A Trio of Transportative Songs

Dancing Queen. In the nightclub, young and sweet, only seventeen, certainly underage. No ripped jeans, no DMs, boys having to wear ties. How antiquated, how rigid, how not us, especially as we were all about rips and DMs at the time. But such was our quasi-religious fervour for dancing, we would have put buckets on our heads and spoons in our ears if the dress code dictated.

I had a friend’s ID because I looked about twelve but once we’d got through the stress of getting in our fun begun. We swayed in spiritual abandon, dancing queens, girls and boys alike. By day we were the scrattiest, awkwardest, spottiest, angriest still-children, but here, high-heeled and hemmed, we were gods.

Groove is in the Heart is my happy anthem and I’ve blogged about it before. First discovered on MTV, by a group of us in Sindy Livwood’s sitting room. Dancing around, a guilty pleasure, because it was not Rock, Alternative or Indie, and we were Individuals.

A year or two later, and less pretentious, so no guilt attached, every party had to include this. It is the song that would make me excuse myself from any conversation, however rude that might be, or however attractive the company might be, to – get – to – the – dancefloor.

I remember dancing with my brother at his wedding, and there realising my mum dances exactly like me (She’s got the moves!) At my own wedding, of course, with my gorgeous man. And most recently at a zoom disco, dancing alone but together, connected through little squares, with my old Brighton housemates. Groove is in my heart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etviGf1uWlg

Stranger on the Shore. First heard on an early 80s television programme that created videos for old classics. I remember this song had a lonely dog on a beach. I recall floods of tears from the whole family, sad dogs and sad music! After that we would always cry at this song. My Dad maintained the clarinet was the saddest instrument. I played it for a while but never got that much soul out of my instrument, and the emotion it created was nothing more profound than frustration for me and irritation for others.

Fittingly, we had this song at my Dad’s funeral, in case, for any reason, we needed more emotion!

Recently though, it has been turned on its head, purloined by Radio 4 as the theme tune to That Mitchell and Web Sound. As much as I enjoy the show, it feels most inappropriate.

I found the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE_1v2gUgUI