The story behind: Jinx

Bored. Boring. Boredom.

That is how I felt my life was then. Months after I had left school, been unemployed for a short period, and then began work in a solicitors firm as an office junior. I remember being so excited at the time, when I received the job. But after months of being there, I was bored. Bored of everything. Lunch times felt like they dragged on; on to nowhere. I almost felt like I was killing time for no reason. I would watch people pass me by, and think 'I could be them', but felt like it would never happen.

One day, I left the building I worked in, crossed the red bridge and headed for George Square in the city centre. By the time I would get there I'd had about 40 minutes to kill before heading back to do more filing and reception duties. Sitting on a bench - a name written on the back of someone who had died, I ate my food and watched the world pass me by. As I sat there, an individual handed me a flyer for an Iraq war march. A big purple bit of paper with a screaming mother on it. The back of the sheet was blank, and as I sat there, I put pen to paper and began writing. I wrote about the world I saw as I sat there. I wrote about how I felt about myself, about where I wanted to be, and about those around me. I had watched people with their jumpers and t-shirts with big billboard style logos like 'NIKE' and 'ADIDAS'; I watched the goths and neds around Glasgow; watched the lovers holding hands, and the sad folk with no one. These are the influences, which I penned down in a very abstract fashion. The first two verses and chorus were written on this flyer before I had to return to work.

Months later and I had pieced together a guitar tune that was, and still is to this day, the best song I have ever written. It is a long, complicated piece, influenced by the Manic Street Preachers 'The Small Black Flowers that Grow in the Sky' and Led Zepplin 'Stairway to Heaven'. I wanted something long, and elegant, but that would rock up at times. When I had the riff essentially complete, I began singing the lyrics I had written in George Square to the music. It came together so easily over weeks, and is still one of my best songs.

However two alterations were made later on. I later wrote another verse to add to the song, which made the song even more epic. I also have a friend Darren, and one day he reminded me of a riff I showed him that he loved. When he played it to me I didn't recognise it. It was very simple, but very nice. So that night after walking back home from his, I put this riff as a bridge before the outro of the song, and it just adds a very elegant and beautiful end to the song. I did try and create more solo guitar pieces for the song, but nothing successful. I did however create the guitar tune for 'Dark Political Arts' from my solo guitar riff attempts, so not a complete waste of time.

This song has been worked on by my friends Stuart and Marc - when we were in a band together named 'the Heads of State', in 2002-03 and sounded brilliant. It was also played at a ticketed gig in 2003 which included myself and three other band members (Marc - Bass, Luca - Drums, Michael - Lead Guitar) as 'the Heads of State' in Glasgow. After a long period of reclusive solo recordings and new song writing, 2007 saw me play Jinx on 'Sunny Govan Radio' and played at numerous gigs right up to the present. And even though this was written back around 2002, I have only ever recorded three times, and each recording has never been perfect. I am determined to record a version in 2010-11, which will be perfect.

Jinx

Ugly, sweet, ugly, on the other hand, I'm glad, I didn't buy the shoes you're in,
Matchmakers, stand up on your power, and pull these aches away,
Jealousy, wrapped up in outlined, in minutes more,
Mimics trying to be something that they are not,

Jinx, a world that thinks,
Jinx, shattered dreams,

Bored of walking over bridges, billboards with polythene bags,
Singing to witches, Roads keep getting stitches,

Jinx, a world that thinks,
Jinx, shattered dreams

Written in 2002

Thank you world for being such an odd and soul-destroying place,

Watch this space for more the story behind,
Wullae,

www.myspace.com/wullaewrightbelucky
www.myspace.com/aftertherushhoursgone
www.myspace.com/wullaewright
www.twitter.com/wullaewright