Beautiful songs that deserved to be bigger

Stephen William Bragg to his dad.

Kiss me goodnight and say my prayers
Leave the light on at the top of the stairs
Tell me the names of the stars up in the sky
A tree taps on the window pane
That feeling smothers me again
Daddy is it true that we all have to die
At the top of the stairs
Is darkness
At the top of the stairs
Is darkness
I closed my eyes and when I looked
Your name was in the memorial book
And what had become of all the things we planned
I accepted the commiserations
Of all your friends and your relations
But there's some things I still don't understand
You were so tall
How could you fall?
Some photographs of a summer's day
A little boy's lifetime away
Is all I've left of everything we've done
Like a pale moon in a sunny sky
Death gazes down as I pass by
To remind me that I'm but my father's son
I offer up to you
This tribute
I offer up to you
This tank park salute
I remember chancing upon an interview with Simon Mayo, Billy Bragg and Bob Wilson, back in the day.

It remains one of the most moving things I’ve ever heard on radio.

Billy played Tank Park Salute live and the conversation took off. He had written the song after hearing Bob Wilson talk about the loss of his daughter to cancer.

It was the days before many blokes would be so publicly open about their feelings and emotions, and before “listen again” and I’ve never heard it since.

But the song has always, always, had me in floods ever since.
 
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I love the music threads on here.

I don’t have any mates who have even heard of The Chameleons, Care, Goodbye Mr McKenzie etc; or know anyone who had their vinyl.

But every time I open one of these threads it’s like opening the old record cabinet!

In terms of wonderful songs that I think should have been bigger, I’d tend to go for this beauty or almost anything else by The Go-Betweens.
 
I remember chancing upon an interview with Simon Mayo, Billy Bragg and Bob Wilson, back in the day.

It remains one of the most moving things I’ve ever heard on radio.

Billy played Tank Park Salute live and the conversation took off. He had written the song after hearing Bob Wilson talk about the loss of his daughter to cancer.

It was the days before many blokes would be so publicly open about their feelings and emotions, and before “listen again” and I’ve never heard it since.

But the song has alsways, always, had me in floods ever since.
That's a gift.
It's so simple the song, captures the essence of protection of a father to a child and then the realisation you still have to live in a world where that is gone. I've watched him live on a fair few occasions but only heard him play it once. Pin drop moment. I know he gets dismissed as a 'political' writer but he has written so many beautiful songs.
 
Seeing these posted earlier reminded of this my favourite song by I Am Kloot. It wasn't originally on an album but on the 3 Feet Tall single. Later it was on the B compilation of b-sides which is better than albums by many bands. John Bramwell need to appreciate it more. I always ask him to play it and he always promises to learn it for next time but never does. He does say its a cracking little song though so he his correct in that. The lyrics are superb.

I Am Kloot - Big Tears

 
One of only two songs that have made me shed a tear when watching them live (won't divulge the other one!)

One of the greatest love songs ever penned IMHO. The fact that he sings it with his wife just adds to it

 
One of only two songs that have made me shed a tear when watching them live (won't divulge the other one!)

One of the greatest love songs ever penned IMHO. The fact that he sings it with his wife just adds to it

That is a fantastic song. I always forget how good it is until the next time I play it. Then it stuns me.
 
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