Friday, May 11, 2012

Against The Tide




 



The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
I'm not the kind of man 

Who gives up just like that.

It's not the things you do 
That really hurts me bad
But it's the way you do the things

You do to me
I'm not the kind of man 

Who gives up just like that.

Every man wants you to be his girl
But I'll wait my dear 'till it's my turn
The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
Number one, Number one.









NOTE:  I think Blondie did an excellent job with The Tide Is High, but of course nothing beats the sound and sense of The Paragons’ original, which speaks simply, symbolically and deeply.  Forty-five years old now, John Holt’s words and voice (lifted by Howard Barrett and Tyrone Evans’), and “White Rum” Raymond’s  violin, make this song a destination, a refuge and a reminder.  It works for prom season too.  The top photograph, Thursdays High Tide,  was taken by Jason Cimenski.   The second photo shows high tide at Scarborough North Bay, East Yorkshire and is the work of This Charming Man.  The bottom picture was taken by Geraint Smith at Portcawl, South Wales.


The Paragons: The Tide Is High (link)





2 comments:

  1. There's a fantastic dialogue between this post and Tom Clark's post of even date herewith. The sea that I survey from my office window looks harmless by comparison, but so do many things viewed from a great distance. The inner sea feels (as always) tumultuous. Why can't it be the other way around?

    Go Paragons, hold on.

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  2. I agree with your last point (a lot, especially as of 5 minutes ago). I often surprised to find parallels between what I'm posting and what Tom is. It's funny when that happens and I don't know why but it makes the world feel less "random," as the kids say. These pictures are all beautiful and I'd really love to see these UK tides rising and breaking in person. One neat thing about the Paragons' song is the way it seems to suggest a dark Caribbean ocean without using any of the usual special sonic effects. Maybe the feeling just courses through because of living on an island. The current Beyond The Pale posts are sensational. Off to NY shortly. Must meet a man about a driveway. Curtis

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