Darlington County – Bruce Springsteen

Posted on August 16, 2026 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

Springsteen and the E Street Band are putting the pedal to the metal in this no-nonsense rocker, with him and his buddy Wayne racing down the highway. It’s one of his purest escapist songs, and you can’t help but be taken for the ride. It’s once again great ol’ bare-knuckles storytelling from the Boss, but not just that. The music seems to mimic the car’s motor as they roar towards Darlington County.

Hey, you kids out there, don’t copy what Bruce and Wayne are doing here, or you might find yourself like Wayne does, handcuffed to the bumper of a state trooper’s Ford. He picks up a girl on the way to party all night and then after Sha-la-la, sha-la-la, la-la. You get the picture. This song doesn’t mess about, and that’s what’s so exhilarating about his real-time telling of his trip to Darlington County in South Carolina. I think lots of men and women can recall from their young adulthoods having taken some crazy trip chasing excitement and opportunity and where they might not have got up to much good.

It fits perfectly on his global mega-hit and most commercially successful record, Born in the U.S.A., one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Cha-ching! Darlington County also reflects, like many other songs, this working-class, Everytown USA image, which is of course highly relatable and a refreshing raw change from the ’80s pop-synth sound that had run amok everywhere. Also, you can really sense the small-town feeling in this.

Interestingly, Springsteen wrote Darlington County during the sessions for Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978). The song was played during every leg of the Born in the U.S.A. Tour and was often paired with Working on the Highway in performance. When performing it live, Springsteen frequently plays the first few bars of the Rolling Stones’ Honky Tonk Women before the first verse.

[Verse 1]
Driving into Darlington County
Me and Wayne on the Fourth of July
Driving into Darlington County
Looking for some work on the county line
We drove down from New York City
Where the girls are pretty, but they just want to know your name
Driving into Darlington City
Got a union connection with an uncle of Wayne’s

[Pre-Chorus 1]
We drove 800 miles without seeing a cop
We got rock and roll music blasting off the T-top

[Chorus]
Singin’ sha-la-la, sha la-la, la-la
Sha-la-la, la, la-la, la
Sha-la-la, sha la-la, la-la
Sha-la-la, la, la-la, la

[Verse 2]
Hey, little girl standing on the corner (Hey!)
Today’s your lucky day for sure, all right
Me and my buddy, we’re from New York City
We got $200; we want to rock all night (Oh, yeah)
Well, girl, you’re looking at two big spenders
Why, the world don’t know what me and Wayne might do
Our pa’s each own one of the World Trade Centers
For a kiss and a smile, I’ll give mine all to you

[Pre-Chorus 2]
Come on baby, take a seat on my fender
It’s a long night, and tell me, what else were you gonna do?
Just me and you, we could

[Chorus]
Sha-la-la, sha la-la, la-la
Sha-la-la, la, la-la, la
Sha-la-la, sha la-la, la-la
Sha-la-la, la, la-la, la

[Verse 3]
Little girl, sitting in the window
Ain’t seen my buddy in seven days (Play it, boys)
County man tells me the same thing
He don’t work and he don’t get paid
Little girl, you’re so young and pretty
Walk with me and you can have your way
And we’ll leave this Darlington City
For a ride down that Dixie Highway

[Bridge]
Driving out of Darlington County
I’ve seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
Driving out of Darlington County
Seen Wayne handcuffed to the bumper of a state trooper’s Ford
Whoa!

References:
1. Darlington County (song) – Wikipedia

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Jason Arday death ‘tragedy on so many levels’ says PM – BBC

Posted on August 15, 2026 by observationblogger — Leave a comment

When I was reading all the credible accusations against Arday over the last week or so, I thought, as terrible as it sounds, I bet he kills himself. The evidence was simply insurmountable. First and foremost, the BBC had reported virtually nothing about these well-founded accusations. So, I published here briefly UnHerd’s recent interview about the scandal with Kathleen Stock.

This following anecdote is very important to understanding the BBC and what Herbert Marcuse exemplified in Repressive Tolerance in 1965, which essentially brought Marxist and radical leftist thinking (academically) into the West:

“It involves the withdrawal of tolerance of speech and assembly of groups on the Right and aggressive partisan promotion of speech and groups on the Left.”

