Songs that make us think & dream of QE2

[Rob Lightbody]

Viva La Vida, Coldplay

The BBC used this for their amazing little tribute video that they showed live when she was departing Southampton for the last ever time, on the amazing but sad night of the 27th November 2008, and ever since, for me, its absolutely QE2's song.

"I used to Rule The World"


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7723448.stm

[cunardqueen]

Rob,
 If you had been to the concert in Liverpool Cathedral when we called there last year, a number of times during that cruise we heard "time to say Goodbye". A moving song indeed and to actually go  into the Mauretania Rest on the last night and be faced with the menu and those words staring us in the face, l dont know how Cunard could have been so cruel to us, but it was very sad.but so very well produced

 They also sang New York New York, l doubt anybody had a dry eye during the concert, it was in everyway a funeral for QE2
 Prior to the actual service they had some great footage of QE2 during her years of service playing on a screen. The PR team at Cunard must be congratulated on the way they exploded our heart strings during that trip. Im not sure l can forgive them though

[Twynkle]

Thank You!
 
It sounds as if Liverpool really did do a proper Final Farewell to her.
By all accounts it sounded very moving. 

The Cunard building was cleaned up specially! 

[Andy F]

Agree Rob, whenever I hear Viva La Vida I instantly think of QE2

[singlemalt]

We were having a banter in the Chat Room last night about songs that reminded us of QE2.
I'll 'fess up to having a 'QE2 memories' playlist on my iPod. An eclectic mix of:

- various rousing anthems / military marches (a la Sailaway)

- Sailors Hornpipe (having watched the odd few in Queens Room during Nautical Ball)

- Sailing (both Mr R Stewart and Band of HM Royal Marines versions)

- Leaving of Liverpool (Fare thee well to you my own true love, I am going far, far away...
                                            It's not the leaving of Liverpool that grieves me, but my darling when I  think of thee.... )

- Time to say Goodbye (for obvious reasons... )

- Viva la Vida (only thing Chris Martin has EVER done that I will own)

- For those in peril on the sea (from occasions when Catholic guilt got the better of me and I attended mass in the theatre)

- Feliz Navidad (onboard Midnight Mass one Christmas)

- O Holy Night (^___^ see above)

- Waterloo & others   (gotta love a bit of Abba night haven't you?)

- Lots of versions of QE2 whistle downloaded / ripped from youtube (favourite is "Three Cheers for the QE2, hip, hip hooray etc. then 40 second blast from 40th anniversary voyage)

Am emotional rollercoaster when I put the playlist on shuffle and see what comes up!
Any else willing to confess? I bet I'm not the only weirdo out there... 

Ali

[hollihedge]

Agree with your list Ali, and concerning Viva La Vida, well...was watching some rubbishy American teen soap last week with my young cousin and they played this at the start, started blubbing!!  Had to concoct an elaborate fib regarding an eyelash stuck in my eye etc etc as to why I was crying!!!   Ho hum

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Have just played this at top volume on the office computer and am amazed at what volume it can be taken to!!

Yes, it brings back that awful awful final Southampton departure, only made bearable by messages and telephone calls flying while I watched the live webstream...

By the way ... it is Sunday night and I am alone in the office... I hope... 

[QE2_MATTHEW]

This song caught me out. I was at the Mayflower park watching the QE2 sail out, and i had been fine all evening then BBC played the montage of QE2 with Viva La Vida over the top and i started to cry. ever since it has been a trying song for me. I have since learnt this on piano so I can play it when and where ever.

Also I played TIME TO SAY GOODBYE on the QUEENS ROOM Piano on the last night of my cruise. That was quite emotional.

[cunardqueen]

Thank You!
 
It sounds as if Liverpool really did do a proper Final Farewell to her.
By all accounts it sounded very moving. 

The Cunard building was cleaned up specially! 
 
