Feist and Ben Gibbard, Vashti Bunyan cover

Train Song, released on Dark is the Night, features Feist and Ben Gibbard covering one of my favourite tracks by Vashti Bunyan.


Train Song

travelling North, travelling North to find you
train wheels speeding wind in my eyes
don't even know what i'll find when i get to you
call out your name love don't be surprised

it's so many miles and so long since i've left you
dont even know what i'll find when i get to you
but suddenly now i know where i belong
it's many hundred miles and it won't be long

nothing at all in my head to say to you
only the beat of the train i'm on
nothing i've learnt all my life on the way to you
one day our love was over and gone

so many miles and so long since i've left you
dont even know what i'll find when i get to you
but suddenly now i know where i belong
it's many hundred miles and it won't be long.

what will i do if there's someone there with you
maybe someone you've always known
how will i know i can call and give to you
love with no warning and find you alone.


Feist is rather awesome on her own with her reverb in empty rooms and Ben Gibbard is his usual superfluous self.

My favourite version of the song is still the one Vashti Bunyan released originally on Some things just stick in your mind.


17 Pink Sugar Elephants

i saw 17 pink sugar elephants
sitting under a chestnut tree
i said good morning, pink sugar elephants
but they wouldn't speak to me

each had two eyes but they couldn't see me there
each had 4 legs but they couldn't go anywhere
and so we just sat
that early autumn morning
sun not yet ris' and the magic everywhere

i walked up to one pink sugar elephant
asked why wouldn't he speak to me
but he was a factory made pink sugar elephant
given to children for treats after tea

he had two eyes but he couldn't see me there
he had 4 legs but they couldn't go anywhere
and so we just sat
that early autumn morning
sun not yet ris' and the magic everywhere


Here it feels like Vashti is on some sort of sedative, alone in sunshine. It also makes me think of Vashti and her animals. I guess I can understand why Train Song came up eventually because 17 Pink Sugar Elephants isn't really a song for playing in bars.