Harvest for the World – a blog in two parts

Part 1 - The Isley Brothers

I read the other day, Marvin Isley had died. The first song that came into my head was Summer Breeze; it’s one I managed to reproduce on the guitar (in a halting fashion). The second song that came into my head was Harvest for the World. And while searching for Summer Breeze on youtube, I was drawn back to Harvest.

Since it’s inception I’ve been a great fan of youtube, it’s not the process of watching a video of a song you know; or finding something you’ve heard about, but not listened to. No, it’s the musical journey you go on after the first click. This can be quite random, but ultimately there is logic. So Summer Breeze Connects to Harvest for the World, simply because it’s an Isley Brothers greatest hit.

But what I find is the journey is not that simple. Because when I’m listening to music on youtube I am also making connections in my brain. Memories will surface unexpectedly, because they are associated with a particular song. And these are not just factual snippets, they come back as smells and tastes and raw emotions.

I like to read the comments underneath the video, although I’ve never felt inclined to write one myself. Last week one particular comment stood out, it was underneath Susan Boyle’s cover of Wild Horses (my journey to that place is another story). The person posting said her version was beautiful, so beautiful that it had been used to send a loved one to their grave.

Something about this made me feel uneasy, and I do admit to entertaining the thought of my journey to the crematoria being accompanied by some song I would hate. The fact is, the dead man did not choose the song, it was a relative. And the relative chose the song because the voice sounded nice. Rather like the people who have used Sting’s stalking song (Every Breath You Take) as their wedding theme; the people who chose Wild Horses, misunderstood the sentiment of the song completely.

Ok the interpretation of lyrics is subjective. But wild horses is about pain, most probably sadomasochistic pain. It was written by two men hooked on Heroin, embroiled in some seriously dysfunctional relationships with women. One of them would OD and die, have his body stolen and burnt (in a pseudo Native American) ceremony at the Joshua Tree monument. Susan Boyle sings the song, and fails the song. Her voice rising, when it should be ragged and broken.


And it’s this lack of connection that makes its use at a funeral meaningless. Although I like the song, it’s not one (be it a Stones or Gram Parsons version) that has any relevance to me. Picture this, the curtain opening, the coffin rolling on its rollers. I’m dead, so I can’t see, feel or hear. But imagine, I’m alive for just one more second. In that second play me something that hit’s me in the guts.

Play me something like Harvest for the World, that has some meaning. That will take me back to a lazy afternoon in the mid seventies, when the sun was beating down, and school was over. And I was up in High Farm, playing in the fields with my friends, jumping on gigantic bales of hay.



Part 2 - The Style Council


Because this blog is a mirror of a youtube journey I have already taken; part two has to be the Style Council’s version of the same song.

I recall the group appearing on the Two Ronnie’s or a similar TV show. They formed a circle, taking turns to sing a particular section. I already liked the song, but this version knocked me out all over again.

This video is from another TV show, and visually is not as great. But I like its ramshackled presentation and the moment Paul Weller’s voice comes in just lifts the song to another level. So assuming I take a little longer to burn, cue this version up to follow the Isley Brothers. You will make a dead man very happy.