Having reached the age where (like many others) medical conditions and medication are having a detrimental effect on my memory I prefer to rely on my songbook but try to be as discreet as possible about it.

I have problems with the most familiar of songs and would hate to think that after 40 years I should give up singing as Paul Davenport suggests. If folk clubs were only for the young I suspect that very few would be likely to survive.

I accept that there are some people who are guilty of using words through laziness but they are often the backbone of a particular club - manning the door - selling raffle tickets etc. and their contributions are often tolerated for that reason.

Below is my take on the matter and the song is proving highly popular.


BLACK HOLES

THEY SAY THAT BLACK HOLES EXIST ONLY IN SPACE
BUT I KNOW THAT JUST ISN'T TRUE
FOR I FIND BLACK HOLES ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE
AND I'M SURE THAT OTHERS DO TO
FOR JUST WHEN I'M COMFORTABLY SINGING MY SONG
WHEN EVERYTHING SEEMS ON A ROLL
WHEN EVERYONE'S HAPPILY SINGING ALONG
THE WORDS FALL INTO A BLACK HOLE - BLACK HOLE
THE WORDS FALL INTO A BLACK HOLE

A GREAT BIG HOLE, A GIGANTIC HOLE
A HOLE THAT'S ENORMOUS AND BLACK
IT FEELS LIKE MY BRAIN
HAS BEEN FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAIN
AND I'M NEVER GETTING IT BACK – IT BACK
AND I'M NEVER GETTING IT BACK

SOMETIMES IT'S A WORD OR A LINE THAT WILL HIDE
SOMETIMES A WHOLE VERSE DISAPPEARS
SO I'M STANDING THERE WITH MY MOUTH OPEN WIDE
AND FRESH AIR BETWEEN MY TWO EARS
THEY SAY THAT THE MEMORY DECREASES WITH AGE
AND AT THESE TIMES I FEEL NINETY-THREE
COS WHEN IT WON'T PASS – I FEEL SUCH AN ASS
OH, WHY DOES IT HAPPEN TO ME - TO ME
OH, WHY DOES IT HAPPEN TO ME

NOW SOME PEOPLE SAY I SHOULD REALLY MAKE SURE
OF THE WORDS – BUT I'D LIKE THEM TO NOTE
IT HAPPENS WITH SONGS I'VE BEEN SINGING FOR YEARS
AS WELL AS WITH THOSE I'VE JUST WROTE
SO NOW HERE I STAND WITH MY BOOK IN MY HAND
TO MAKE SURE THAT NO WORDS GO ASTRAY
FOR IT GIVES ME THE CHANCE – TO HAVE A QUICK GLANCE
AND KEEP ALL THOSE BLACK HOLES AT BAY - AT BAY
AND KEEP ALL THOSE BLACK HOLES AT BAY

THOSE GREAT BIG HOLES, THOSE GIGANTIC HOLES
THOSE HOLES SO ENORMOUS AND BLACK
IT FEELS LIKE MY BRAIN
HAS BEEN FLUSHED DOWN THE DRAIN
AND I'M NEVER GETTING IT BACK – IT BACK
AND I'M NEVER GETTING IT BACK