My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session, October 1977)

The speaker is dealing with the end of a party and a relationship: their partner has left them for someone else, and they feel lonely and low. They do not want to discuss the breakup; instead, they want to drink and give in to their sadness. The mood moves from hurt and withdrawal toward a playful, theatrical acceptance of feeling melancholy.

Several images turn emotion into weather. A “cloudy and overcast” outlook and “stormy weather” suggest that sadness may last, while “sinking feeling” makes the speaker’s low mood seem physically heavy. “That special brew” implies an alcoholic drink, presented as a way to escape or intensify the feeling. Calling melancholy a “new occupation” humorously makes being sad sound like a full-time job.

The lyrics balance genuine heartbreak with comic performance. The speaker asks others not to expect a sunny smile, but also seems to enjoy taking center stage in this “melancholy blues.” “Exposure” and “enclosure” suggest both being noticed and keeping people at a distance, though the playful wording makes their meaning uncertain. The ending’s laughter could signal self-mockery or a deliberately dramatic pose; it does not necessarily mean the sadness has disappeared.