Then, after Arday takes his own life, they (the BBC) suddenly report on it and, as you might expect from this radical left-wing press machine, turn their attention towards his accusers. Since then, there has been a mountain of articles and videos laying the blame on those on social media exposing his lies. It’s obscene seeing empathy going haywire.

While any death is tragic, if Arday was even remotely accurate in the things he said and had the least bit of integrity, you might think he would have defended himself. Gad Saad’s take on the Arday aftermath in Did Systemic Structural Racism Result in Jason Arday’s Suicide? gets it pretty much right. Make him a a Martyr. Not on my watch.

So, he takes his own life, seemingly not caring two shits about his family and kids, while knowing this would give the radicals an opportunity to point the finger at his accusers. In life and in death, he has ended up exactly as his well-informed accusers were saying: a charlatan and coward.

Welcome to the modern day left.

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Seattle – Mark Knopfler

Posted on August 15, 2026 by observationblogger — Leave a comment
Wikipedia: The Bob Dylan Tour with Mark Knopfler 2012

The alluring, melancholic Seattle was released on his 2012 album Privateering. The album was promoted during Knopfler’s North American tour with Bob Dylan later that year. The concerts typically consisted of Knopfler and his band performing an 11-song opening set, followed by Dylan and his band performing a 14-song set, with Knopfler accompanying Dylan on guitar for the first four songs.

This country-coloured track weaves beautifully through the gentle sounds of Knopfler’s unmistakable, lyrical guitar work and gentle vocals. Other stand-out parts are the meandering piano and the wailing pedal steel guitar. The album credits confirm Jim Cox on piano and Paul Franklin on pedal steel, with Knopfler on electric, slide and acoustic guitars.

The lyrics are beautifully cosy too, as Mark recalls to his girl their time spent on a grey day in Seattle. But something isn’t going right between them: it feels as though I have a key / But every time I try it, it won’t turn for me. Still, he’s holding out hope that there’s somewhere for them as he pleads with her to stay with him. The longing he expresses seeps into every fibre of the song’s being.

Someone wrote this interesting tidbit in the comments below:

“Imagine this: Romeo and Juliet, from that song so long ago, stuck it out. Now they’ve left NYC and hope to resettle in Seattle. But will it work? Can they make it work, after all these years? Somewhere… there’s a place for us. Maybe it’s here. We both love rain.”

From Wikipedia:

The first studio double-album of Knopfler’s 35-year career as a recording artist, Privateering consists of 20 original songs (plus four more released in other editions), and integrates blues rock with traditional folk and country genres.

It reached the number one position on album charts in Austria, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, as well as the number two or three position in Belgium, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

The album peaked at number eight in the United Kingdom. The album was released in North America a full year after its European release due to a contractual dispute between Knopfler and his North American distributors.

[Verse 1]
Above the bar, the TVs are showing the game
But we’re not watching it, we’re hardly focussing
Through the windows in the fading day
1st Avenue is turning grey

[Pre-Chorus]
Do you ever look at me and see another man?
Let’s get two more beers and try to make a plan
Sometimes it feels as though I have a key
But every time I try it, it won’t turn for me

[Chorus]
Seattle
You’ve got to love the rain
And we both love rain
We both love rain

[Verse 2]
We watched the city skyline from the ferry deck
And you put your arms around my neck
We talked of looking just out of town
Now it’s looking like a dream shot down

[Pre-Chorus]
I still believe that there’s somewhere for us
But now that’s something that we don’t discuss
And you’re the best thing I ever knew
Stay with me, baby, and we’ll make it to
We’ll make it to

[Chorus]
Seattle
You’ve got to love the rain
And we both love rain
We both love rain

[Chorus]
Seattle
I want you just the same
And we both love rain
We both love rain

References:
1. Privateering (album) – Wikipedia

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Po’ Boy – Bob Dylan

Posted on August 13, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I absolutely love the absurdist wit on Po’ Boy. Its whimsical nature, the humour and cheeseball lines get me every time. And the music is so playful, yet somehow also poised and nuanced. I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but this is another much-underrated song from Dylan, and it certainly came out of left field, especially in his later career catalogue.

