Fun Theme Photo Meme – the current prompt is Back to Life

Musically Ranting & September Song Project – the prompt is Encore!

Ever since I started sharing photos of me on my blog, my go-to choice of image is to show my legs,. My favourite way to ‘dress’ my legs is in over the knee socks. I have shared these socks before in some images where I wore a hat, which was quite popular, but here it’s just the long cream socks, and me on tip-toe.

I’m not very tall, so standing on tip-toe helps, although sometimes have resort to asking other people to reach things down when items are above my head. I haven’t shared any photos of me for more than 2 months, so here goes bringing that aspect back to life!

When I was younger I was a massive fan of this group – Squeeze. Their lyrics were witty and pithy and their sound fun, I had a bit of a crush on the lead singer, which also had an influence I suspect.

This song is about holiday romances – well the girls want a romance and the boys are trying to get notches on the bedpost.  The phrase in the title is reportedly a slang term used by Londoners for persuading girls to give up a tightly guarded prize i.e. have sex with you! The songwriter (Chris Difford, also the vocalist) paints a picture of low budget chalet and caravan type holidays, which he occasionally contrasts with the more exotic tropical, surfing vacations giving the impression of an ‘everyman’ holiday experience.

A theme in the song is a feeling of male inadequacy, he mentions ‘shrinking’ in the cold water, ladies looking away and wishing he had a motor boat – for posing purposes! Despite not living the most idyllic life, however, his holiday is ‘complete’ when he gets a girl alone behind a chalet and they have sex, most likely standing up : he is depicted as William Tell (scoring a bullseye by hitting the apple) and she is Maid Marion on her tiptoed feet. Of course Marion was actually Robin Hood’s lady love but I guess in the heat of the moment a young man is more focused on his conquest than historical details.

The lyrics are scattered with holiday details, the Harold Robbins paperback (typical, sexy holiday reading), coach journeys, surf boards, playing bingo and taking home prizes. The songwriter gives a great  generalised impression of summer holidays. Holidays when you’re single often have a ‘Kiss me Quick’ attitude that goes with the vibe of loving and leaving. Each gender usually went into these clinches with their eyes open, although (as depicted by Summer Lovin’ a classic from the musical Grease) the agendas often differed.

I had the album Argy Bargy from which this song was released, and I played it repeatedly as one summer bled into autumn, so it brings back happy memories.