The Fourteenth of February - Billy Bragg

After last week’s disappointment at missing our granddaughter’s 4th birthday and the weekend before being a missed Mother’s Day here in the UK, I’m pleased to say that today (Saturday) is the birthday of my sweetheart and life partner Juliet Wills. We’ve been in self-isolation together, just the two of us, for three weeks now and, with no family and no cake, I thought I’d dedicate this weekend’s song to her.

‘The Fourteenth of February’ is a special song for us. I came up with the tune when playing guitar for our son Jack when he was a baby. He was entranced with the finger picking involved. On Valentine’s Day 1995, Juliet gave me a book of love poetry with one particular poem bookmarked: ‘I Wish I Could Remember That First Day’ by Christina Rossetti.

This was a reference to the fact that Juliet and I knew each other for eight years before we got together. Neither of us can remember anything significant about the first time we met.

I was working on ‘William Bloke’ in south London that day in 1995 and, by the time I arrived at the studio, I’d come up with some lyrics for that tune that I’d been playing for the baby, inspired by Juliet’s gift of Rossetti’s poem. What else could I call it but ‘The Fourteenth of February’?

Of all my songs, it is the one that couples most often tell me that they played for the first dance at their wedding. I guess our experience is not that uncommon.

So here it is, recorded yesterday afternoon, my song for the weekend.

Happy birthday, Sweetheart xxx

Recorded at home 3rd April 2020
Photo by Wiggy

Words and music - Billy Bragg
Published by Sony/ATV Music Ltd
©2020 Billy Bragg

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