To me, Po’ Boy sends me back to the farce and folly of his 1964 song I Shall Be Free No. 10. I was so entertained by the funny lyricism and wordplay in that song that I led my division team to sing it for a Music Night in the mid-1990s. Po’ Boy doesn’t get as silly as that one, being more subtle and sleight of hand, and grounded by someone who has been around the block a time or two.

For me Po’ Boy represents the ‘Every Town’ USA (or whether Occidental) man that continues to lose but maintain some semblance of stable life. But everything and everyone else is deceiving him like people and life in general often do. But above all, he’s fine with all of that. He is noble because of his humility.

We were discussing vaudeville just the other day here, and there is somewhat of a minstrelsy aspect to it, not unlike the role Tom Waits inhabited for much of his own music career. The other thing I like is that beneath its quaintness and charm, there is sometimes a darker undercurrent, as in the lines about his uncle taking him in after his mother died and running a funeral parlour. It’s one of those moments that makes you do a double-take.

Also reflecting the uncharacteristic nature of this song musically, as noted in the Untold Dylan article below, “Dylan gets all the chords that he doesn’t normally use and throws them all in to the mix and then places a melody over the top. Even if you don’t know anything about music, you’ll know this is not normal either for Dylan or for popular music.”

Post-2000, Dylan’s music, especially the instrumentals, was starting to become more in keeping with the tight and more subtle mature band sound, invoking an atmosphere of a cosy, late-night setting. His band on the Never Ending Tour was starting to take shape, with many of the same members playing together for years, and a stripped-back approach where sometimes less is more.

If you’ve been following Dylan’s records and live performances this century, you hear the beginnings of this sound and feel on this 2001 record, Love and Theft, and he really hasn’t departed far from it. It was also the first album he recorded with his Never Ending Tour band.

Prior to this record, Dylan had achieved, as some like to put it, ‘a return to form’ with his critically acclaimed and three-time Grammy Award-winning 1997 album Time Out of Mind, produced by Daniel Lanois. So when Love and Theft was released in 2001, expectations were pretty high, and by almost all accounts it didn’t disappoint, also receiving, like its predecessor, a big thumbs-up from critics and fans alike. The album went on to win the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album.


[Verse 1]
Man comes to the door, I say, “For whom are you looking?”
He says, “Your wife,” I say, “She’s busy in the kitchen cooking”
Poor boy, where you been?
I already told you, won’t tell you again

[Verse 2]
I say, “How much you want for that?” I go into the store
The man says, “Three dollars.” “All right,” I say, “Will you take four?”
Poor boy, never say die
Things will be all right by and by

[Verse 3]
Been working on the mainline, working like the devil
The game is the same, it’s just up on another level
Poor boy, dressed in black
Police at your back

[Verse 4]
Poor boy in a red hot town
Out beyond the twinkling stars
Riding first-class trains, making the rounds
Trying to keep from falling between the cars

[Verse 5]
Othello told Desdemona, “I’m cold, cover me with a blanket
By the way, what happened to that poison wine?”
She said, “I gave it to you, you drank it”
Poor boy, laying them straight
Picking up the cherries falling off the plate

[Verse 6]
Time and love has branded me with its claws
Had to go to Florida dodging them Georgia laws
Poor boy, in the hotel called the Palace of Gloom
Call down to room service, says send up a room

[Verse 7]
My mother was a daughter of a wealthy farmer
My father was a traveling salesman, I never met him
When my mother died, my uncle took me in, he run a funeral parlor
He did a lot of nice things for me and I won’t forget him

[Verse 8]
All I know is that I’m thrilled by your kiss
I don’t know any more than this
Poor boy, picking up sticks
Build you a house out of mortar and bricks

[Verse 9]
Knocking on the door, I say, “Who is it where are you from?”
Man says, “Freddy!” I say, “Freddy who?” He say, “Freddy or not here I come”
Poor boy, ‘neath the stars that shine
Washing them dishes, feeding them swine

References:
1. Po Boy: a walk through the heritage of American culture with Bob Dylan – Untold Dylan

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Where Are We Now? – David Bowie

Posted on August 13, 2026 by observationblogger — 12 Comments

As long as there’s me
As long as there’s you

It’s hard not to feel more reflective about the years gone by when you hear Where Are We Now? I guess this is what getting older is like. There’s a humility and openness in Bowie’s voice here which makes the song all the more poignant and tender.

