The Saints//(I'm) Stranded

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Or Happy Saint Omar’s Day, if you’re in the know (it’s a long story for a drunk night out, not for this blog).

That said, I thought maybe you could get your Irish drink on with some Australian Saints…THE Saints, that is.

I found out about The Saints from a really amazing Australian punk/post punk/garage comp called Do the Pop!. This band has quite a rep, championing the late 70s punk sound before all the names you know (Sex Pistols, Clash) and being one of the definitive torchbearers of Brisbane Punk. Of course, to tie it all back to Ireland, according to Wikipedia, Bob Geldof has been quoted as saying, "Rock music in the Seventies was changed by three bands — the Sex Pistols, the Ramones and The Saints."

As time progressed, the band got more straightforward, probably somewhat due to major label influence. Still, you can hear the style of The Saints in bands from REM to Green Day.

When this song came out in 1976, UK’s Sound Magazine declared it the “single of this and every week.” If that’s not one sweet song, I’m not sure what is.



(I’m) Stranded.mp3

If you’re already up on Do The Pop! and looking for more, I’ve heard good things about this as well.

I'm riding on a midnight train
And everybody looks just the same.
A subway light, it's dirty reflection;
I'm lost I don't have a direction
'Cause I'm stranded on my own,
Stranded far from home.

Now, buy me a (optionally green) beer!