Anyway, as none of us had twigged, and had therefore added a fundamentally different melody, the resultant instrumental, called "Thang" actually bore remarkably little resemblance to the original. Right from the outset, however, the melody I played on the harmonica ran around my head and conjured up a couple of lines of lyric.

If we now leap forward a couple of years, we reach the point where I began to learn to strum the guitar. One of the pieces I learnt to play, beacause it was comparatively straghtforward, was "Thang". Unfortunately, "Thang" is played entirely using barre chords, and since my guitar was relatively cheap, and therefore strung quite high, barre chords were very hard to play. Because of this, I began playing the same tune, but with different inversions - meaning I could play lower down the neck, which is a lot easier. For non-musical types, suffice to say that this changed the feel of the song a little, and meant that I could at last think about singing and playing at the same time.

Leaping forward a couple more years, I finally got around to padding out those initial lines into a full set of lyrics - just in time for the 1997 St. Celia's Day Jam. The recording that resulted is, I feel, one of our best pieces to date.

I saw you first on Monday, as you waited for the bus,
I drove right past, never stopped to ask if there was any hope for us.
I saw you then on Tuesday, and I guess I caught your eye,
Or perhaps you thought I was someone else, because you waved as I went by.

On Wednesday I plucked up the guts to finally stop the car;
I said hello, and told you how I had worshipped from afar.
That first time that I spoke to you I could not believe my luck;
You asked if I was going your way, and then you asked me for a ... ride to town!

Chorus

No, don't take your love. Don't take your love.
Don't take your love away from me.
No, don't take your love away. No, don't take your love away.
No, don't take your love away. No.

Everything was perfect - the wind whispered in the trees,
And a thousand lust fuelled pheremones were wafted on the breeze.
They spiralled all around my head, and they got into my brain,
And I knew from that moment on that I would never, ever, be the same.

Chorus

In my mind I played scenarios to see if I could guess,
What would happen if I asked you out. As it happens, you said yes.
We said we'd meet that evening - just to see if we would gel.
A dinner date; by half-past eight I knew we'd get on well.

In my eyes I said "I like you" - and I hoped you'd like me too,
In the hope that you'd get on with me - in the hope I'd get on you.
On Friday I woke in your arms on the other side of town.
I arrived at work an hour late, and said my car had broken down.

Chorus

That evening when I saw you I knew something was amiss;
Your actions all seemed listless, with no passion in your kiss.
Yet still you wouldn't tell me what was weighing on your mind,
And I'm afraid your icy countenance made me reciprocate in kind.

So it was I found myself alone in my own bed,
Mulling repetitiously over everything you'd said.
But I saw you on the Saturday and things were alright again:
You were my Grand Old Duke of York and I was your ten-thousand men
(up and down and up and...)

Chorus

On Sunday I awoke to find that you were not in sight;
Just a small selection of your words where your lips had been last night.
You'd adressed them "To The One I Love", and "Love" was underlined,
But I trembled as I broke the seal, 'cos I guess I knew what I would find.

"I've got to go away" it said, "and I don't know what to do.
I never would have started this if I'd known I'd fall for you.
I'll be going for a year or more; I'll be working overseas.
I'll wait for you if you want me to - just don't forget me please.

Chorus

But how could I forget you when you made my life worthwhile?
And though six weeks have been and gone, I still find it hard to smile.
And so I write these words to you to offer up this plea:
Though life may take you far away, don't take your love from me.

Chorus