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Stone walls do not a prison make, nor iron bars a cage … here are your songs about barriers. Doors, walls, fences, dams and the odd rubber-tree plant. If you have an earworm you’d like to share, please send an .mp3 or a link to [email protected], together with a few lines about why you’ve chosen it. Next week’s theme will be places of education – schools, colleges, massage parlours, etc.etc. Many thanks to all contributors.
Gus Elen – If it Wasn’t for the Houses In Between – severin: I’m sometimes inclined to cite this as my favourite ever song. It certainly has the best title. With a ladder and some glasses, you could see to Hackney Marshes if… Barriers, eh?
Glen Hansard – McCormack’s Wall – tincanman: From 2015’s Didn’t He Ramble, Glen has had a drunken night out and decides the perfect nightcap is a road trip to see celebrated Irish tenor John McCormack’s old cottage near Kildare. As you do.
Unthanks – Close the Coalhouse Door – severin: Create a barrier for yourself. Close the coal house door and stay outside so you won’t see the cost of coal in blood and toil. A bleak song with beautiful voices and piano.
Scott Henderson – Fence Climbin’ Blues – Ravi Raman: Extremely stylish guitarist turns to Blues for an atypical album, called Dog Party. All songs are ‘dog themed’.
Mandrill – Fencewalk – Ravi Raman: First to pop up in my library when I keyed in ‘fence.’ Complete shoehorn as it’s definitely not about a fence. Still, it’s super funky.
Swarathma – Pyaasi – Ravi Raman: This is a folk rock band from Bangalore. Song’s about the water sharing problem between our two states. The river Cauvery begins in Karnataka and ends here in Tamil Nadu and there’s an almighty row about blocking/damming it. I’m tired of stopping at corners / at least let my tears flow / I’m water, let me flow.
Efterklang – Between the Walls – AliM: From the 2012 album Piramida, I think this came to me via glasshalfempty.
Frank Sinatra – High Hopes – MaggieB: When troubles call and your back’s to the wall, there’s a lot to be learned, that wall could fall. The barriers are a rubber tree plant and a billion-kilowatt dam…
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters – Don’t Fence Me In – AliM: I want to ride to the ridge where the West commences / And gaze at the moon till I lose my senses / And I can’t look at hobbles and I can’t stand fences / Don’t fence me in… Classic.
If It Wasn’t for the Houses In Between
McCormack’s Wall [Ramble]
Close The Coalhouse Door
Fence Climbin’ Blues
Fencewalk
Pyaasi
Between the Walls
Image copyright: Yuri Kuzmin https://www.123rf.com
