‘This song doesn’t make any sense you know.’ Steve pointed his finger in the air at the music being piped into the bar.
Johnny
sighed, a sentence like that could only mean one thing, Steve was going off on
one and nothing was going to stop him.
‘Why
not?’ said Johnny with the tone of a man resigned to his fate.
‘Well
actually,’ Steve paused choosing his words carefully, ‘it does make sense, it
just doesn’t do what it claims to. It’s a let down.’
‘Go on.’
‘Well it
makes a grandiose claim and then fails to live up to it, 50 ways to leave your lover it says but then listen, he only actually comes up with 4 and even they
are pretty lame. I mean, hop on the bus Gus? That’s rubbish, what if the lover
is on the bus? It’s like Paul Simon started writing the song and then just got
bored and gave up.’
Steve
timed his speech perfectly and pointed his finger in the air again as Paul
Simon sang the chorus. Johnny listened and nodded.
‘Isn’t it
6?’ Johnny asked listening to the song. there’s six lines in the chorus.
‘No, the
lazy bastard can’t even get to six, no need to be coy Roy and don’t need to
discuss much cannot be claimed in any way to be ways to leave your lover, they are just
bits of advice when you do it. Come to think of it make a new plan Stan isn’t
one either so we’re down to three.’ Steve took a swig of beer. ‘Christ I could
do better, Send her a text, Rex, Do it by phone Joan, tell it to her friend
Ken, do a midnight flit, Mitt. There’s that’s four already.’
‘Yeah
yeah I get your point, another beer?’ Steve nodded and Johnny headed towards
the bar trying desperately to think of more ways to leave your lover. Tell her to her face, Jase, he thought just as the barman asked him for his order.
Can we get to fifty ways? Remember any 'way' needs to rhyme with a name. Leave your 'ways to leave a lover' in the comments below.
Can we get to fifty ways? Remember any 'way' needs to rhyme with a name. Leave your 'ways to leave a lover' in the comments below.
A couple that didn't make it to the story
ReplyDeleteJust get up and leave, Steve.
It's not me it's you, Stu
This is all to quaggy, Maggie
ReplyDeleteYou'll be happier with a different fella, Ella
ReplyDeleteI am not looking for a serious affair, Claire
ReplyDeleteit's someone better you deserve, Merve:)
ReplyDeleteFake your own death, Seth.
ReplyDeleteI love you but I'm not in love with you, Lou
ReplyDeleteI'm not ready, Teddy:)
ReplyDeleteI'm not the right fella, Ella:)
ReplyDeleteIt's not you it's me Lee
ReplyDeleteI think that I'm gay Jay
I must confess I'm a man, Dan
ReplyDeleteAnd that's that, Pat.
ReplyDeleteEverything's been said, Brad
Let's move on, John
Can't fight the fate, Kate.
ReplyDeleteLet's face the truth, Ruth
It was the last kick, Dick.
ReplyDeleteSave your breath, Gareth.
ReplyDeleteThat doesn't rhyme :-)
Deletewell... I would say it in such a way that it would:) and as a non-native speaker I would be forgiven:)
DeleteSay goodbye to my pelvis, mr Davies. ...ooops sorry i wanted to say Elvis :-)
DeleteWe're at different points in our lives, Miles:) does it rhyme better?
ReplyDeleteWIth your accent it does yes :-)
DeleteI hate you:-)
DeleteWe can’t keep it together, Heather.
ReplyDeleteWe are made of different clay, May.
ReplyDeleteI prefer my honda, Wanda.
You will thank me one day, Ray.
I don't love you anymore, Isidor.
ReplyDeleteI'm still in love with my ex, Rex.
I just got a job in Shanghai, Guy.
I need more space, Grace.
Farewell, Mel.
I'm sorry, I can't, Grant.
It's over, Glover.
I can't give you what you need, Rasheed.
I need some time apart, Bart.
I'm not your Mr Darcy, Marcy.
I would like to believe, Eve
ReplyDeleteBut I've lost my soul, Paul
Love is like any spam, Pam
I must to throw it away, Jay
Don't push me to you or to him, Tim
I'm not the fool as you like, Spike
Keep together should be insane, Jane
I took you for a silly, Billy
I'm the worst mate, Kate
My ex is still in my head, Fred
Something wrong is going to cook, Brooke
It's a big mistake, Blake
I have another one to choose, Bruce
A slave is what you're looking for, Thor
Not worth one more word or feel, Phil
We built a lies' palace, Wallace
All of this is a fake, Blake
Not enough the half, Ralph
It will cost me an arm and leg, Meg
I'm not the guy, Faye
Don't make a blood and thunder, Amber
Stars have not longer shone, John
Till no longer a dawn, Shawn.
As we have more than 50 shown, Noam
You have something barred, Bart
gave her a lime and a sand, Stan
leave love for bare it, Gareth.
Dear Mr Davies,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to write to you to thank you for basing one of your stories around one of my songs. Interesting that you use such old songs for your topical, observation humour.
I was completely unaware of your blog until Tuesday when one of my aides drew my attention to your story. I must admit the story about 50 ways was relatively well written but I would like to point out this is hardly an original observation. I believe Johnny Carson did a routine on it back in the day, as did Jay Leno, I am sure Seinfeld may also have ‘noticed’ it too.
However, despite this unoriginality I felt compelled to write, as I wanted to correct your misconception.
Firstly I should make it plain that I did not write the song as a kind of manual for the wantaway lover and neither would I recommend it be used as such.
Secondly, I will have you know that the first draft of the song I did indeed have 50 ways to leave your lover and I did include many of the ideas that you and your so-called readers (are you sure you are not inventing all your comments) came up with. The problem was the song was really very boring. Imagine a song that just said:
It’s someone better you deserve, Merve
I must confess I'm a man, Dan
Fake your own death, Seth.
I'm not ready, Teddy
I'm not the right fella, Ella
Can't fight the fate, Kate.
Let's face the truth, Ruth
You will thank me one day, Ray.
It would be as boring as we didn’t star the fire by Billy Joel. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFTLKWw542g
So thank you for pointing out the deficiencies in my song and thank you to your readers for coming up with ‘new’ ideas. But please never use one of my songs for inspiration again.
Yours Sincerely
Paul Simon
Please note this is not the real Paul Simon
:-)
ReplyDeleteOh yeah!.. VIP as his career path ;-)
ReplyDelete..Most importart for me than the real one
ReplyDelete