March | 2019 | Just Another Blog From a Woman

Top 15 Tunes That Make Me Sob Like a Baby

Posted on March 29, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Recently, on Twitter someone asked what songs make you cry? I immediately thought of the song that makes me cry like no other, but I then thought of so many more that render me pretty useless, sobbing like the emotional nightmare that I am. As I wrote about the 15 films that make me cry like a baby HERE, I thought I’d do a similar post with songs. For me, nothing evokes emotion more than music. Some of these songs are here for no other reason than they are emotional songs that make me cry and some are here because they have very personal reasons attached to them. I was going to write about why I selected each song, but then I realised it wouldn’t make for the most cheerful of posts. So, I’ll just simply leave the selected songs here.

15. They Won’t Go When I Go by George Michael

14. Hurt by Johnny Cash

13. Winter by Tori Amos

12. Stay Another Day by East 17

11. When I Die by Lush

10. Who Knew by P!nk

9. Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel

(Bloody Watership Down)

8. The Whole of the Moon by the Waterboys

7. Breathe Me by Sia

6. E.T. theme tune

5. This Woman’s Work by Kate Bush

4. Memory from the Cats soundtrack

3. Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins

2. Distant Sky by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

And the song that makes me cry like no other is…

.

1. When I Grow Up from the Matilda soundtrack

Exhibit A: the lyrics “When I grow up, I will eat sweets everyday” (oh the pureness of it)

Exhibit B: the lyrics “When I grow up, I will be brave enough, to fight the creatures that you have to fight beneath the bed each night, to be a grown up”

God damn you Tim Minchin *waves fist at air*

The One That Almost Made It: Creep by Scala & Kolacny Brother

This kind of list, is always going to be subjective and obviously very personal, so tell me which tearjerkers would make your list in the comments below.

See you on 12th April for Just Another Monthly #3

Top 15 The Cure Tunes

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

The Cure as babies (1980)

Here’s my top 15 The Cure tunes. Spotify playlist at the end as always.

15. Jumping Someone Else’s Train (1979, did not chart, Boys Don’t Cry)

14. Let’s Go To Bed (1982, no.44, Japanese Whispers)

13. Why Can’t I Be You? (1987, no.21, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me)

12. A Forest (1980, no.31, Seventeen Seconds)

11. Killing an Arab- notably now sung as Killing Another (1978, did not chart, Boys Don’t Cry)

10. Friday I’m in Love (1992, no.6, Wish)

9. The Lovecats (1983, no.7, Japanese Whispers)

8. Inbetween Days (1985, no.15, The Head on the Door)

7. Lullaby (1989, no.5, Disintegration)

6. Close to Me (1985, no.24, The Head on the Door)

5. Lovesong (1989, no.18, Disintegration)

4. The Caterpillar (1984, no.14, The Top)

3. Pictures of You (1990, no.24, Disintegration)

2. Just Like Heaven (1987, no.29, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me)

And my all time favourite Cure song is…

.

1. Boys Don’t Cry (1979, did not chart, re-released in 1986, no.22, Boys Don’t Cry)

The One That Almost Made It: Mint Car (1996, no.31, Wild Mood Swings)

Don’t forget to tell me below which is your favourite The Cure song below.

See you next week for the Top 15 Tunes That Make Me Cry Like a Baby!

For more musical artist top tunes click on the link:

Beatles Blur Björk George Michael Kylie Minogue Madonna Prince Pulp Suede Tori Amos

Just Another Monthly #2

Posted on March 15, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Something to think about:

My most hated word in the English language? Just.

“Why are you doing it like that? Just do it like this?”

“Just do it”

“Just don’t do it”

“It’s easy. Just…”

“Just. Just. JUST”

Why does such a seemingly inoffensive word rile me so much? It presumes so much. It presumes that the answer to your problem is simple and why haven’t you thought of it? It’s ok, the irony is not lost on me. The word just is in both my blog name and this post’s title. However, it’s the use of the word just when telling someone to do something that specifically gets my goat. Here’s an example:

Some years ago, when I was having terrible problems settling my baby in a cot for the first time, I had a little moan about it at the baby group I regularly attended.

“She won’t settle. She screams. She cries. She doesn’t like the cot at all and was much happier in her moses basket.”

“Ah,” interjected a fellow mum, “just put her in a sleeping bag in the cot”

“I’ve done that. It didn’t make a difference” was my reply

“Just put her in the moses basket in the cot, to get her used to it”

“Yep, tried that too. Also didn’t work”

“Just comfort her whilst she’s in the cot crying, so she knows there’s nothing to be scared of”

“I mean, I’ve definitely done that….”

