Back of My Hand by the Jags
No, no, it’s not a real number before you try ringing it!!!
I was shocked to find it’s been six weeks since I did song no 5 of my ‘Ten Songs That Changed My Life’ so I decided it was about time I did another one for your delectation.
Patti said to me recently that she didn’t know any of the songs I’d chosen so far and this is on the obscurer side of obscure unless you are a Brit of ‘a certain age’. So, if you want to hear it (or any of the previous 5 songs), get onto Napster and download it – I’ll bet it’s there! (Well if Napster still exists of course.) If they have ‘Jilted John’ by Jilted John (and I know they do), then they’ll have this.
It came out in 1979 when my hormones were charging around my body setting off sparks here, there and everywhere. It marked a time when I suddenly found myself single after thinking my future was mapped out as part of a couple. I was as miserable as hell and decided the best way to cope was to throw myself into a new life as fast and as furiously as I could.
The Jags were great. They bounded around with so much energy and passion. This song, even now, stirs up my soul and makes me want to pogo round the room like a mad thing.
They helped ease the pain of being young and heartbroken because every time their record came on the radio, they made me belt out the lyrics while flailing arms and ‘dancing feet’ helped to complete the picture of a young woman in a frenzy. When I’d come up for air, I was always left with a huge, cheesy grin on my face.
My new life didn’t really start in the way I’d hoped, but I met some wonderful friends and to this day they are my buddies so even though I didn’t get over my heartbreak for many long years, I did come out of the time with something of value.
Did this song change my life? Well, it and its ilk certainly did. They helped to pull me through terrible hurt and made me smile again. That’s good enough for me.
Last year I was photographing the washing up and two years ago was Good Friday and I was playing with hot rods!
