on. I know Simply Red won't be everyone's cup of tea but seventeen years on, I can't hear this song without my eyes welling up and feeling my spine give a little tingle.
Anyway, barbryn, enjoy every magical moment, mate.
Barbryn - I wasn't on RR after Friday night this week either, so had missed your news. Huge congratulations from me and a now incredibly broody Mrs Frod. Just been and looked at RR and seen your choice of name - we both reckon it is stunning. She's beautiful (and, yes, hairy...) and you are a very lucky boy. Good luck!!
Nearly forgot to add a song! Its a toss up between two for me but I will plump for:
Lullabye by The Ben Folds Five.
Sung every night to MiniFrod for many many months, it just says beautiful and soothing things to your beautiful, lively creature.
(P.S. The other one was Fix You by Coldplay which many will sniff at but which was just out when MiniFrod was born and, when played loud in the car on the way to the maternity hospital, could reduce any man to tiny tiny bits...)
I know exactly what you mean about Fix You, Snadfrod, only in our case it was Yellow, which had unintentional, but marked relevance nonetheless, when Jack was in an incubator for a week after his birth with acute jaundice. He was, quite literally, all yellow. Made me blub incontrollably then and still does now.
I'll add kelis - little star, which someone wiser than I put on the Maddy CD.
Was the baby yawning before the DsD Elbow post?
Oh--she's beautiful. Congratulations! I have to think about the song a bit. I like how Skip James' I'm So Glad includes the phrases I'm so Glad and I'm So TIred, both appropriate for this occasion, but it also has some lovesick kinda stuff that doesn't work so well. I'll have a think...
Herbie Hancock's Little One.
Congrats, barbryn.
They do look nice when they're asleep don't they!
My usual fall back position in these circumstances is to mention 'Guardian of the Universe' by Free. It's more of a 'just-before-birth' song than just after so if that's no good I'd go for the Wisdom and Encouragement with (off the top of my head):-
'Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying' - Gerry & The Pacemakers or
'Reach Out I'll Be There' - The Four Tops.
Or we could always look back at the RR 'Babies' or 'Parents' themes. There would be loads of suggestions there.
Out of interest, why 'Delphi'? Most beautiful place I've ever been, I think, but I'd never thought of it as a personal name.
Congratulations. Surprising news, as I thought you were female for some reason. Depeche Mode's New Life popped into my head, but a quick check of the lyrics, unsurprisingly , reveals they are crap - so not that, unless you loop the chorus & ignore the verses.
Charmed life by Divine Comedy wins every time. It's a father's hopes and aspirations for his new baby. Gorgeous song which I dedicate to this wee treasure. Beautiful beautiful baby.
@ fp - Yes!!! Charmed Life is spot on.
OH so cute...babies don't have hair in my family either...
On these occasions I always recommend China, by Kantner and Slick, about their daughter.
"I hope that she sees some things
That'll make her time happy
It all comes in so fast, it all comes in."
Hello Delphi! How gorgeous is she? I'd give her Ooberman's Blossoms Falling, it's sooo pretty and cheery.
Congratulations, Barbryn.
Delphi Rose has got sooooo much hair!
I'd probably choose Glow Worms by Vashti Bunyan, because it's lovely folky rural goodness and – ideally if you've got lullaby fatigue and want some new words – the same melody as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
Belated Glueckwuensche and may I recommend :
"You'll Never Walk Alone"...
...one to come in to , one to go out to.
Awww! Many congratulations, I missed your announcement too. She's beautiful. I would offer Linda Lewis and "Lark", a beautiful, up-lifting, sunny morning kind of song.
Wow, thanks everyone - I think this is going to be quite a compilation CD! All the ladies are safely asleep at home now.
I think the only song mentioned so far that I actually own is "Scattered Black and Whites", and there's several that I don't know, so I'm Spotifying now (just listening to "This Love" now, Balearic Beat, and it's absolutely beautiful - I like it when Liz Frazer sings actual words). ToffeeBoy, I shall give "For Your Babies" an open-minded listen while I'm in this sentimental mood.
@cauliflower - thank you - didn't know that one. I shall try and remember "...a skilled,
Vigilant, flexible,
Unemphasised, enthralled
Catching of happiness..."
@Abahachi - As you say, one of the most beautiful places in the world. Also the centre of the universe in Greek mytholgy (as you no doubt know). And close to adelphi, Greek for sister. The fact that it's not used as a personal name was part of the attraction.
@Shoey - no, I'm definitely the one with the y chromosone. I also sometimes get surprised when I discover people's genders on here.
fabulous. I have a god-daughter (now 16 months) called Delilah-Rose.
Bless her.
I'd choose "Don't Talk (Put You Head On My Shoulder) by The Beach Boys - off Pet Sounds - see below !!
utterly beautiful and simple song
xx
Barbryn, glad everyone's settling at home - what does big sis think of her new baby? My daughter looked very much like Delphi Rose, lots of hair, so of course I think she's gorgeous! I'm going to give her "Fleur de ma Ville" by Téléphone, merely because she was born on FRRench week and she shares a name with a flower and I can't get that song out of my head at the moment.
congrats and great name.
(our track is 'Wayward Song' by the Earlies but as with my chat about it to DsD it does only work for a son)
have loads of fun.
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