Your musical education, lesson one

North winds have made my face a little older
and my back is bent through trying too hard
My vest is torn so I make no perfect picture
to place upon your white-washed wall
I'd like to stay but you have not asked me
Still I don't really expect you to
Dusty boots would shame you now Lady Day
Are we really that far apart
I wish the world could see you now Lady Day
laughing down at your oldest friend
The one who shared just about all he had
in a one-sided love affair
I get scared when I remember too much

Wasted time I suppose you could say that
Strange it don't seem that way to me
But wait a minute
I don't even think you're listening
Just let me tell you how I really feel
I've seen the inside of your heart Lady Day
when you wanted to be shown the way
I loved you then as I love ya now girl

Lady Day, lyrics by Rod Stewart


Not sure why I wanted to put those lyrics on here, I just like the song, have done since I first heard it in 1970, can remember first hearing it and its bookend partner "Jo's Lament", I just like it and its playing on the iPod now.

So where did it all go wrong for Rod Stewart ?

When I first start buying his few scarce albums 36 years ago they were full of self-penned lyrics like that one, Bob Dylan was a big influence on him and all of his early albums have at least one Dylan cover on them, beautiful ballads such as "Tomorrow is such a long time", "Only a hobo", and the gorgeous "Mama you've been on my mind" where the arrangement is (unbelievably) better than Dylans.

I'll tell you where it all went wrong.

When he moved to LA.

And the disco crap took over.

And again when he'd run out of steam and started recording "the old favourites" in that awful "American songbook" series.

My recommendation - don't listen to anything he's done since 1976, but listen to everything he did from 1970 to 76.

Lesson 2 of your musical education will follow at some point in the far distant future.