Bowie said in interviews that he would use his voice to inhabit the character of a song, an actor of song, if you will. You get the sense here that it is sung by a man who had lived so many different lives and was now looking back on them. Simply put, the song doesn’t portray Bowie through a persona, as much of his prior work did, but as himself.

“Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?” — Tennessee Williams, The Milk Train Doesn’t Stop Here Anymore

The song’s emotive, introspective tone reminds me of the transient nature of life and the unstoppable march of time. Most of Bowie’s songs can be witty and tongue-in-cheek, but when he turns to something more emotional… he can make you cry. Where Are We Now? is a beautiful example of that.

In case you were wondering, the video’s strange central figure features Bowie’s face alongside that of American painter Jacqueline Humphries, the wife of video director Tony Oursler.

The following contains extracts from the Wikipedia reference:

After listening to “Where Are We Now?“, Eric Clapton sent a note to Bowie thanking him “for writing such a beautiful song“. Bowie’s response, “Thanks for the shoutout, old sock. Really appreciate it“, led Clapton to naming his then-upcoming album Old Sock with Bowie’s permission.

Where Are We Now? was recorded in secret at the Magic Shop in New York City. It was released as the first single from his 25th studio album, The Next Day, his penultimate album, just a few years before his death from liver cancer in 2016 at the age of 69.

The single was simply “dropped” in iTunes for fans to discover, with no prior warning or fanfare. Bowie made no media appearances. It was first studio release in 10 years as he had retreated from public view after undergoing a procedure to treat a blocked heart artery in 2004.

Where Are We Now topped the iTunes charts in numerous countries and peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, making it Bowie’s biggest hit since Absolute Beginners in 1986 and his last top ten hit before his death.

[Verse 1]
Had to get the train
From Potsdamer platz
You never knew that
That I could do that
Just walking the dead
Sitting in the Dschungel
On Nürnberger Strasse
A man lost in time near KaDeWe
Just walking the dead

[Chorus]
Where are we now?
Where are we now?
The moment you know
You know, you know

[Verse 2]
Twenty thousand people
Cross Bösebrücke
Fingers are crossed
Just in case
Walking the dead

[Chorus]
Where are we now?
Where are we now?
The moment you know
You know, you know

[Outro]
As long as there’s sun
As long as there’s sun
As long as there’s rain
As long as there’s rain
As long as there’s fire
As long as there’s fire
As long as there’s me
As long as there’s you

References:
1. Where Are We Now? – Wikipedia

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When You Were Sweet Sixteen – The Fureys with Davey Arthur

Posted on August 12, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Today we feature yet another Irish song, but this one is by the Irish folk band The Fureys and is more of the traditional Celtic variety. More versions of this old 19th-century love ballad exist than you can poke a stick at. Head on over to the Wikipedia reference to see what I’m talking about.

When I was a wee lad, on a whim I bought the album by The Fureys called ‘When You Were Sweet Sixteen‘. The cover and title were appealing for obvious reasons. ‘Hello’! I listened and was charmed by these traditional Irish folk songs. Suffice to say, it was a good investment of the little money I had going at the time.

A lot of music from it has already appeared here, but today’s featured title track was just about as impactful and moving as anything else on the album upon first listen. A real clincher. It’s one of those songs that penetrates way deep, and once you’ve heard it, you’re unlikely to forget it anytime soon.

The Fureys earned attention for bringing Irish folk music to mainstream listeners and, lo’ and behold, When You Were Sweet Sixteen became their biggest hit, reaching No. 14 in the UK, No. 1 in Ireland and No. 9 in Australia. This and The Green Fields of France were their only hit singles, and yet, despite their modest commercial success, the group remain quite iconic in Irish folk music circles due to their musical legacy.

