John Martyn’s May You Never is one of my all-time favourite songs. It has everything: melody, lyrics, the warmth and delivery of a brilliant singer-songwriter, and, in my case, fond memories associated with people who aren’t around any more, in places that aren’t the same.
Some years ago, a friend told me he’d heard a great version of the song sung as a duet. And I wasn’t having any of it. No way. I wanted my nostalgia my way, felt like sending back the OBE I don’t have, or whatever it is people do in protest nowadays.
And then today. There I was, disturbing nobody, quietly listening to the Mamas and the Papas. And tweeting about it. Bad idea. Along came Halley, tweeting away, disturbing my reverie, letting me know she’d found this gem of a video.
I was listening to May You Never at the time, so naturally, while dipping my toe into YouTube. I had to look. Only to find this video, containing the duet with Kathy Mattea that I’d heard about and refused to hear.
And this time I heard it. And had to change my mind. What a wonderful treatment. For a wonderful song.
I think I’m going to concentrate on changing my mind a few more times this year. Look to weed out old prejudices with a vengeance. And one of the first things I’m going to do in preparation is to read all the responses to the edge.org question, there are still a few I haven’t finished.