I spent last weekend at a seaside village called Perranporth in Cornwall. Its sand is haunted by the ghost of St Piran and decorated by the beautiful rock structures sculpted by the sea. It has a few small independent shops selling all kinds of things from full size bow and arrows to obscure musical instruments and many Cornish ciders.
Whilst having a cider or two a rare thing happened, at one of the bars they had one of those digital jukeboxes where you can get them to play just about anything, as per usual I couldn’t resist. Expecting to empty the place within seconds of my first track I was pleasantly surprised to see the girl behind the bar dancing like the floor was on fire and singing every word to Deceptacon by Le Tigre. The same thing happened the next night, the guy sitting opposite couldn’t believe that someone had put The Slits, The Pipettes and Le Tigre on, I couldn’t believe someone actually knew who they were.
There’s something about the seaside that provokes feelings that seem almost ancient, the sea has a magical quality, as you see the waves crashing into the cliffs you can almost feel the struggles of the myths and legends that have been lured in by its beauty then swallowed by its wildness. The explorers and adventures who risked it all to find a new land, the sailors and pirates from centuries of sea stories who fought against the wild waves to see their lovers one more time, and the notorious smugglers hiding out in caves preparing to indulge in some daring exploits.
Now I’m marooned in my room, tainted with melancholy without the wonder and romance of the sea.
Songs for the Shipwrecked:
Alela Diane – Pirate Gospel
Ballboy – I am an Indie Pirate and I will Scuttle Ye!
The Besties – Pirate Song
Montt Mardié– We are all the Pirate Bay
Idlewild – When the ship comes in
Patsy Cline – Ain’t No Wheels on This Ship
Camera Obscura – Lunar Sea
Cat Power – Sea of Love
Half Man Half Biscuit – 13 Euro-Goths floating in the Dead Sea
Jonathan Richman – Rollercoaster by the Sea
Lonely Boy – Seaside Sorrow
Love is All – Sea Sick
Madeline Ava – In the Aeroplane over the Sea
Tullycraft – Willie goes to the Seashore
The Decemberists – The Mariner’s Revenge Song
The Wave Pictures – Tiny Craters in the Sand
The Bell Divers – Sand
Flipron – A Trip to Jaywick Sands
