New Song - Howard Jones

Lyrics:- Don't crack up, bend your brain, see both sides, throw off your mental chains - Jones

Song Choice:- I don't know if you remember 1983 too well, but I bet you remember 'New Song’ the debut single by musician Howard Jones. It peaked at #3 in the UK Singles Chart, so nearly making Jones the #1 artist he so richly deserves IMO and this crazy video is well worth another look, if nothing else but to see his back-combed dyed hair which I thought was super cool at the time.

Anyway, I've always thought the lyrics of this song underlined how I feel about life and how to lead it.

It certainly doesn't make you popular - not wanting to be 'hip and cool' or wanting to 'play by the rules' but I've never been driven by wanting to win a popularity contest - that's something I'd never accomplish and I'd be the worst ever politician.

It also lays you ‘under the thumb of the cynical few’ and attacked ‘by the doom crew’ but that’s only to be expected as there are there are people out there in the faceless world of social media only too ready to chip away at any crack they can find in your armour. To them, I would recommend that they break their own ‘mental chains’ and then the ‘Kryptonite’ that is eats away at the very heart of their world will stop their vitriolic chants at those that have been or are the people they are clearly so jealous of wanting to be.

You see, I’ve never wanted to be anyone else. I’ve never wanted what other folks have. I’m happy with whom I am, as I’ve bent my brain, seen both sides and thrown off my mental chains. 

Have you?

Rory Coleman - 989 Marathons - 243 Ultras - 14 Marathon des Sables
9 Guinness World Records - 8,509 Days' Alcohol Free

& 1 Inspirational Running Memoir - Get your copy here.

Location: Caerdydd, Cymru