“Just leave her to cry it out”

“Sure, I’ve done that too, but she seems particularly unhappy…”

“Well, I don’t have any other suggestions. Sorry”

And that was the end of the conversation. The thing was, I wasn’t looking for advice. I merely wanted to have a moan. To get it off one’s chest as it were. And all I wanted in return was a “oh dear, that must be shit. It will be ok though” type response. Instead, I was left feeling even more frustrated than before the conversation.

Here’s the thing, it’s my theory that most of the time when someone is upset about something or having a moan about something, they rarely want or need advice. Chances are if they’re relatively intelligent, they’ve already tried all the obvious solutions. All they need is someone to listen and allow them to vent. We all need this outlet.

In a world where mental health is on the increase and we are encouraged to talk about our problems, we need as much encouragement to ensure people know how to listen and give people space to talk. It’s all very well giving advice and I’m sure people like the mum in my example have good intentions, but we should not underestimate the power of just listening and just letting people talk. Ha. Oh ok, perhaps I don’t dislike the word just all the time.

By the way, my baby got used to the cot. All she needed was a bit of time to get used to it. Nothing else.

Something to be cheerful about:

5,000 people queued up in the rain to see if they were able to help save the life of one little 5-year old boy. Oscar Saxelby-Lee has a very rare form of blood cancer and needs a stem cell transplant in the next 3 months. After an appeal for potential donors, almost 5,000 people turned up at Oscar’s school to register for testing to see if they’re a match. This is over double the amount of people that have turned up for any other appeal for donors from the DKMS blood cancer charity- the previous record being 2,200. A further 1,000 people have since registered to be tested to see if they’re a match for Oscar.

India has opened its first hospital for rescued and abused elephants. The hospital in Uttar Pradesh has already treated 26 elephants. The elephants have mainly been rescued from tourist attractions such as circuses, street-riding and also from private owners. Elephants held in these conditions results in them developing many health conditions and malnutrition. The hospital has plenty of sophisticated equipment such as ultrasound scans, radiology, laboratory testing and a hydrotherapy pool to help nurse the poor elephants back to health. Once they are healthy again, they are sent to elephant sanctuaries to spend their retirement in full health and happiness.

Something to buy:

Louche Jude Pooch Pyjama Shirt, £45, from Joy the Store

Senora Ceramic Vase, £39.99, from Okla

Something to read:

I’ve already talked about my love of food HERE and mentioned Ruby’s newsletter there, but I implore you to read this book by Ruby. It’s one long love song about food and reasons to enjoy it guilt free. Honestly, you won’t be able to read it without salivating. There’s also the odd recipe sewn in between all the chapters about why food matters and why we should enjoy it. It’s all about the pleasure.

Something to watch:

Anybody that follows me on Instagram, will know that I’m currently obsessed with the Netflix reality makeover show Queer Eye. It’s so much more than a makeover show though. There’s more focus on making people feel happier with themselves and their lives. The Fab 5 (Karamo, Jonathan, Antoni, Tan and Bobby) spend a lot time sitting down with their heroes (as the participants are referred to as) talking to them and finding out about their lives and pasts. The show is engineered to be incredibly emotive, but if you’re like me then you’re rather partial to a tearjerker. I’ve become obsessed with the show, binge watching the first two seasons, but for me the best thing about the show is the Fab 5. Their charisma and warmth is infectious. I am desperate for them to be my new best friends. And the good news is that the new season is on Netflix from today. So grab a box of tissues and get watching Queer Eye.

Something to cook:

Shakshouka

Okay so boiling an egg in a frying pan of tinned tomatoes, may not sound the most appealing, but trust me this recipe is delicious. It’s a very comforting and warming dish (and looking out of the window right now, we still need that comfort and warmth) plus the ingredients are usually always at hand. It’s traditionally a North African/Middle Eastern breakfast, but I have it for lunch.

Ingredients (serves 1)

Olive Oil

I garlic clove

Chilli flakes (as much as you like)

Paprika

1 egg (or 2 if you’re hungry)

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

Salt

Parmesan

Method

Fry the garlic in the oil with the chilli flakes for a minute
Chuck the tin of chopped tomatoes in and get them boiling
Crack the egg in the middle
Sprinkle parmesan on top (again, as much as you like)
Put a plate or lid over the frying pan and leave to simmer on a low heat for about 5 mins
Serve with a thick slice of buttered bread and more parmesan on top

Tip: you can pad this meal out with sliced peppers and/or onions. Fry them first before you add the tomatoes and egg. You can also add other spices to it that you might enjoy such as cumin and cayenne pepper.

Sorry my food photos are pretty rubbish, but trust me- this is bloody lovely.

