1. |
back in the stirrup
04:51
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Love supreme
Love supreme
Cupid’s bow
Cupid’s bow
Keeps missing its target
John Coltrane
John Coltrane
Early November rain
Dog walkers out in numbers
Scooping up shit
Junkies on park benches
Awakening to no next hit
Pop garish billboards
Caesar an epileptic
Confident words managing
To blot bodily weaknesses
Limitations of talent
Constrained by ego
Blamed for infamy
Full on rage
Full on rage
Minimalist prepared piano
Sounding like the Ramones
Bemoans
Unwitting norms
Unwitting norms
Lonely security
Against emotional
Emotional storms
Dense fog
Hoovering over High Street
Orange of the bin men
Lights flashing
No sign of the sun
No sign of the moon
Find the treasure
There is to seek
Humiliation experienced
At an early age
A cage
Around the demeanour
Greener eyes behind
Expensive shades
A disguise
A denial
Conspiring
As if there is no tomorrow
Declining to borrow
A site safe sorrow
Haunted by the ghosts
Guilt and despair
Shiny new railings
A secret memorial
No flowers
Complacency granted
The boot goes
Back in the stirrup
For now
The boot goes
Back in the stirrup
For now
For now
Back in the stirrup
The boot it goes
The boot it goes
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2. |
behind the yellow line
05:48
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Behind the yellow line
Behind the yellow line
A black pandemic mask
Discarded
On the narrow towpath
The calmness of the canal
When bypassing the weir
The long stretch of
Victorian factory buildings
Reflected in the water
Like a Monet
Reflected in the water
Like a Monet
If he had painted red bricks
Instead of lilies
Red bricks
Instead of lilies
Red bricks
Instead of lilies
Behind the yellow line
Behind the yellow line
Passing trains cause turbulence
All alone on the platform
Airbag impact
Bespoke glasses
Frame bent
Lenses intact
He walks from the wreckage
Like a Marvel film protagonist
Physically unscathed
Shouting primal abuse
Across the three lanes
Across the three lanes
Alleviating internal pains
Alleviating internal pains
Until the ambulances arrive
Until the ambulances arrive
The fallout
The fallout
Some say
Nine lives of a cat protection
Protection
Protection
Resurrection
Resurrection
Job not Christ he replies
Job not Christ he sighs
Buries his face in his hands
Buries his face in his hands
Only he understands
It seems
Behind the yellow line
Behind the yellow line
A black pandemic mask
Discarded
On the narrow towpath
The calmness of the canal
When bypassing the weir
The long stretch of
Victorian factory buildings
Reflected in the water
Like a Monet
Reflected in the water
Like a Monet
If he had painted red bricks
Instead of lilies
Red bricks
Instead of lilies
Red bricks
Instead of lilies
Red bricks instead of lilies . . .
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3. |
she shrugs
04:46
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Butterfly Ball next to Joseph’s
Under grey sky mild
The end of December
Trying to remember
If she really was
As in love
As she tells her she was
Camden Market
Red or Dead
Joy to spread
Closet sex
The Zeffirelli actor
Unfaithful husband
And mistress
Within earshot
In house reconstruction
Dinner in a bedroom
Interrogation
A signed guitar
Sold for drugs
She shrugs
She shrugs . . .
Ten of Swords
Skateboard stalker
Death Row
Penitentiary saint
Gene Vincent
Stilt dance
Jukebox on the corner
C Sweet
Euclid & Elizabeth Street
Weekend retreat
Sunbathing without
The old mill river bank
Hotel bar
Late night pint
Belsize Park
Runaway ego hugs
She shrugs
She shrugs . . .
Transatlantic dole
Tuition
Kill Bill
Crosstown cinemas
Art Deco
Majestic all-nighters
Cabbagetown
Seed & Feed Halloween
Revelry
Eat Your Wallet
Junkman’s Daughter
For the slaughter
Austins on Lake
Dive afternoons
Pissed mugs
She shrugs
She shrugs . . .