Formed by the Furey brothers in the 1970s, they became known for their heartfelt songs about love, loss, emigration and the Irish experience. Many of their songs have endured well beyond their original era, including When You Were Sweet Sixteen.

What drew me to The Fureys was that there was nothing overly polished about them. Instead, their authentic Celtic sound and vocal grit seem to be a big part of their appeal. Their songs feel as though they have been passed down rather than simply recorded.

When You Were Sweet Sixteen was written by Irish – American James Thornton and published in 1898. The song was inspired by Thornton’s wife, Bonnie, when she asked her husband if he still loved her. Thornton replied, “I love you like I did when you were sweet sixteen.”

Bonnie Thornton, a popular vaudeville singer who sang many of her husband’s compositions, introduced the song in her act and it quickly became a hit song in vaudeville.

 Vaudeville in case you were wondering like me, was a popular theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada, dominant from the early 1870s until the early 1930s. 

It featured a series of 10 to 15 unrelated acts on a common bill, including comedians, magicians, acrobats, singers, dancers, jugglers, and trained animals. Charlie Chaplin and The Marx Brothers got their big breaks there. The genre declined due to the Great Depression and the rise of radio and motion pictures.

When first I saw the love-light in your eyes
I dreamed the world held not but joy for me
And even though we drifted far apart
I never dream but what I dream of thee

I love you as I never loved before
Since first I met you on the village green
Come to me or my dream of love is or
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen

I love you as I never loved before
Since first I met you on the village green
Come to me or my dream of love is or . .
I love you as I loved you, when you were sweet
When you were sweet sixteen

References:
1. When You Were Sweet Sixteen – Wikipedia
2. The Fureys – Wikipedia

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When Your Mind’s Made Up – Glen Hansard

Posted on August 11, 2026 by observationblogger — 16 Comments

When I read the news two weeks ago that Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard had tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident, I was confounded and aggrieved. At just 56 years of age, he was still so young, and yet he was one of those amazingly gifted, passionate and creative artists who you always thought had his best years still ahead of him. Also, to leave behind his beautiful wife and three-year-old boy, it would seem that he still had so much more to give.

My almost immediate response was to write a tribute article to this legend of Irish folk music, and I did briefly relay here a clip of a spectacularly bare-bones performance he gave in his typical ‘busker’ mode, with a hefty Celtic flavour, in the company of David Letterman, no less. But I felt I had to do something more significant to honour this man.

I then realised I had my favourite song/scene from his unforgettable indie, Oscar-winning movie Once forthcoming in my alphabetical listing of the Music Library Project, and here we are today. I have written here so much about that movie’s monumental impact. I remember that after just having seen it, I had the most vivid and poignant dreams about it which, to this day, I can’t recall having about any other film or music for that matter.

I had seen Glen Hansard perform in concert at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne in 2007, both times opening for Bob Dylan. It’s serendipitous how I see Bob Dylan in Sydney 2001 the night before he received his Academy Award for Things Have Changed from the movie Wonder Boys and then I see Glen Hansard open for Bob in 2007 and soon thereafter he wins the same Academy Award for Falling Slowly in Once. So my personal connection with him and his music and the movie Once is something I will always cherish.

You can also find in the epilogue of his funeral the sending-off of his casket set to the interpretation by family and friends of Bob Dylan’s song Forever Young. It goes without saying how enormous Dylan was in the life of Glen Hansard. He spoke about Dylan’s impact on him in becoming a singer-songwriter. Basically, he locked himself away like a monk, alone with his uncle’s guitar and one of Dylan’s greatest-hits records at 13 years old, and learnt how to play the ‘thang’.

Now onto today’s featured song – When Your Mind’s Made Up. The scene of its recording appears in the film as the apex, ‘Rocky-esque’ shining musical moment in Once, as Glen Hansard’s character begins to see a possible path towards bigger and brighter prospects musically. And it really is, well, to me at least, one of the greatest film captures of a musical recording.

