15. 10 Songs of Consolation

Be Not So Fearful - Bill Fay
From the Morning - Nick Drake
Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys
Oxygen - Willie Mason
Sad Eyes - Josh Rouse
Hey Jude - The Beatles
Stop Your Crying - Spiritualized
Don't Be Sad- Whiskeytown
Cry Baby - Janis Joplin
He's Simple, He's Dumb, he's the Pilot - Grandaddy

Goodness, these are some of the best songs going, these ones. I'd particularly recommend the Grandaddy song. He sings "Are you giving in, 2000 man?" I guess it's a companion to "Waiting for a Superman" by the Flaming Lips, but that's a song which really offers no consolation at all.

Anyway, I always preferred the idea of respite to consolation. Who wants consolation prizes? Consolation often seemed too phony as an idea. But maybe you've got to take what you can get.

So, i just shamelessly nicked the heart from Be Not So Fearful, and played around with it with my own words. I've really just tried to write more and more verses to the same song. Tried to make it mostly two or under syllable words. Didn't quite manage.

So here are some of them

This time is selfish
selfish and sad
children are fighting
a different breed
the harmonising
is frail and weak
my ears are straining
to hear you speak

the noise is endless
be not afeard
i know it's threatening
i know it's hard
i know i'm selfish
lord knows, it's true
i'd still do all that
i can for you

these times are restless
to no avail
we long to save but
we're doomed to fail
time is beyond our
most awful power
life slips from us all
every hour

but do not listen
to my despair
life still explodes defiant
everywhere
life still exceeds my wishes
everyday
be not afeard to live
as you may

don't seek to quash
the joy of pain
be sure your suffering
is all in vain
be not so downcast
accept defeat
our days are numbered
let them be sweet

you won't escape from
your skin and bone
don't scorn and envy
that not your own
be not so careworn -
we all endure
we'll find no answer
and no true cure

be not so eager
to doubt your friends
don't always trust you can
make amends
be not so angry
each time you fail
in graceful failure
we shall prevail

be not so sorry
for every thought
facile contrition
counts for nought
don't scorn the words of
those who console
be not so fearsome
be not so cold

Bit fatuous, really, and rather unnecessarily gloomy. Funnily enough, I was listening to 'Float On' by Modest Mouse as I was typing. Now there's a proper joyful song of consolation - OK!