21 April 2009

don't forget to remember

As I feel - no dammit, I know - my memory is getting even worse, I've started playing guitar for half an hour or so each night as a way of having to remember chords and words. Also downstairs has some brilliant acoustics because of lots of tiles and hard surfaces.

Anyway suffice to say that I can't remember half of the songs I used to know; time was when I could just go for hours as another (admittedly three chord wonder) popped into my head as I finished the previous one.

More to the point, I'm finding it really difficult to learn new songs. Been working on Diamantina Drover on and off for a couple of weeks, but I can't get either the chords or words to stick. But playing it tonight, I was kind of struck by the mental image conjured up by the first line of the last verse: "I sometimes think I'll settle down in Sydney."

That phrase brings a vivid recollection of going to Sydney as a young bloke (ie starting from about age 9). We'd fly to Sydney and pick up a new car from the works at Zetland, then drive it back.

The CBD was much more accessible then. We used to stay at Criterion, right on the corner of Pitt and Park Streets - the high-diddle-diddle of town, as the old man might have said. It was only ever an average place, I can't really remember the rooms in detail but I'm certain the old man wouldn't have been lashing out for extravagance, we were far from well off in those days. In any case, it's certainly
no longer top drawer.

Sydney now is a nightmare to get around and a lot of its individuality has gone - national franchise brands are everywhere. A Diamantina Drover would be horrified, I think.

So on that basis my visual memory is probably OK, but the other side of the brain she is not working sehr gut.

Probably also explains why I thought of something to blog about while driving to work this morning, but not a trace remains.

Driving to my other office and back yesterday, a trip of just over 200km, I had some fresh CDs in the player including Bread. I'd forgotten the lyricism of David Gates' writing. You might get very 'tired' continually trying to sign in such a high register, but the feeling and emotion is certainly there.

1 comment:

JahTeh said...

I am trying to memorise an adagio movement but without success but a stupid ad jingle will roll on a continuous loop in my brain and drive me crazy.

As for blog posts, there is a great repository lodged in the brain but blocked by the continuous noxious music loop.

Could it possibly be our age, Phil?

WV is combless and yes, my hair is falling out as well.

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