It appears as though you are watching a documentary rather than a fiction film, and in many ways, as we come to learn, it is Glen Hansard’s modest yet unforgettable arrival on the global musical stage in cinema form. The rawness of it, and how through such fundamental and crude yet arresting musicianship, the sum of the seemingly simplistic individual parts where the musicians gradually find each other to achieve this grandiose ‘whole’ in musical accomplishment, is quite something.

If there was ever a time capsule arranged now to encapsulate the greatest musical moments put to screen in the 2000s, then When Your Mind’s Made Up would have to sit high up on that selection list. Not just that, but it upholds what a simple, humble man can achieve through passion, innate talent and teamwork. Just like Glen Hansard himself, it shan’t be forgotten.

[Verse 1]
So, if you ever want something
And you call, call
Then I’ll come running
To fight, and I’ll be at your door
When there’s nothing
Worth running for

[Chorus]
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to change it
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to stop it

[Verse 2]
You see, you’re just like everyone
When the shit falls
All you want to do is run away
And hide all by yourself
When there’s far from
There’s nothing else

[Chorus]
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to change it
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point even talking
When your mind’s made up
When your mind’s made up
There’s no point trying to fight it

[Post-Chorus]
When your mind’s—
Your mind’s—
Oh, woah, woah, ah
Oh, oh
There’s no point trying to change it
When your—
Oh, ah, oh
Hoo-oh, ah, ooh, woah, oh

[Outro]
So, if you ever want something
And you call, call
Then I’ll come running

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Posted in Movies and TV, Music

When You Say Nothing At All – Alison Krauss & Ronan Keating Versions

Posted on August 11, 2026 by observationblogger — 2 Comments

Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz must have done something right by writing a song which became a hit for four different performers, all within the space of just over a decade. There’s also a wonderful irony in its origin story: the song came about when they were trying to write their next song but were coming up empty. “As we tried to find another way to say nothing, we came up with the song,” Overstreet said.

Today’s article highlights two versions, one featuring the most angelic voice I’ve heard in country music – Alison Krauss – and the other by Ronan Keating. His was the first version I heard, and I was so swept up in it that I taught myself how to play it when I was learning guitar. I’m not as crazy about the song now as I once was, and I remain equally clueless about the guitar, but the song still tugs at those ol’ heartstrings whenever I happen to hear it.

The two other hit versions were Keith Whitley’s, who took it to the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1988, seven years before Alison Krauss & Union Station’s version became a top-10 country hit in 1995. Then there was Irish singer Frances Black, whose 1996 version became her third Irish top-10 single, just before fellow Irish singer Ronan Keating did the same thing, taking it to the top of the Irish charts in 1999. His version also topped the charts in the UK and New Zealand.

Some readers may also remember seeing Ronan’s version appear in the romantic comedy film Notting Hill. That movie, while being a bit too saccharine and gushy for my tastes, has a few memorable scenes, like the one where Julia Roberts’ character, the mega-famous Anna Scott, meets the family of her new English chap, played by Hugh Grant, whom she literally bumped into on the street.

[Verse 1]
It’s amazing how you can speak right to my heart
Without saying a word, you can light up the dark
Try as I may, I could never explain
What I hear when you don’t say a thing

[Chorus]
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

[Verse 2]
All day long I can hear people talking aloud
But when you hold me near, you drown out the crowd
Old Mr. Webster could never define
What’s being said between your heart and mine

[Chorus]
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

[Chorus]
The smile on your face lets me know that you need me
There’s a truth in your eyes sayin’ you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

References:
1. When You Say Nothing at All – Wikipedia

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When Will You Fall For Me – Vika & Linda Bull

Posted on August 10, 2026 by observationblogger — 4 Comments

I enjoy listening to few songs as much as I do this one by the Melbourne music duo Vika and Linda Bull. Interestingly, it’s one of those songs I have raved about to other people, but they haven’t shared my enthusiasm nearly as much. It also wasn’t exactly embraced by the wider Australian public, peaking at a modest No. 51 on the charts. Oh well, it was love at first listen for me at least, and I’m glad to present it to you today.

