Dymphna and I made somewhat of a tradition of posting “Laughing into 1939” on New Year’s Eve, most recently four years ago. It’s a song from Al Stewart’s 1995 album Between the Wars, and is always worth listening to as we ring out the old and ring in the new.
I’ve been laughing into 1939 for almost fifteen years now. Will it ever actually arrive? Or will we somehow manage to skip it, and go straight to 1946? Or, better yet, 1968…
The New Year’s celebrations in the Year of the Corona will be somewhat restrained. The ball is going to drop on schedule in Times Square, but the only people there to see it will be select municipal employees who have been granted the privilege to be present, socially distanced and wearing their masks.
All around the globe New Year’s Eve parties have been banned. In major cities the CoPo will be enforcing the lockdown. Be careful when you raise that glass of organic sustainably grown fair-trade champagne!
Happy New Year, everybody. The Boogaloo awaits us!
The lyrics to the song are below:
Laughing into 1939
by Al StewartParty hat and satin dress
Silver paper curled in her long black hair
Tapping one small elegant shoe in time
Oh, the way she plays with them
Smile at one, then dance with another
Pretty soon they’re forming up a line
And she’s laughing, laughing into 1939
Oh, laughing, laughing into 1939Oh, the party draws them in
It breathes and moves
To a life its own
In its arms it’s gathering all time
From the dark he watches her
Moving in and out of the bobbing crowd
If she even notices, she gives no sign
And she’s laughing, laughing into 1939
Oh, laughing, laughing into 1939For tonight is New Year’s Eve
Uncork your spirits and welcome it in
Who knows what it’s got up its sleeve
Can’t wait for it all to begin
Stand by the girl with the purple balloon
The look in her eyes just lights up the room
In the corner of her smile
She’ll be seeing you soon
Under a mistletoe moonOut on to the balcony
Come the King and Queen
And the crowd go wild
He’s a little bit nervous
But that’s just fine
And they’re laughing, laughing into 1939
Oh, laughing, laughing into 1939
Thank you Baron
Delightful. Thanks. Have a good year — a challenge in these crazy times, but let us hope for the best.
Happy New Year!
I have such an adverse presentiment of this coming year, which this song captures echoes of. Some days I feel like the world entered an alternate slipstream where each day is 26 hours long and… A song 25 years old, yet out of time, outside it somehow.
Is it true hundreds have died in Europe in the past few days from the mRNA Covid Borg syrup vaccines? And though it’s been hushed up the word is dribbling out.
It’s going to be a year of laughing into…