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| Flying start (Mike Oldfield) |
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This song was released in 1988 as a single from the album "Islands", with the vocals of Kevin Ayers. This was one of the first musical videos to display computer generated elements.
We took a place in the sun to see just what had become.
The warm wind blows constantly.
Does the answer still blow? Did you find your chateau
In that Mediterranean fantasy?
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
To where the sun always shines,
Familiar faces and wines.
The warm wind blows constantly.
Knock on the door, but the memory's poor.
Is there somebody in? Now, answer me!
Two dark eyes from the doorway shine.
So, you lost your dream in a bottle of wine?
I knew you had to do it your way. Fine,
But there's none to carry the cross this time.
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
On dusty roads and tracks.
Now it's the time to turn back.
The warm winds blow constantly.
Riding that storm since the day you were born.
Is there somebody in? Now, answer me!
Two dark eyes from the doorway shine.
So, you lost your dream in a bottle of wine?
I knew you had to do it your way. Fine,
But there's none to carry the cross this time.
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
Flying start
Made the whole world sing, they had no choice.
Flying start.
Like a shining pearl, they sang in one voice.
DOES THE ANSWER STILL BLOW= Probably a reference to Bob Dylan's song "Blowing in the Wind", where he says "the answer, my friend, is blowing in the wind". Maybe Kevin retired to Spain looking for the answer to a vital question and Mike is asking him if he found what he was looking for or if the answer is still blowing in the wind (see SongMeaning to understand).
CHATEAU= (French word /ʃætəʊ/ = castle) A French castle or castle-like old palace in the countryside.
MEDITERRANEAN FANTASY= Kevin's life in the Mediterranean island of Majorca.
FLYING START= A quick or auspicious beginning.
MADE THE WHOLE WORLD SING= A reference to Kevin's and Mike's band "The Whole World". Kevin was the vocalist of the group, so literally, he "made The Whole World sing".
THEY HAD NO CHOICE= The couldn't choose, it was the only option.
PEARL= /pɜ:*l/ a jewel grown by an oyster. (see picture)
WHERE THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES= Spain.
FAMILIAR FACES= Friends, people you know.
WINES= "Wine" is uncountable so it has no plural. When we find an uncountable word in a plural form, it usually means "differnt kinds of x". So here, "wines" means "different kinds of wines".
THE MEMORY'S POOR= It's difficult to remember.
DOORWAY= The entrance way to a room, building, or passage. (see picture)
DO IT YOUR WAY= Do things as you want.
FINE= Ok.
NONE= /nʌn/ Nobody, nothing, no one.
TO CARRY THE CROSS= (An allusion to Christ's being required to carry the cross on which he was to be crucified. He was helped, part of the way, by another man) If someone carries the cross, someone deals with their affliction or misfortune, if they carry YOUR cross, they help you and suffer the consequences of your problems. So if there is nobody to carry your cross this time, it means that now you will have to assume the consequences of your actions and be responsible of your acts.
In the beginning of his musical career, Mike Oldfield played in a band called "The Whole World", whose vocalist was Kevin Ayers. Then they split and went separate ways. In time, Mike Oldfield had a big success with his album Tubular Bells. Time after this, he decided to find his old friend Kevin. After much search, he found him living in the Spanish sunny island of Majorca. This old friends reunion is what Mike wrote about in this song. There is quite a lot of irony in this song, since Kevin, apparently, loved wine too much, and there are quite a few remarks about that here, but the biggest irony is that Mike got Kevin himself to sing this song.
The line "... made the whole world sing" refers to the group "The Whole World", and Kevin "made The Whole World sing" because he was the vocalist.
The moment when Mike finally finds Kevin's house and knocks on his door is told in the lines:
"Knock on the door but the memory's poor. Is there somebody in? Now, answer me!"
Indeed, "the memory's poor" because many years have passed by, so when Kevin opens the door Mike finds his friend looking at him with a shine in his eyes: "Two dark eyes from the doorway shine". Is that shine due to happiness... or to alcohol? "So you lost your dream in a bottle of wine. I knew you had to do it your way. Fine. But there's none to carry the cross this time."
This song is basically an inner message that maybe only Mike and Kevin can fully understand, but I'd risk a personal interpretation in which Mike, after finding his old friend, manages to talk him into focusing back on his musical career or whatever he seemed to need to do at that time "On dusty roads and tracks now it's the time to turn back".
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