When Will You Fall For Me is a Power pop number with an infectious, groovy guitar. Older sister Vika’s voice is so spirited and soulful, and when they both sing in the chorus – When Will You Fall For Me? – it feels so playfully romantic. I fell for both of them. Also, don’t they sing one of the sweetest and most uplifting bridges here.

There is also an innocence to their bright and chirpy harmonies that makes the song difficult to resist. The song’s shine and charm have never worn off for me. Just great fun music, which is reflected in its slightly quirky and lighthearted music video.

The song was written by Mark Seymour, the frontman and songwriter of the Australian rock band Hunters & Collectors, who were very popular in the 1980s and 90s. I previously posted an article on their song Throw Your Arms Around Me, one of the most well-recognised contemporary love ballads in Australia.

Early in their career, the sisters came to prominence as backing vocalists for bands like The Black Sorrows in 1988. They left the group in 1994 to start their duo, releasing a self-titled album in June that year. The album was certified platinum, and today’s song appears on it.

They continued over the years working with a wide array of Australian groups and artists, including the Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly. He and the sisters sang together at the 2019 Australian Football grand final with Leaps and Bounds.

I remember that performance most fondly because my beloved Richmond Tigers won the final that day, and my family and I enjoyed watching a live transmission of it here in Colombia in the wee hours of the night.

Vika and Linda have also sung with the late great Australian Aboriginal singer Archie Roach, who regular readers of my blog will be familiar with.

Due to the sisters’ extensive and sustained collaborations with other groups and artists, and making regular appearances at nationally televised events, you will find few adult Australians who would not have heard of them or at least recognise them.

Snippets from Wikipedia:

  • Vika and Linda have received six ARIA Music Award nominations and were awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2022 in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the performing arts.
  • Vika Susan Bull was born in 1966 in Doncaster, Melbourne. Her sister, Linda Rose Bull is 18 months younger. Their mother, who was from Tonga, arrived in Australia in 1959 as a nursing student.

[Verse 1]
Who’s gonna save you darlin’?
Gonna save you when you fall?
Before they come to take you down
Take your picture off the wall

[Pre-Chorus 1]
Who’s gonna wait until you’re strong?
I hope it’s not too long
Let me know if you’re alone
Before I come to take you home

[Chorus]
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?

[Verse 2]
Oh yeah, the truth is in the telling, darlin’
Every lover’s got to learn
Oh, I remember every word you said
What’s left I will return

[Pre-Chorus 2]
If you tell me one more lie
My love will slowly die
Let me know if you’re alone
Before I come to take you home

[Chorus]
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?

[Verse 3]
Sooner or later, darlin’
Your eyes will open to the sun
You’re gonna have to face the morning
There’ll be nowhere else to run

[Pre-Chorus 3]
Let me wait until you’re strong
I hope it’s not too long
Let me know if you’re alone
Before I come to take you home

[Chorus]
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?

[Bridge]
My love, you can’t deny it
You won’t know until you try it
Give it air, let it breathe
Let it burn like a fire
I can’t contain my desire
Give it air, let it breathe

[Chorus: Both]
When will you come to your senses?
When will you fall for me?

References:
1. When Will You Fall for Me – Wikipedia
2. Vika and Linda – Wikipedia

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Posted in Music

When We Were Kings – Brian McKnight & Diana King

Posted on August 9, 2026 by observationblogger — 6 Comments

Today we have a double-billing of sorts, featuring both the sporting documentary When We Were Kings and the song of the same name featured in the film.

I have mentioned the film and Muhammad Ali’s colossal feat on other occasions, but it’s nice to now have a dedicated post to the documentary, including the beautifully inspiring song and video attached to it.

When We Were Kings is centred around the “Rumble in the Jungle“, the heavyweight championship boxing match held on October 30, 1974, in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) between reigning world heavyweight champion George Foreman and Muhammad Ali.

It remains one of my favourite documentaries and, for sporting enthusiasts, is about as close as you are going to get to obligatory viewing. It focuses on one of the most significant sporting achievements ever, which took place in a country few people would have associated with hosting such event.

