poetry progress has been slow… I have found that the (still exciting) project mentioned in earlier posts requires time/concentration. Without these to hand at the moment, I’m going to have to embrace something else. That thing, briefly, will be music….
I’m not a musician, so the results are going to be…experimental.
But I like my general direction: 5 songs, influenced sonically by ‘Prole Art Threat’, ‘Sonny’s Burning’, ‘Sword of Truth’, Nick Cave’s ‘Avalanche’ and Robyn Archer on Brecht (where ‘influenced by’ isn’t making claims to success…), and all hinting at grubby/sordid politic-ing in the capital. There is one about the oldest restaurant in London, and the Lord Lucan style failed coups/ disaster capitalist deals I imagine going down there. Another is about a retired military man (I imagine him also as a hanger on to some lost Lucan types) dealing badly with the knowledge that a Cargo Cult has developed around him. The following lyrics from the last song of the five are about the resistible rise of a grubby little shit/‘Lordly One’. Lord Carrier, as I call him, is short, portly, and wears a bright green suit. He appears at golf clubs, and on the hustings, surrounded by people in high vis, or flanked by big serious looking men. Lord Carrier isn’t serious, though. You can tell that by the way that he is always laughing. And when he is asked about the bungs, the sex, or the culling, he throws his head back and laughs some more. Until the tears come steaming down…
Just over half of us love him, apparently…
Lord Carrier Ascends
Up from The Marches
Lord Carrier!
Half toad/ half fawn
John Bull as leprechaun
Up on the hustings
Lord Carrier!
Laughter of Bedlam
And colosseum
Laughter of Stuart return
Laughter of Stuart return
Lord Carrier ascends… (Koo Stark and coup strike in the wind and wings)
–
Lord Carrier ascending
Sense of impending eclipse
Crowd giddy
But there are brave souls yet… (‘Beautiful Souls!)
Why do you think he laughs in reply to your question?
Why do you think he laughs in reply?
Why do you think he laughs in reply to your question?
Why do you think he laughs in reply?
Obby Robinson 