White boots
In a city bin
Kemp Place
If I should fall from grace
Flagpole hole
Fluke twirl
Basement pizzeria
Round the clock
Theatrics
Assembly Rooms
The King dead
Ten tears
Queue entertainment
Bottler
Second to none
You’re the one
Heartstring tugs
She shrugs
She shrugs
The end of December
She shrugs
Trying to remember
She shrugs
The end of December
She shrugs
Trying to remember
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4. |
then you were gone
05:07
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Like the flashing blue lights
Like the flashing blue lights
Atop the roadside
Lay-by burger stand
Turned off at dawn
You were there
And then
You were gone
You were there
And then
You were gone
Yes
Listen
Rise
Resist
Insist
Yes
Listen
Rise
Resist
Insist
The mantra
Still rings in his ears
Like the monastery bells
Off in the distance
At Easter
That time
When he hitched
Around the isle
With a crown of thorns
Taken home
On the motorised cart
To family still fasting
The last hours of Lent
Eggs and lemon served
Dim light reflecting
In hungry eyes
Dim light reflecting
In hungry eyes
You were there
And then
You were gone
You were there
And then
You were gone
You were there
And then
You were gone
Wine with a drunken priest
All afternoon
Greek Orthodox service
Late that night
Prayer candles
For the tourist
Off the beaten path
Caves
Acid
Cigarettes
Ocean waves
Waves of fear
Waves of fear
The shepherd descending
The donkey’s hooves
Scraping the stones
Shooting hallucinatory electrical sparks
Electrical sparks
Toward the new moon
Yes
Listen
Rise
Resist
Insist
Yes
Listen
Rise
Resist
Insist
The mantra
Still rings in his ears
You were there
And then
You were gone
You were there
And then
You were gone
You were there
And then
You were gone
A new moon
A new dawn
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5. |
Black Box Warning
05:12
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Four horsemen
Spurring an epidemic
Hiding behind the scene
Pulling every string
Encouraging aggressive marketing
“cigarettes don’t cause cancer” denial
Lees addictive
Less abusable
Less divertable
OxyContin ‘kiddie dope’ denial
Apocalyptic pain
Narcotic stain
Condescending disdain
Communities plagued
With opioid addiction
Taking no responsibility
Taking no responsibility
Blood on their secretive hands
Blood on their secretive hands
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Corrupted FDA officials
Corrupted physicians
Corrupted pharmacists
Mis-prescribing
Over-prescribing
Free sample packets
Coupon disguised
‘Pill Mill’ greed
Illicit market need
Controlled release bullshit
Green peelers
Purple peelers
The devil’s dick
The devil’s balls
Local tissue necrosis
Pulmonary granuloma
Street overdoses
Patient overdoses
Patient overdoses
Street overdoses
Taking no responsibility
Taking no responsibility
Blood on their secretive hands
Blood on their secretive hands
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
King & Spalding
Chadbourne & Parke
The Clean Cut Kid
Rudolph W. Giuliani
High class solicitor protection
Co-opting with money
Co-opting with favours
Co-opting with bequeathments
Evading
Circumventing
Evading
Circumventing
Justice
Art to ashes
Ashes to art
Art to ashes
Ashes to art
An empire of pain
An empire of denial
Four horsemen
Spurring an epidemic
Hiding behind the scene
Pulling every string
Taking no responsibility
Taking no responsibility
Blood on their secretive hands
Blood on their secretive hands
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Black Box Warning
Count
Count
Body count . . .
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6. |
the spiel the deal
04:24
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Johnnie leaves a cab waiting
Johnnie leaves a cab waiting
Avenue A walk-up
Built into the door
An Open / Close shutter window
He knows the score
$100
Ten dime bags
A syringe kit in his right hand pocket
In his right hand pocket
For the ready
A handgun in the left
Stairwell hangers-on
Would have to be deft
To mess with him
A life on the line habit
And the music fades
On Alphabet City escapades
And the music fades
On Alphabet City escapades
Desperation
Exasperation
Desperation
Exasperation
The spiel the deal
The deal the spiel
Johnnie leaves a cab waiting
Johnnie leaves a cab waiting
Avenue A walk-up
Built into the door
An Open / Close shutter window
He knows the score
$100
Ten dime bags
A syringe kit in his right hand pocket
In his right hand pocket
For the ready
A handgun in the left
Stairwell hangers-on
Would have to be deft
To mess with him
A life on the line habit
And the music fades
On Alphabet City escapades
And the music fades
On Alphabet City escapades
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7. |
Buddha in a closet
04:07
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Sodden rag headline
Bullets in the basement
Fragments
Not of the imagination
Obfuscation
Lateral flow
Double red line
Traffic violation
Delineation
Suitcase
Booze trawl
Pork Pie Pinocchio
Ethical earthquake tremors
Coterie of sycophants
Automatic rifle
Murder in self defence
Teenage poster boy
Passions astir
Future a blur
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Run run run
Run run run
Empty cardboard boxes
Left in goodwill gesture
Red house burning
Not In Service
Double decker
Kissing the shadows
Tears of colour
In dreams above
Loneliness suppressed
