Shirley Bassey - The Girl From Tiger Bay

2009 (Shirley sings a Manic Street Preachers song? You Bet, and well done! The Manic Street Preachers wrote this song especially for Shirley, who was born in Tiger Bay Wales, and it's from her latest CD, titled 'Performance' recorded in 2009). This performance is from Shirley's appearance on the Graham Norton TV Show). Most vocalists in their 70's wouldn't attempt such a song, but veteran vocalist Bassey comes shining through with power & conviction, and even makes it look easy!)

Dame Shirley recorded and released this track on her 2009 CD titled, 'The Performance'

ABOUT this Song & ABOUT Tiger Bay:
"The Girl From Tiger Bay" was written by James Dean Bradfield and Nicky Wire of Welsh rock bank Manic Street Preachers who appeared with Dame Shirley in a November 2009 documentary screened by BBC television about a concept album written by invited songwriters about and for the diva.
Bradfield said that more than anything, Tiger Bay had a bit of a looming presence in their minds. They had tried to include the name in a song title many times before but it had always sounded crass; this time though they'd got it right.
The diva was impressed with the Bradfield/Wire collaboration, which is based on her early life, adding Tiger Bay was now gone as the area had been redeveloped, but it would live on in that song. Although Shirley Veronica Bassey has always been proud to associate her name with her place of birth, she spent most of her formative years in the nearby district which bears the unprepossessing Welsh name of Y Sblot, and which renders even worse in English, but "The Girl From Splott" doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Tiger Bay is an area of the Port of Cardiff; it takes its name from the strong currents of the River Severn. Like not a few seaports, it became famous - or notorious - for its migrant communities, hard drinking sailors on shore leave and everything that comes with it, in particular ladies of easy virtue as portrayed by Jacques Brel in his song about the Port of Amsterdam.
Although less glamorous than Amsterdam, Tiger Bay has, unsurprisingly, enriched (and at times polluted!) our literary heritage. Girl From Tiger Bay is the title of a 1950 pulp fiction book, while the 1959 crime thriller Tiger Bay incorporated some of the district's legendary elements, and featured the screen debut of a twelve year old Hayley Mills alongside her father John (later Sir John) Mills. It is not though Hayley Mills who is the girl from Tiger Bay but a slightly older entertainer. Shirley Bassey is unarguably Tiger Bay's most famous export, although by the time this song was written the girl in question was in her seventies and living in semi-retirement overlooking the Bay of Monte Carlo.

LYRICS:
Theres a crack in every pavement
Underneath there is a beach
It's been a long time longing
As history repeats

Yes, many times I've wondered
Why a part of me remains
In a place so full of beauty
That somehow never changed

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
Theres no denying who I am
Forever young I will be
The girl from Tiger Bay

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
Theres no denying who I am
Forever young I will stay
The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay

Now, time has me believing
That there's nothing left to prove
I feel your love within me
And love can't be removed

There's a crack in every pavement
Underneath there is a beach
Its been a long time longing
As history repeats

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
There's no denying who I am
Forever Young I will stay
The girl from Tiger Bay

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
There's no denying who I am
Forever Young I will stay
The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay

All the memories and the stars
They dance away into the stars
They dance away into the stars

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
There's no denying who I am
Forever Young I will stay
The girl from Tiger Bay

I bought a ticket of a lifetime
There's no denying who I am
Forever Young I will stay
The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay

The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay
The girl from Tiger Bay

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Dame Shirley Bassey
• Graham Norton Show
• James Dean Bradfield
• Nicky Wire
• Manic Street Preachers
• David Arnold
• Tiger Bay Wales
• Cardif Bay Wales

[pbeardmore]

Is that David Arnold on acoustic guitar?

[sas9023055]

@pbeardmore - It sure looks like him, doesn't it.  If it's not him, then Mr Arnold has an identical twin. Shirley did perform together with many of the songwriters of her 2009 CD, as many of them are also excellent/talented musicians.

[sas9023055]

CLICK ON VIDEO RESPONSES for some more Upbeat tunes from Shirley Bassey! Click on 'See All' to view all Video Responses!

[WallOfSound1990]

Can't really see Lady Gaga doing anything like this

[164will]

Is it Just me, or does this sound like it should be the theme track for a James Bond film? Fantastic!

[chevgr]

Good song. Well sang

[nthglasScotland]

Thank F^ for Dame Shirley, or we would have gone mammeries up, many years ago.

[Thorneycroft1937]

Love the introduction by Graham (also his announcement of Shirley in the beginning was amazing and just like she deserves it), and also love the reaction of thw crowd at 0:25

[Thorneycroft1937]

This is much better than the Electric Proms version and can even compare to the amazing studio version

[lydee09]

She is so amazing. I love this so much! Nice to see again. Thanks Scot!