you know how hard it can be, to keep your side of the deal

This is a duel post. I've been meaning to post this for a long time, as it's my anthem - for every time I've cursed at my poor little girl, or been impatient, or scared her, or not made enough time, or made her feel bad about herself. Because she bites her nails and makes them bleed. And has bad dreams and feels self conscious with other people. For every time I've been a bad mother and undone all the principles I've ever had about the commitments parents have to make and the rules we have to stick to.

So this is the official theme tune of my blog. God Bless Mom. Please listen to the lot if you start, just so you can try and see what I'm talking about.

Secondly because I think I first saw Glen Hansard do this acoustically in one of the mindblowing solo gigs he did in the International so long ago. He said he wrote it with his little brother while his mother was out, and he was trying to write, but the kid was missing her and pestering him - so they wrote a song together. We were right up at the stage, it was back in the days when he'd belt them out and it was transcendent. Then I saw the Frames do it electrically in Mother Redcaps, and I couldn't believe how they captured all the raw intensity and beauty of the acoustic version but with the massiveness of the electric. This song used to pick me up and swirl me round in the light. Such a good time. They've messed with it a lot since - this is a half measure, it's the only vid available on Youtube that has half of what I wanted you to understand - the best bit is when he really launches into 'You know how hard it can be' with all this pain and anguish. I think I was at this show and all!