Please Be Upstanding – Tracing a Relationship Though the Songs of XTC

This Valentine’s Day, I’d like to give everyone who reads this a mix that, as the title says, traces the stages of a relationship, from before the beginning to ave the end, through the songs of XTC.

XTC is one of my favorite bands. Thanks to my old friend, Brad, I got hooked on them and went through a year or two long period where I listened to nothing but XTC. Pretty cool, eh?

I got the idea to do a mix like this, tracing a relationship through songs a year or so ago. I then dared myself to do it using only XTC songs. Turns out, I had more than enough material to work with!

Here’s the tracklist:

1. Then She Appeared (from Nonsvch)
2. Cherry in Your Tree (from Carmen Sandiego Out of This World compilation album)
3. When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty (unused single recording)
4. Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her (from Big Express)
5. I’d Like That (from Apple Venus Vol. 1)
6. Let’s Make a Den (demo from 1985)
7. Stupidly Happy (from Wasp Star)
8. Love on a Farmboy’s Wages (from Mummer)
9. Grass (from Skylarking)
10. Mayor of Simpleton (live acoustic)
11. You and the Clouds will Still Be Beautiful (from Wasp Star)
12. Earn Enough for Us (from Skylarking)
13. The Wheel and the Maypole (from Wasp Star)
14. Snowman (BBC Studio Version)
15. Always Winter But Never Christmas (unused demo)
16. Dear Madam Barnum (from Nonsvch)
17. Everything (unused demo from Oranges & Lemons)
18. Your Dictionary (demo from Apple Venus Vol. 1)
19. 1000 Umbrellas (demo from Skylarking)
20. Me and the Wind (from Mummer)
21. Didn’t Hurt a Bit (out-take from Nonsvch)
22. This is the End (demo from Oranges & Lemons)

So let me explain….

Our mix starts with a meeting: “Then She Appears.” Naturally, our fellow would like a bit more attention from this beauty and “Cherry in You Tree” is his way of inviting the girl into his wacky little world. But when she actually agrees, things aren’t so easy. “When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty” Oh those wobbly knees! Soon, however, with the “Seagulls Screaming Kiss Her Kiss Her,” he takes that chance.

Things take a blind turn for the serious “I’d Like That.” Maybe there’s some substance here. And daydreams abound so “Let’s Make a Den.” But we stumble and fumble into “Stupidly Happy” and before anyone knows it, reality drops by and it’s time to figure out if they can have “Love on a Farmboy’s Wages.”

Times are good, but not great. Back to dreaming of better days when there wasn’t the pressure, just the “Grass.” Our hero’s love is perfect, but our hero is not. He does his best as the “Mayor of Simpleton” and tells his love “You and the Clouds Will Still Be Beautiful.” Those farmboy’s wages don’t seem to be cutting it and he’s again not sure if he can “Earn Enough for Us.”

Who is he kidding? He’s torn between the relationship that was and what he knows to be true. She is “The Wheel and the Maypole” is he. The spring weather turns colder, it’s not even winter, but she treats him like a “Snowman.” Though, in a way it is “Always Winter, but Never Christmas.”

Our dear fellow has had enough of playing the clown for his “Dear Madam Barnum” and makes up his mind to tender his resignation. But he cannot give up what she would more willingly part with. “Everything” they wanted is gone. She is gone. “Your Dictionary” lays it on the line, F-U-C-K is not how we spell friend. The marriage is undone. But where are the blue skies? There should be sun, but there’s only “1000 Umbrellas.” “Me and the Wind are Celebrating Your Loss,” but he feels like a ship with no rudder.

But those umbrellas weren’t catching tears. The loss was her loss. “It Didn’t Hurt a Bit,” he says.

“This is the End,” but maybe something new is beginning.

The lyrics are, obviously, the main part of what’s going on, but I also had a bit of liberty with which version of the song to include. For many songs there’s the album version, the live version and the demo version. The tracklist will let you know which I chose. Mostly, I stuck with the studio version when they were falling in love (except the daydreamy “Let’s Make a Den”). When the relationship got rocky, the studio was there, but not always the security of the album version. And as the relationship crumbled, the demos, BBC version and an out-take were all our hero could muster. Even the affirmations in the last song are shaky.

This was a really fun and geeky mix to make. I hope you enjoy it.

Want to hear a few tracks first? Sure!

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When You’re Near Me I Have Difficulty (Unused Single Recording)

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Grass

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Snowman (BBC Studio Version)

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1000 Umbrellas (Demo from Skylarking)

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Click here to download as a ZIP file. (180MB)

I’m using a file hosting service called Megaupload (new to me, I mean). If you have any problems with it, just let me know. It’s easy! Just click the link, put in the little “captcha code,” hit enter and then choose “regular download,” ignore the ads (sorry) and download it to your desktop.

It’s a zip file, so everyone in the universe should be able to open it.

Have a happy Valentine’s Day!

PS – this is the 800th post on my blog!

Related posts:

1. Songs from the True Till College mix
2. True Till College – XBEERX! – My Favorite Drinking Songs
3. Mary Christmas; 17 Songs About Mary
4. Songs of the Vaisnava Acaryas
5. State Songs and questioning the very fiber of my being