Song 131 - Look what I found in my beer by Beautiful South

Here's something to laugh at, I have just asked my lovely husband to name a song for today's blog and he has said Baa Baa Black Sheep and whilst I am not going to blog about this song, it is worth noting that this nursery rhythm dates back to the 18th Century and nursery rhythms are an important part of developing language and rhythm in small children's voices. There are a number of songs that are going through my head at the moment and I think today I think I am going to turn to one of my favourite bands, which I don't think I have put in the Jukebox yet and that is the band; Beautiful South and their song Look what I found in my beer taken from their 1998 album Quench. 

Although never realised as a single, this is a Beautiful South song that sticks in my head as there is a line in the song; Look what I found in the mic, An end to screwed up drinking and a Paul I actually like. For some reason those lines echo something in me and the idea of looking at yourself and liking what you see in the mirror. Like with any Beautiful South song; it is the cleverness of the lyrics that make their songs magical. Although there is clear reference to alcoholism in the song, the whole composition makes it upbeat. I love the ability Heaton and Rotheray had of being able to compose stories and characters in 2 minutes. Also their songs stick to their roots of working class life in Hull and that is what makes the songs so colourful.

Quench was their 8th studio album which was released in 1998, after their hugely successful Blue is the colour and was their third successive album to reached the number 1 spot in the chart. The cover artwork was created by the Scottish Artist Peter Howston and the original can be found in Ferens Art Gallery in Hull.

Out of all the pop groups I may write about in the blog, Beautiful South are one of the few bands that I have seen live. When their album Blue is the colour was release, I saw them at the SECC in Glasgow with friends whilst still being students. For two of us, we fell in love with Paul Heaton and followed the band to Huddersfield the next summer. (Just to make it clear - we attended a concert there - we didn't just turn up there in the hope of seeing them.) I even think I wrote an imaginary adventure story for the two of us weaving in all their songs!! The funny thing is when I go back to thinking about Baa Baa Black sheep, it is the same friend who travelled the country with me to see Beautiful South, who probably learnt the nursery rhyme with me.

Enough about my madness, enjoy the song:

Look what I found in my beer

Written by: Paul Heaton and Dave Rotheray
Album: Quench
Released: October 1998.