Not Tonight...Lykke

I was the model daughter slash Granddaughter today (by the by, is there any better word than 'slash'. Endlessly fun. Just me!?) and went to visit my Grandma today. This meant a four and half hour round trip driving my mothers revolting 4x4. That baby certainly doesn't corner like it's on rails. Once there my Grandmother took me on a trip to the local town which made my sleepy home town look like St. Tropez, so you can imagine the fun we had. We visited Poundland on three separate occasions. There simply aren't enough words. Although that being said, it was actually a mighty fine Poundland. But that's beside the point, no one needs to enter a shop three times in two hours and that's the end of it. 

Visiting ones Grandmother may not seem like such a mammoth task to you, but then you have never had the pleasure of meeting my Grandmother. If she takes a dislike to you, well, you had best stand clear. She's ruthless. I recently discovered that she told the other half of the family that I had special needs when I was a child. We have still not discovered whether this is because I was deaf until I was six, dyslexic, or my personal belief, because I was Italian. Yes, Sister is as Italian as I am but I had the audacity to look it. Have you ever heard of anything so inconsiderate in all your life? 

I have, however, become accustomed to the little snipes that my Grandmother enjoys handing my way, but today, today I did not receive one. The only thing that came remotely close to an insult was a disapproving slash (sorry, still loving the word 'slash' something rotten!) slightly embarrassed glance towards our fellows diners when the subject at my Italian heritage came up. The cafe we were dining in looked older than my Grandmother herself and had gone with that grubby, smokers heaven 1970's living room feel with matching maroon carpet. The faux chandeliers were the icing on top of the Angel Delight (I have it on very good authority that Angel Delight is terribly seventies. Unless, of course, you are calling Sue Perkins, Giles Coren and the team of Supersizers liars? Thought not). Her niceties even stretched as far as to say that I look 'lovely' in a certain photograph she has. This is such an alien form of communication between the two of us that I didn't really know how to respond. So instead I panicked, nervously laughed and then chocked on my own fake laughter. 

I have come away from the day almost disappointed with my lack of insults. How did I get the day so wrong? What could I do better next time? There was no 'You're not much a 'West', are you?' nor a fit of 'You're a, ya know, white person with a tan' (it's pronounced Italian Grandma, but whatevs!) and I missed it. However, I visited my Grandmother and made both her and my darling dad happy all in one swoop. Score. It was genuinely nice to feel as if I had finally managed to put a smile of my Grandmothers face. 

The real bonus was that when driving to see my dear old Gran, because driving solo, I was able to play the radio as loud as I wanted. And boy did I. The Kings of Leon were my chosen partners in noise pollution (before I get arrested, it wasn't noise-pollution-loud, merely drown-out-my-singing-voice-loud) and this really was the highlight of my day. For this reason, I have decided to share with you, as I often do, the song I did the most damage to. And yes, I loved every bum note minute of it!

Knocked Up by Kings of Leon

I am going out on a limb here and not posting the original (shock face). This version is the 'Lykke Li Vs Rodeo Remix' and it's the Llama's Pyjamas in my humble opinion. Lykke Li's voice is incredibly haunting and brings a new dimension to this fabulous song. I simply adore it. So here are the lyrics, which don't belong to me, note that they belong to the Kings of Leon. Don't want to break any copy right laws and what not.

I don't care what nobody says, We're gonna have a baby,Taking off in a Coup de Ville,I'm buckled up on Navy,

I/she don't care what my/her momma says,No, I'm/she's gonna have his/my bay,Taking all I have to take,This taking's gonna shape me,

People call us renegades,'Cause we like living crazy,We like taking on the town,'Cause people getting lazy,

I don't care what nobody says, no,I'm gonna be his/her lover,Always mad and usually drunk, But I love him like no other,

And the doctor says he don't know,Where you gonna go?I'm a ghost and I don't think I quite know, Where we gonna go?(x8)

People call us renegades,'Cause we like living crazy,We like taking on the town,'Cause people getting lazy,

I don't care what nobody says, no,I'm gonna be his/her lover,Always mad and usually drunk, But I love him/her like no other,

And her daddy seems to say he don't know,Where you gonna go?I'm a ghost and I don't think I quite know, Where we gonna go?(x9)

And before you ask just how bad my singing along was, whilst driving to my Grandma's, a white van driving looked over, laughed out load and then felt it appropriate to wink at me. Note to self; ensure windows are fully closed before singing in car in future. Tsk!