George writes: THE WRATH OF GRAPES SAUDE, ALEGRIA, SACANAGEM, TODO DIA Lyrics: Leslie. Music: Leslie/Atkins. Ever since I wrote this song, September 2012, I have debated how full an account to do on this page, of the events that led to this song. I’m sorry to say I have told a few people a bit of BS over this one. I wanted to not drop certain people in it, and there is also a reluctance from myself to make the true story here known. It is private. So, am faced with the choice of BS or the truth….. Deep breath. In for a penny, in for a pound. “Saude, Alegria, Sacanagem, Todo Dia” is Brazilian Portuguese and is a drinking toast, as we’d say “cheers”. The literal meaning is “Health, Happiness and Naughtiness Every Day”, a fine sentiment if you ask me. I was taught this originally by Natalia, of “Kinkier Than the Kinks” fame. The toast involves sliding your glasses over each other in a very suggestive way! March 27, 2011. Football. (Soccer). Brazil vs. Scotland at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. A lot of the girls from The Griffin were going. They have strict rules about socialising with patrons outside of their place of work, so I did not want to get any of them into trouble as they were going with their boss. Knowing my luck, I’d get a seat nearby and it would start some sort of problem. So, I told them I was not going. However, I phoned up ticket agents, and tickets were over £85! £85! To watch Scotland?!! Not a chance! Last time I saw Scotland play, they lost 4-1 to Egypt in a rain soaked night in Aberdeen. So, definite decision. Not going. And that stuck until the morning of the game, when I had a sudden change of heart! Jumped on the train, and half hour later, I was at the Emirates. By good timing, I managed to get a ticket off a tout, much reduced from the £85. Only when I entered the stadium, did I realise I was in the Brazilian end!!! So, I whipped off my Jimmy Bonnet, put on my sweat shirt over my Scotland top, and found my seat. I need not have worried as it was a very good natured crowd. To my left, to my right, rows in front, rows behind, all I could see was gorgeous Brazilian girls! Wow, they are stunning. I got talking to the girl next to me. She was from Criciuma in southern Brazil but was working for the moment in London. She was stunning, brunette, brown eyes, perfect figure, voice like velvet. We chatted, got some drinks in, chatted more. Not to put too fine a point on it, I fell for her, head over heals. She is my main memory of that day. Not only the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but one of the nicest human beings as well. Sigh. She of course toasted our drinks with “Saude….”. Towards the end of the game, we arranged to go for a drink outside the ground. At the final whistle, we headed towards the exit. I decided to go for a quick visit to the gents on the way out, and told her to wait. When I came out, she was gone. I never saw her again. We had not swapped mobile numbers by this point either, as I did not foresee the need to this point. Bad decision!! I waited 10 minutes, in case she’d gone to the ladies, but she never came back. I went to the ladies and asked a girl to check inside to see if she was there. Nope. Had a look outside the ground. Could not find her. In the space of 90 minutes: love found, love lost and a 2-0 defeat on the park. Not a good day. I sat on this story for well over a year. Then I was listening to “Bobby Jean” by Bruce Springsteen, one of the greatest “love lost” songs ever written, albeit in a slightly different context. This song ends with the idea that he has lost her, but she may just hear the song on the radio, and if she does, she can hear his message. I decided that that is what I had to do. Not knowing what happened is horrible. She did mention that while she did not have a boyfriend, it was “expected” that she would marry the son of her parents’ best friends. Perhaps that realisation came back to hit her, and she ran away? So, I wrote this song about that day. OK, there are a few bits of poetic licence here, but the basics are there. I had to write it in such a way, that she could recognise herself, but no-one else would. Therefore, I could not use her real name in the song, nor here. One of Zelma’s friends had been suggesting that I write a song for her. I’ve known her, oh, a year and a half perhaps. Lovely girl, by coincidence, also from Criciuma, and by even bigger coincidence, she was also at the game. I only found this out after I’d written the song and used her as the heroine. You just cannot make this stuff up. What are the chances?!! Small world. First time I met her, she reminded me of “Lucy” in the Peanuts cartoon strip, so she appears under the nickname of Lucy, as opposed to her real name. For the music, first step was to learn to play samba guitar. Decided to do this on an electric, not an acoustic to give it a mixed Brazilian/UK feel. After much practice, I got to an acceptable level! I wanted this to be a samba rhythm, so again, researched samba and produced a drum machine pattern. We are doing this as an old fashioned samba, circa 1920s, 1930s, but with modern instruments. So, the music is very traditional, the sound is very modern. So, track laid down as drums/rhythm, samba bass, samba rhythm guitar, lead guitar. Andi added additional percussion and string solo from a south American instrument, the name of which has gone out of my head. Andi also added some “Brazilian football commentary”. We had a go to see how long we could say “GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL” for without breathing!! I decided to do the vocals for this one myself, as it is a Scotland footie fan singing, after all. I must confess, that this is my favourite song I have ever written. I also think it is my best. The music just bounces along and is so intricate. Really takes you to Rio and carnival. However, as with Bruce’s Bobby Jean, the words tell a desperately sad story and of a guy having one of the worst days of this life.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Jun 2013 01:04:08 +0000
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