The Scots seem to be a happy bunch of people. I’ve been exploring music with Gaelic and Celtic origins for the past few days including medieval folk songs when I came across The Proclaimers, a Scottish pop band that had once taken the world by storm with just one song — I’m gonna be (500 Miles), a love song that makes no pretensions, rather choosing to talk about the feeling of being in love with someone straight, sweet and simple.
Well, before we actually talk about the music, let me take note of one other important thing that made me take notice and now be a fan of this song! As long as love stories go these days, when the whole idea of falling in love and being in a relationship has become a matter of convenience that attaches a lot of ifs and buts, why, maybes and maybe-nots, you’ll wonder where all the magic went! The lyrics, When I wake up, I’m gonna be the man who wakes up next to you, and when I grow old, I’m gonna be the man who grows old with you, are simple and straightforward and for me, it signifies the innocence, openness and that feeling of rush that we all have associated with falling in love at some point or the other in our lives.
Using a simple blend of happy guitar riffs and beats that swiftly whisks you back to the eighties, this song has a lot of charm and is equipped with enough material to make you smile; thus taking me back to my statement that the Scots are indeed a bunch of happy people! Simply put, listen to this song and then say whether it doesn’t make you dance and if you’re in love, even better! Even in case you happen to be a relationship cynic, it’s still a happy song! The song, which has already been covered by a multitude of artistes including Steven Curtis Chapman, Toy Dolls, Spunge and Alexander Rybak, radiates positive energy from its every pore; the kind that you can wake up to every day and just feel good about! The Steven Curtis Chapman cover was played by NASA as the wake-up call to the crew of the International Space Station and STS-130 on Flight Day 14/15. Well, what was I telling you about waking up to this song?