For film purists, however, it is much more than a film about a boxing match. It is also a fascinating cultural portrait of Zaire and its people, capturing the atmosphere, politics, music and extraordinary sense of occasion surrounding the fight.

The film was released in 1996 and won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 1997 Oscars. It is also widely regarded as one of the finest boxing documentaries ever made.

The film ends with today’s featured song, accompanied by a spectacular montage of images from Muhammad Ali’s career. I can’t really think of another song put to film that is quite as impactful, rousing and moving as this one, particularly because it is so closely tied to the heart of the film. You can’t really separate the song from the film; such is their unison in feeling and context. I never grow tired of hearing it, even after more than perhaps a hundred listens over the years. People do say I exaggerate a million times ;-P

As someone commented beneath the video:
“This song does something so few songs have accomplished. It captures the essence and power of an individual creating a lasting legacy for all that were there and for those who were not.”

It’s a shame that the duet “When We Were Kings“, performed by American R&B singer Brian McKnight and Jamaican reggae-pop artist Diana King, doesn’t have a dedicated page containing more information about its creation and recording. Of all the songs that deserve some background about their realisation, this is certainly one of them.

The Rumble in the Jungle

Below are some extracts from other articles where I have referred to this legendary documentary and fight:

Most journalists in the lead-up to the Rumble in the Jungle thought Ali was toast. Some even suggested that Ali might die in the ring. If I had seen Foreman hitting the heavy bag at the gym in Zaire, leaving concave fist imprints, I might have thought the same.

Ali’s fight against Foreman remains one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history. Ali entered the fight as a 4–1 underdog against the unbeaten and devastatingly powerful Foreman.

Ali did what almost no-one thought he could do: withstand Foreman’s relentless attack, employ what became known as the “rope-a-dope” strategy and allow the younger champion to exhaust himself. In the eighth round, Ali knocked Foreman down and reclaimed the heavyweight championship of the world.

Muhammad Ali had this amazing glare in his eyes between one of the rounds realising he was getting pummelled and had to do something. It’s a surreal moment of concentration, composure, determination and creativity. It’s now or never. The scene was perfectly captured in the film here, where an astute boxing journalist covering the event said the following:

Ali went back to the corner. The nightmare he’d been awaiting in the ring had finally come to visit him. He was in the ring with a man he could not dominate. He was stronger than him. Who was not afraid of him. Who was going to try to knock him out and punched harder than Ali could punch. This man was determined and unstoppable. And Ali had a look on his face that I’ll never forget. It’s the only time I saw fear in Ali’s eyes. Ali looked as if he looked into himself…’Alright this is the moment.This is what you’ve been waiting for. This is that hour. Do you have the guts?’ He kind of nodded to himself. Like, got to get it together boy. Really got to get it together and you are going to get it together. He nodded some more as if he was looking into the eyes of his maker. And then he turned to the crowd and yelled ‘Ali boma ye‘ and a hundred thousand yelled back ‘ Ali boma ye‘.

After losing the title to Ali, Foreman entered a long period away from boxing and experienced a profound personal crisis. He eventually returned to the ring in 1987, more than a decade after his defeat.

Then, remarkably, at the age of 45, Foreman defeated Michael Moorer in 1994 to become the oldest heavyweight champion in boxing history. There is a wonderful short documentary about this remarkable comeback called How Big George Foreman Took Back His Title (20 Years After Ali).

In every heart there is a drum that beats
Steady and strong, it does not know defeat
I feel it pound and know the sound of true beliefs
In every soul, there is a memory
Of standing tall, the proudest we could be
I cannot fall, for I recall we were born in majesty
And when the long fight
Has been fought and won
We’ll stand in the sun
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings
Now is the time, here is the mountain top
When one man climbs, the rest are lifted up
With every step we’re closer yet to a higher destiny
And when we reach out
To claim the thrown
Every man will know
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings
Do you remember when we were kings?
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee
And when the long fight
Has been fought and won
We’ll stand in the sun
And we will raise out hands, and we will touch the sky
Together we will dance in robes of gold
And we will leave the world remembering
When we were kings, when we were kings

References:
1. When We Were Kings – Wikipedia

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Posted in Movies and TV, Music

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