Re-emerging full throttle
Addiction relapse
Speedball romance
Fixation I trance
Bell of clarity
Stress containers
Filled to the brim
Ultrasound confound
Passions astir
Future a blur
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Run run run
Run run run
Buddha in a closet
Atop the harmonium
Keepsake
Hallucinations
Hopalong Cassidy
Awaiting in Coral Gables
Cactus Quave
Taken to the grave
Celebrity encounter
Turning the tables
On contemporary fables
Windmills rising still
Above the mist
A flip of the wrist
Open arms
On permanent hold
Willing dance
To a throbbing heart
Passions astir
Future a blur
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Blood on the sun
Run run run
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Death Death Death
Death of the sun
Run run run
Run run run
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8. |
don't mention the music
02:44
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Late January
A glimmer of morning light
At seven
Lost friend
A rogue angel
Like myself
Not destined for heaven
Once close
Appointed guardians
Of the children
It was at Big Bob’s funeral
Bob who after leaving C
Lived next door to Nikki
Lived next door to Nikki
In Easton
We were there together
Ego broached
Me thinking his
He thinking mine
As we waited in line
Waited in line
At the wake
His take
My take
Wounded egos
Wounded egos
His take
My take
Neither of us
To this day
Ever brave enough
Brave enough
To confront openly
And now only distance
Only distance
Distance only
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9. |
oh! Zoey ( For TH )
05:11
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You with your fringe
Shoulder length hair
In a retro plaid coat
Looking like
One of the Shrimpton sisters
I was about to shout hello
From across the street
When a car stopped
And whoever was inside
Took my attention
From out of the corner
Of your eye
I was jealous
When you got in
You so remind me of Zoey
Zoey
Who used to meet me
Everyday after work
At the petrol station
And how we would walk
Away together
Hand in hand
With my vintage bicycle
I sometimes rode from
The station office to the pumps
For lark shock attention
Hand in hand
Into the Tallahassee sunset
As though out of a western
Bike instead of horse
Passerby smiling
At such a couple
So radiantly in love
So radiantly in love
Oh Zoey . . .
As there was no park nearby
We used to steal
Onto the local golf course
At night
And cuddle in the fairway grass
Daringly on the greens
And once even in a sand trap
Fantasising the beaches
On St George Island
Mesmerised by stars shooting
Across the clear dark sky
Our escapades
Eventually scuppered
By obnoxious drunken lads
I wanted to travel
She theatre school
We parted amicably and friends
The one and only time
In an ended relationship
For me
Before leaving
I dropped off a photograph
And a farewell note
At her place of work
At the time
Not really knowing
If she would ever get them
Oh Zoey . . .
We met up once years later
I was shakily married then
She was working
At a late night bar
I waited with a beer and coked up
Until her shift was through
In trademark jeans and t-shirt
She wore better than anyone
She walked by
Slapped me with a wet bar towel
Grinning possible careless love
Grinning possible careless love
We went back to her place
Taped to a bedside mirror
Was the photograph I had left her
On the narrow bed
We laid side by side
Side by side
Our arms
Our arms opened wide . . .
Oh Zoey . . .
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10. |
and Blue
04:58
|
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They wouldn’t let them
Off the ferry
First thoughts
Appearance
Hippy camp scruff
Her hair blue
Quite common now
But unusual then
The Prime Minister’s address
On their arrival card
He explained that his Aunt Moyra
Was married to Dom Mintoff
And that she and her sister
His mother
Were expecting them
Were expecting them
And were dockside
Incredulous as it seemed
The custom officers decided to
Not take chances
They returned
All apologetic flustered
He stayed the night at The Olives
The official residence
She was taken
To the daughter’s flat
The daughter away
In London
Blue Blue
Blue Blue
Kind of Blue
Blue Blue
Blue Blue
Kind of Blue
They met up again
The day after
The Prime Minister
Had given him
A tie
Now part of his attire
Hanging loosely around his neck
His noose
They ended up staying six weeks
He with his mother most nights
On the island secretly with TB
Secretly with TB
Consequently
She in the flat
Alone a lot of the time
With a Dansette record player
Ravi Shankar’s Three Ragas
And Joni Mitchell’s Blue
She played them religiously
At sunset
They went their separate ways
In Brighton
Just before Leonard Cohen played
She still has
The unused second ticket
And Blue
The unused second ticket
And Blue
Which she hasn’t
Listened to since . . .
Blue Blue
Blue Blue
Kind of Blue
Blue Blue
Blue Blue
Kind of Blue
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the red propellers Bristol, UK
the red propellers are a Bristol UK, Factory Studios band inspired by the Velvet Underground and late 1970’s New York City
punk music scene.
“Fabulous group, with buckets of vision, passion and unpredictable madness; all much needed in today’s sanitised world. Their cult is growing.”
Kris Needs
Record
Collector
Magazine
... more
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