Song of the day
I heard this song in the supermarket yesterday and I’m thinking that I’d love to do a version of it:
I think B played it to me in his flat the last time I was there; and I remarked that I vaguely knew - and liked - the tune, but had no idea it was by Clapton. Obviously it’s pretty clear on listening that it’s Clapton’s voice… But I guess it’s just one of those songs I’ve heard in the background, on the radio, and never paid any attention to.
‘Change The World’ won the Grammy for Record Of The Year in 1997, and it’s got such a lovely feel to it - not just in its gentle funk, but also in its sometimes bluesy, Paul Simon-esque chords (which, brilliantly, I’ve just found in BIAB format 
). The lyrics are pretty sweet, too:
“If I could reach the stars, I’d pull one down for you
Shine it on my heart so you could see the truth
That this love I have inside is everything it seems
But for now I find it’s only in my dreams
That I can change the world…”
In fact, I just Googled “eric clapton change the world lyrics” and clicked on a link to a lyrics site, where the words to the song are in the middle of the screen, and Google ads run down the right-hand side. One of the ads reads:
Want to change the world?
Your career in Jewish communal service begins at HUC-JIR
Do you suppose people really Google “change the world” because they want to actually change the world? Perhaps they do. Perhaps Googling “change the world” is up there with Googling any of the following:
“meaning of life”
“does god exist?”
“commiting murder”
- and other such small matters.
All I wanted was the lyrics to a song.
Which leads me to think that there must be all kinds of sites you could be misdirected to on Googling a song title. For example:
‘Take The A Train’ - Looking for New York subway timetables?
‘Fever’ - Get a diagnosis from a real doctor online now!
‘Come Rain Or Come Shine’ - Five-day weather forecasts for your area
- and that’s just touching the surface of the jazz canon. Ooh, this could be fun… More suggestions, please!
March 14th, 2008 at 5.03pm
Well,
‘I could write a book’ - Fancy being an author and becoming published?
‘Stella by Starlight’ - Imported Belgian Beers available at all night bar
‘Love for Sale’ - I’m sorry this content is blocked
‘Invitation’ - Custom designs for your wedding or bar mitzvah
March 14th, 2008 at 5.13pm
ha! love ‘em.
March 14th, 2008 at 6.16pm
Yellow Submarine: Pam Anderson’s See Through Video (and lots of links to porn sites)
This actually just happened
March 14th, 2008 at 10.10pm
More -
‘Autumn Leaves’ - gardens cleared cheap rates
‘Black Coffee’ - fairtrade many varieties
‘I get a kick out of you’ - martial arts training
‘How High the Moon’ - phases of the lunar calendar
March 15th, 2008 at 12.35am
A Radiohead special….
‘Fake Plastic Trees’ - Cut-price Christmas trees available now!
‘2+2=5′ - Bamboozled by maths? Get free online tuition here!
‘How to Disappear Completely’ - Learn magic and amaze impressionable stepchildren!
This could run and run, frankly…
March 15th, 2008 at 2.06am
Ha! Very funny
The other day I was online sorting out a gig @ the illustrious Darlington Arts Center. Sound check? 6pm, parking? Round the back, rider? All sorted. Then I scrolled down the email & realized I had booked myself a gig in Darlington, Pennsylvania which isn’t where I wanted to be at all. I tell you the www is a hazardous labyrinth of association & blunder
March 15th, 2008 at 2.12am
Will - I think you may be right.
Love both yours and John’s additions…
Sarah - ’tis true. don’t even get me started on jazz.com and thejazz.com - a case of mistaken identity which has had very fortuitous consequences as it turns out. but more of that soon….
March 15th, 2008 at 6.01pm
Am i alone in finding Eric just ever so slightly wet & annoying?
No make that very wet & annoying.
& that awful incident when his son fell from the penthouse window. You can just imagine Eric weeping for all of 5 minites, then reaching for his Gibson 2RX3 & strumming ‘Would you know my name…..if you saw me in heaven.’ Yuck
March 15th, 2008 at 6.08pm
no, you’re not alone, Sarah. he’s never appealed to me, either. I think it’s because he has no chin. and a neat beard. never trust a man with a neat beard.
March 15th, 2008 at 7.25pm
year & he’s a fox hunting git - or is that Chris de Bleeeerrrrr?
March 15th, 2008 at 7.37pm
having said all that I do really love 1 song i like he wrote called The Promise because the words r slightly vicious & convey the total opposite of what their meant to :-
I dont care if you never come home
I dont care you just keep roaming
Away on the seven seas
coz i dont love you & you dont love me
I dont care what you do with yr life
I dont care how you get yr delights
Having lovers as friends is all good & fine
But I dont like yours & you dont like mine
March 15th, 2008 at 8.04pm
ooh.. good lyrics.
I really don’t know much of Clapton’s back catalogue, to be fair. although I’ve just never warmed to him because of a) the pervasive slight annoyingness to which you referred (as he gets older he looks more and more like a bank manager. cf and contrast Bruce’s fantastic ageing looks), and b) Tears In Heaven.
that said, when I was a teenager, I really liked ‘Behind The Mask’ (”who do you luuuurrve?”). it’s got that great Wax, ‘Bridge To Your Heart’, late ’80s thang going on…
March 16th, 2008 at 7.05pm
the unplugged version of laaaaaaay -la! has the most gorgeous piano v sleepy & blusey.
Andrea I heard 4 the first time the Paul McCartney song ‘Jenny Wren’ yesterday. It’s absoluty beautiful. Do you know it? I completley hear you covering it
March 16th, 2008 at 7.09pm
oooh no. and I love Macca. thanks missy, I shall check it out!
March 16th, 2008 at 8.40pm
you’ll die - & check out the armenian flute solo in the middle. I never heard anything like it in my life
June 6th, 2010 at 12.12pm
Thanks for posting that amazing music