Pick Up The Pieces

This children's nursery rhyme is thought to date back to the late eighteenth century, before there were paramedics. The meaning behind it is obscure - it was only later that Humpty was pictured as an egg. There are several suggestions to its origins - one is that "In 1648, Colchester was a walled town with a castle and several churches and was protected by the city wall. The story goes that a large cannon, which one website claimed was colloquially called 'Humpty Dumpty', was strategically placed on the wall. A shot from a Parliamentary cannon succeeded in damaging the wall beneath Humpty Dumpty, which caused the cannon to tumble to the ground. The Royalists (or Cavaliers, "all the King's men") attempted to raise Humpty Dumpty on to another part of the wall, but the cannon was so heavy that "All the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty together again". However, versions of the rhyme appears in many countries - you can read more about it here.

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How many of us have had to pick up the pieces - we have left notes at home and had to improvise; the cat has knocked a valued vase from the shelf; someone knocked over the almost finished jigsaw puzle, etc. Still we dust ourselves off and start over.

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The Scottish Average White Band released the award-winning, uplifting instrumental Pick Up The Pieces in 1975. Several Jazz versions are available but for our Time Out Ten here is the Phil Collins Big Band. The video is actually around 22 minutes long so perhaps you can stretch your ten minutes or maybe watch it in two sessions? Either way, let's hope it picks you up.