 

They sure did, and when the ships pennant was carried down the isle, anybody who wasnt by then already in tears,was afterwards.
It is unfortunate that the official DVD of the ceremony wasnt perhaps upto the high standard that we usually expect from Cunard, the placing of the cameras could have been better to provide clearer views of the singers, and it appears it was only sent out to those on the voyage at the time, and even then it was one per booking . None the less a nice souvenir of what was to be a very unique event.
 Those that stayed onshore by the time l embarked the gangway down to the floating pier was  v e r y  steep,and perhaps had the evening been slightly warmer no doubt many more folks would have turned out.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

Two more songs I have come to associate with QE2 :

"Seasons in the sun" -- the lyrics were so apt, and were used in this lovely tribute to QE2 as she left Stavanger for the last time :

http://www.shipexplorer.no/2007/foto/cruise/cunard/qe2/foto_cruise_cunard_qe2_farvell.htm

And amazingly, when we returned to Glasgow after waving her off for the last time on the Clyde, this is the very song they played on the bus... 

And then, there was "Catch a falling star"... We caught this piece several times last September, out of the well hidden loudspeakers in the Midships Lobby (quite possibly for the benefit of the cleaning crew). Somehow, it matched our mood -- we knew that our moments on QE2 were few and precious, each of them like a falling star!

Otherwise, not really my type of music at all... 

[pete cain]

I don't agree , having just watched, the very personal dvd  from Margaret Gradwell  (web  greensidegran@hotmail.co.uk a 2hr dvd (with admittedly a lot of flaws, however, costing 1/4 the cost of the official Cunard dvd of the final Round Britain cruise I've got to suggest Justin Webb, ' Forever Autumn'  (cos your not here) from War Of The Worlds,I think it's inspired!, untill I saw this 1 clip of the dvd I agree with everybody else about Coldplay, I know this is a personal thing & I'm in a minority of 1 ,but hey were in a democracy...

[Rob Lightbody]

[Rob Lightbody]

Thought of another one, which reminds me of QE2 even though I don't hugely like it...

You're Beautiful, by James Blunt.  I believe QM2 played it across the water to QE2 in Southampton at one point, but I forget exactly which momentous historic occasion it was!

[Stowaway2k]

It was very clever for BBC to use Coldplay.  Such a good song, and appropriate for QE2.

I have a fundamental dislike of Rod Stewart.  Nothing makes me change radio stations faster than when he comes on.
Then one day, at the Liverpool Anglican Cathederal, the Band of the Scots Guards entered.
"Sailing" done on bugles and drums is just stunning, especially in tribute to QE2.   I couldn't believe a Rod Stewart number could give me a lump in my throat and moist eyes in a good way like it did that day.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-286918804342568143&ei=2TygSaWGG52wqAOPjMjGDA&q=+qe2+40th+anniversary&hl=en

"Sunshine on Leith" is a beautiful, sad, uplifting Scottish love song by The Proclaimers that I came to think of in terms of our Scottish ocean liner.

(I can't see the links above for imbedding the Youtube video into the message, but someone came along and did it ...    )

Anyway, songs or no songs, I think of QE2 all day, every day...

[highlander0108]

It was very clever for BBC to use Coldplay.  Such a good song, and appropriate for QE2.

I have a fundamental dislike of Rod Stewart.  Nothing makes me change radio stations faster than when he comes on.
Then one day, at the Liverpool Anglican Cathederal, the Band of the Scots Guards entered.
"Sailing" done on bugles and drums is just stunning, especially in tribute to QE2.   I couldn't believe a Rod Stewart number could give me a lump in my throat and moist eyes in a good way like it did that day.


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-286918804342568143&ei=2TygSaWGG52wqAOPjMjGDA&q=+qe2+40th+anniversary&hl=en

"Sunshine on Leith" is a beautiful, sad, uplifting Scottish love song by The Proclaimers that I came to think of in terms of our Scottish ocean liner.

(I can't see the links above for imbedding the Youtube video into the message, but someone came along and did it ...    )

Anyway, songs or no songs, I think of QE2 all day, every day...

Kyle, the Welsh Guard rendition was so moving, with the drums in ascending volume and the trumpets that I completely forgot it was a Rod Stewart song   I totally agree with you.

Regarding a few songs I had on my iPod for the Final Farewell to the UK, here are a few from Enya that tug at my heart:

Orinoco Flow....sailaway time
Only Time....days between our next QE2 cruise, sadly never again.
On My Way Home....reminds me of Greenock arrival and I picked this song before I knew I was going on that trip
One by One...the lyrics get me..adios goodbye

I also got sappy and included a few by Frank Sinatra:

Something (Beatles cover)
My Way

I can't hear the Coldplay song without getting misty eyed.

KenM