My Favourite Songs: Frank Turner- The Ballad Of Me And My Friends

The Ballad Of Me And My Friends is the last track from Frank Turner's debut record "Sleep Is For The Week". There is no studio recording of the song, as it's performed live at the Camden Barfly. I rather like this as it reflects the communal nature of the track. It's a terrific, succinct summation of what it is to be young and alive.

"None of this is going anywhere. Pretty soon we'll all be old and no-one left alive will really care about the glory days when we sold our souls. But if you're all about the destination, then take a fucking flight. We're going nowhere slowly, but we're seeing all the sights. And we're definitely going to hell, but we'll have all the best stories to tell"

It resonates with me because it reflects the life that I would like to lead, if only I had the courage. It's our experiences and our stories that make life worth living. What we'll hopefully have left when we're old and grey. At his gig at Wembley Arena, Frank suggested he was aware that singing a song about defiance in the face of failure* at the biggest headline show of his career night have come across as peculiar. I felt the opposite. Having seen him in tiny venues and record shops, hearing thousands of people singing his songs was a joyous, life affirming experience. This one in particular sent shivers down my spine.


* "Tonight I'm playing another Nambucca show. I'm going through my phonebook texting everyone I know".

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