Occasionally, one ends up with huge dilemmas in life – like, whether to vote for Bastille or London Grammar in the “Best Newcomer” category at the Brits. The latter just about carried sway for me, but it was a marginal call between two very different but both brilliant new acts.
Now, “Nightcall” is far and away my favourite London Grammar track – the one that, like all truly great songs discovered for the first time, I’m playing as often as I can. But the lyrics to the also-wonderful “Stay Awake” made me smile:
Stay awake with me
You know I can’t just let you be
Stay awake with me
Take your hand and come and find me
I get that. I get not being able to switch off, because you want to hold the person next to you far more than you dream of sleep. Because you don’t want the night to end. Because the following day can’t be as special as the evening just gone. Because you don’t want it gone…
Of course, though, I can corrupt the beauty of the lyric. A wide-awake girl wanting her sleeping guy’s hand to find her in bed, in the middle of the night. For him to stir, realise she is still awake, sleepily roll her over and smack her hard. (It amuses me that I nearly included “pull down her pyjamas” in that sentence – but who wears anything on nights like that?).
OK. I’ve just corrupted one of the most gorgeous songs of recent years. I feel bad. Well, almost… But if you also like the band in question, do let me know: to my mind they’re a bit too well-kept a secret at the moment, worthy of far wider acclaim.
Just listened to their entire album. Love it. Thank you!