DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO – The Vampire's Wife

I’ve spent a fair amount of time lately fluctuating between these three versions of the Jimmy Webb’s superb song ‘Do What You Gotta Do.’ Firstly, there is the strange, sad, internalised masterpiece by Roberta Flack, then Nina Simone’s weird, haunted defiant rendition, but also a lesser known duet by Cher and her husband Gregg Allman, generally considered, by the music press, to be ‘embarrassing’. Cher and Allman’s off and on relationship was hugely conflicted and unbelievably chaotic but this seems to adds a perverse drama to this duet which I, personally, find extremely moving. Cher is, in my view, one of the greatest, most under-rated vocalists of all time. So, of course, Roberta Flack and Nina Simone’s versions are typically mind-blowing, but when Cher gets stuck into that beautiful melody, I am left just awed. Love Susie. x

Do What You Gotta Do

Man, I can understand how it might be

Kind of hard to love a girl like me

I don't blame you much for wanting to be free

I just wanted you to know

I loved you better than your own kin did

From the very start

It's my own fault for what happens to my heart

You see I've always known you'd go

But you just do what you gotta do

My wild sweet love

Though it may mean I'll never kiss your sweet lips again

Pay that no mind

Just find that dappled dream of yours

Come on back and see me when you can

Well, I know they make you sad

They make you feel so bad

They say you don't treat me like you should

Folks got ways to make you feel no good

I'd guess they've got no way to know

I've had my eyes wide open from the start

And boy, you never lied to me

And the part of you they'll never see

Is the part you've shown to me

So you just do what you gotta do

My wild sweet love

Though it may mean I'll never kiss those sweet lips again

Pay that no mind

Just find that dappled dream of yours

Come on back and see me

Come on back and see me when you can

Witten by Jimmy Webb

TIME AFTER TIME, LITTLE JIMMY SCOTT

Look at this heart-breaking piece of film of Little Jimmy Scott singing Time After Time and giving his thoughts on what a song is meant to be. He is a vast talent and a beautiful man; we met him at my husband’s Meltdown Festival in London in 1999.

TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE

I heard this wonderful version of The Smiths classic song "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" by the brilliantly ebullient Dum Dum Girls on the DJ Lonny’s amazing Cover to Cover on Radio Lewes this week. What a great show! What a superb song! What a joyful cover! ‘To die by your side is pleasure and a privilege’ indeed!

THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT

What a brilliant piece of pop magic! There is a Light that Never Goes Out by The Smiths. A gorgeous lunatic lyric with a swooningly joyful melody. I love this song. I love this band. We adore The Smiths here at The Vampire’s Wife.