Awkward Commas

somesongsconsidered:

“A New England (BBC Recording)” – Kirsty MacColl with Billy Bragg
(Words/music: Billy Bragg, available on What Do Pretty Girls Do?, Hex 1998)

MacColl, best known as the firery foil to Shane MacGowan in the Pogues’ “Fairytale of New York,” sings “A New England” like it’s her own song, telling Bragg’s tale of teenage longing through her clear, vibrant voice.  In this version, recorded for the BBC, MacColl and Bragg trade verses and create a conversational tone.  While Bragg’s original sounds like a young man declaring his place in the world, this version sounds like two friends catching up on the past with each other.  In particular, MacColl’s final verse (which Bragg wrote specifically for her), seems focused on the past – it’s the only of the three verses set exclusively in the past tense (where the other two verses compare the past to the present), and appropriately carries the perspective that only time brings.  Even if they sound older, they still sound like they’re having fun, as their voices harmonize together and they laugh during the goofy instrumental break.

“A New England” is one of my all-time favorite songs and this is a great version of it.