Mister Bump UK

Tick Tock Tuesday (11 February 2020) – Apartheid, UB40

I thought I’d create a new challenge. It is a challenge primarily for me, because I’m new to this platform, and because you don’t really know me yet, nor I you. As my name suggests, I am recovering from a stroke, and I like to push myself in all kinds of little ways… including getting to know the Wonderful World of WordPress. Although this is something I will be doing, I invite you, if this idea takes your fancy, to play along with me and share with me some of your own selections.

My plan is: each Tuesday, until I run dry, I shall post some piece of art with which I have some connection – which has helped to mould me, which makes me tick. Okay, a piece of art is a bit vague – it might be a piece of music, a movie, a book, a painting, or ???? – so my phrasiology is deliberate. It might be anything – I will play this post by ear, so I’m not sure what I’ll think of each week. And, I’ll keep posting on the theme weekly until I run out of ideas.

My rules? Well, I’m not big on rules! My choice will be something with which I feel a connection. That’ll be the important thing, just having some kind of fleeting affection for something probably won’t be enough, unless I’m using my choice as an example of something bigger.

It will be one choice per week – I’m aware that long posts can be quite onerous to read, and I’m in no hurry to complete this so if I have two ideas, I’ll probably hold the second until the next week.

In that same vein, I’ve created this block as a Reusable Block, which I intend repeating for every post on this theme. The block ends with a full-width separator, so if you want to skip ahead each week it doesn’t really matter.

I probably won’t post any lyrics, or any kind of analysis – if you like my choice, the information will be out there for you. But I will try to briefly explain why I feel a connection to my choice, just to try and enhance readers’ understanding of what makes me tick.

I will tag my posts TTT and I will go looking for other posts with that tag. If you’d like to join in, please do the same, or comment, or pingback to this post, and feel free to reproduce my graphic. Lastly, I look forward to reading about what makes you tick.

I wanted to end my posts about one of my defining issues on a high. A couple of weeks ago, I talked about how a lot of bands used their music as a political expression against apartheid.

Another band which I met in my youth, and has been prolific throughout my life, is the British (Birmingham)-based reggae band, UB40. Whilst I’d not class them as a favourite, there’s obviously something about them, since I have accumulated 32 of their albums over the years! This is one of theirs. but you’ll have to listen to the lyrics to read the political meaning.

I chose this particular video because it was probably my favourite on YouTube. But unfortunately it doesn’t include the lyrics, which for me, make the song. If you wish, you can find them here.

9 comments

  1. I like UB40, they have a good sound. I didn’t know they made 32 (!) albums, that is a lot. We will sing our song, that is a powerful message as music has kept people together in some darker times in history. A good message and a fun tune to start the day right!

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    • Good morning, Kacha! Yes, I was surprised too when I counted them up. Fortunately I have all this music on the computer now, and according to Windows Groove, I have 32 albums! Some of those albums are UK compilations, some of them are imports, some of them live albums, so it is not all new, studio material, but they were around for 30-odd years so I guess they produced a ot of raw material. It’s a lovely tune, isn’t it? I bet lots of people danced along to it without realising the meaning.

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