Something to help save the planet with:

cardomom-dental-floss-georganics-1138x1138

Natural Dental Floss £5

Plastic-free dental floss! I use this regularly (do I get a sticker?) and it’s as good as regular floss. It’s made from natural and sustainable silk, PETA certified cruelty free, 100% natural with no chemicals and it comes in a little reusable glass jar. When you finish the floss in this jar, you can buy refills, which in turns helps limit plastic waste. You can buy it in either mint or cardamon flavour. Oh and the floss is compostable. So what are you waiting for? Get flossing! You can get it HERE

Something to enjoy from the Blogosphere:

Please pop over to Angela’s blog and have a read of her candid and (as always) thoughtful post on co-parenting HERE. She always writes so well and this is an exceptional post on the difficulties of having to regularly wave goodbye to your child.

Something to listen to:

Just Another Playlist #2- A weekly mix tape of an eclectic collection of tunes (maybe to listen to while you make the Shakshouka)

Something to laugh at:

Imma just gonna leave this here without comment:

Don’t forget you can sign up to receive this monthly newsletter straight into your mailbox. Just click the little “Follow” box at the bottom, right hand of the screen and enter your email address

See you next week for the top The Cure songs and Just Another Monthly will be back in a month’s time!

Top 15 Tori Amos Tunes

Posted on March 8, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

First of all, did you know that Tori was originally in a pop-synth 80s band called Y Can’t Tori Read? To appreciate how amazing they were, HERE is a video of theirs. I think you’ll agree, they were pretty special. Oh and here’s an even more special photo of Tori from those days:

You can hardly tell it was the 80s

Tori seems to be an artist that divides opinion. She’s marmite. You either love her or hate her. I think it’s safe to say, that I indeed love her. I first discovered her as a 15 year old in my bedroom getting ready for school one morning, engulfing myself in Exclamation! perfume and cleansing with Anne French cleanser when Simon Mayo played Silent All These Years on his radio breakfast show. It was love at first…listen. Tori has supported many a teenager during the 90s through any difficult times. So many people of a certain age, will have that Tori album that helped them survived. Little Earthquakes, Under the Pink and Scarlet’s Walk all did that for me. Tori has built a fiercely loyal fan base and for good reason. She connects with her listeners, she tells her stories candidly and wears her heart on her sleeve. She has also consistently released new material throughout her career, rarely taking a break. She is undoubtedly an album artist rather than a singles artist, as you’ll be able to tell from this list, many of the songs listed are album tracks rather than singles. And which is my favourite of her albums?

Favourite Tori Amos album: Little Earthquakes (1992, no.14)

And, here are my top 15 Tori Amos tunes.

15. Jackie’s Strength (1998, did not chart, From the Choirgirl Hotel)

14. Icicle (1994, album track, Under the Pink)

13. Happy Phantom (1992, album track, Little Earthquakes)

12. A Sorta Fairytale (2002, no.41, Scarlet’s Walk)

11. I Can’t See New York (2002, album track, Scarlet’s Walk)

10. Putting the Damage On (1996, album track, Boys for Pele)

9. Precious Things (1992, album track, Little Earthquakes)

8. Yes, Anastasia (1994, album track, Under the Pink)

7. Spark (1998, no.16, From the Choirgirl Hotel)

6. Taxi Ride (2003, did not chart, Scarlet’s Walk)

5. Professional Widow- Armand’s Star Trunk Funkin’ Mix (1996, no.1, Boys for Pele)

4. Me and a Gun (1991, did not chart, Little Earthquakes)

3. Silent All These Years (1991, re-released in 1992, no.26, Little Earthquakes)

2. Cornflake Girl (1994, no.4, Under the Pink)

And my all time favourite Tori song is…

.

1. Winter (1992, no.25, Little Earthquakes)

The one that almost made it: Smells Like Teen Spirit (1992, B-side to Silent All These Years in the UK)

Don’t forget to tell me which is your favourite Tori Amos track below.

See you next week for Just Another Monthly #2 and the following week will be top tunes from The Cure!

For other musical artist top tunes click on the link:

Beatles Blur Björk The Cure George Michael Kylie Minogue Madonna Prince Pulp Suede

Top 15 Suede Tunes

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Hayley Beasley Dye

Older and less heroin addled Brett Anderson is fit.

Oh yes, (just) another blog post, (just) another Britpop band. And today, we’re talking about Suede. So we had the Oasis vs Blur thing. We had Pulp challenging both of those bands for the Britpop crown and then we had Suede. Suede who sometimes (wrongly) get forgotten about or dismissed when discussing the best bands from that era. Suede who’s loss of their key songwriter after (actually during) the recording of their “difficult second album” spelled the demise of the band, but leader vocalist (and their other key songwriter), Brett Anderson was having none of it. 30 years after forming (happy anniversary guys) they are still churning out the tunes. In fact, their 8th studio album was released last year and I named it as one of my favourite albums of the year (right HERE in fact). Also, slight side note, but am I the only one that remembers the original rivalry was in fact between Suede vs Blur and not with Oasis? Does this make Blur the real troublemakers?

Favourite Suede album: Suede (1993, no.1)