Away from the Numbers

"No, I don't want to dance."

"Go on, Gary. You like The Jam".

Now that's true. Who doesn't think Paul Weller is king; the god of 1977. I looked into those heavily mascared green eyes. Eyes that were pleading; "just one dance," they seemed to say; "and then......" And then I'm going to the pub, that's what I'm doing!

Let me be honest with you. It's not 1977, in fact I don't think it was 1977 when I danced to 'Away from the Numbers' as sung by the legend that is Paul Weller and his immensely talented team of musicians that went under the collective name of The Jam. Now is now, or rather now is then; no, not back then but a little while ago: perhaps three years ago when things were different. Notice I said 'different' and not better.

Today, or rather the today that was three years ago, the women I know are older than the ones I knew when The Jam were together. They are wealthier, wiser and lumpier. I blame it on their kids: the same kids that are gyrating on the dance floor to Sheffield's new sensational group, Arctic Monkeys. The same kids that, only one record ago were dancing to 'Away from the Numbers'. Perhaps not quite as athletically as they are to the current track, but dancing all the same. Woking to Sheffield, The Jam to Arctic Monkeys, me back in time to the girl with the heavily mascared green eyes.

Whenever I hear 'A.F.T.N' my thoughts dive headlong into sparkling green and heavily mascared eyes. I return every time it’s played to a twenty-five second clip of my life.

"No, I don't want to dance."

"Go on, Gary. You like The Jam".

I'll only dance if it's 'Away from the Numbers'."

We danced and...... that's all I can remember. There was no 'and then.....', I may have gone to the pub, I don't recall. All I can say is I was captivated by her pleading look and I only need Paul and his pals to hit those first few chords and I'm again looking into green, heavily mascared eyes.