I'm going to paste below the last two lyrics that I've written. They make an interesting diptych, I think.
I Hear Those Voices that Will not Be Drowned
Depending Upon where you’re standing, This is not the mainstream of history. Still this thread, this theme, this trickle persists, The spirit finding its way, changefully.
I hear. It is not my imagination. Though it may be only in my heart, The sound is clear. I hear those voices that will not be drowned.
We Hear No More His Singing
We hear no more his singing.
If we wish to know the stars that lit his dreams We must scavenge that untimely shore That threw him, broken, back, And sift among the bladderwrack And mermaid’s purse, And cannot hope for more.
We must read his dream in wreckage And in seaweed, As he was forced to read it till he died.
I haven't posted any lyrics here for a while. I intend to do so now.
My life is a terrible mess, I'm afraid, and I still haven't got round to doing what I should be doing, to wit, turning myself into a distribution hub for the last Kodagain album, Letters from Quentin. However, another album is in the offing - another collaboration between myself and Kodagain. I'm not sure how much information I should give about it, but it will be substantially different to the last album. The lyrics below is from one of the songs that may be on the album:
DJ Prankster
Those who make a public show of being friendly, Who want the world to know that they are with it, Affable and fashionable materialists, Independent, without loyalties, but 'nothing dodgy', Be advised - or be accused - that they are 'strictly anti-fascist', Just waiting for a chance to stick you with their brittle wit.
DJ Prankster Why are you suddenly so serious? DJ Prankster Why are you suddenly so self-righteous?
I stood while the train was passing. The bullet clipped my shoulder and I heard The sound of friendly hipsters laughing. I struggled to my feet without a word.
DJ Prankster Why are you suddenly so serious? DJ Prankster Why are you suddenly so self-righteous?
I wish you could hear what Sasa has done with this one. It's very impressive. At the time of writing, candidates for the new album that are available to listen to on the Kodagain myspace page are, I believe: I'm Just a Boy Who Can't Say No, and possibly Only Me. I also highly recommend listening to David Niven. Thank you.
I Could Have Made the World Slightly More Beautiful
I could have made the world slightly more beautiful, And it’s not as if I chose to do so little, But here I am, hanging from a cliff Feeling my fingers slip, bit by bit Toward to the edge, losing my grip.
For many things now it’s too late. I fret with regret. For many things now it’s too late. But I’m not dead yet.
I could have made the world slightly more beautiful. Now that I realise, I feel myself grow dutiful, But what can I do with both hands occupied In trying to slow down my grim slide Toward the rocks, toward the tide?
For many things now it’s too late. I fret with regret. For many things now it’s too late. But I’m not dead yet.
I could have made the world slightly more beautiful. I must admit, I chose to do very little.
I could have made the world ever-so-slightly less ugly.
The Parable of the English Businessmen and the Japanese Emperor
I heard this story from a friend. At an event he was asked to attend Certain Japanese dignitaries, Including his majesty, the Emperor, Were to be the guests of honour.
Much in evidence at this event, Were the kind of English businessmen Who know nothing of Japan, as culture Or as nation. They picked at canapés Till the Emperor made his entrance.
Suddenly these same businessmen Rushed forward in a feeding frenzy, Vying with each other for the Emperor’s eye Or a touch of his hand, as he walked by.
Elbowed aside, my friend withdrew, Sat on a chair at the edge of the room, Watching as the men in suits fought out the front line, And lit his cigarette under a no-smoking sign.
By no means do I post here all the lyrics that I write, but here (again) are some I've just written:
I’m Coming Back to Haunt You
My anger is so true And so ready in my throat Like an apple just about to fall, I feel I can do anything.
Be sure of it, I’m coming back to haunt you.
For all the times you left me out And shut me out Cut out my tongue And when the deed was done Paraded me in front of everyone Like you were my friend And dropped me again.
Depend on it, I’m coming back to haunt you.
And I’ve got a knife.
Catapulting back With all the accumulated weight of my life Behind it.
When you turn the house lights on, Guess who’s in the corner of the room?
Yes, your old friend – I’m coming back to haunt you.
Some regular, or irregular, readers, may have begun to wonder where they can obtain compact discs containing the musical output of the band Kodagain. The answer is, from Croation record label, Listen Loudest.
Looking at the catalogue, I find the following Kodagain titles listed as available:
1978 – 81 1985 – 92 a drink with something in it commercial diggin' deep ain't no sleep speed up the nowhere land's echoes
I wonder if this is out of date. There has since been the album 000.
On Monday, I posted an entry on a song collaboration between myself and Sasa about Eleanor Powell in the film Honolulu. The demo of that song has now been uploaded to Kodagain's MySpace page, and is currently second on the tracklist, after Vampira, Maila Nurmi. I've been playing it a lot.
Pete Black, formerly of Dorothy, and also formerly of The Dead Bell, of which I was also a member, has put some of my lyrics to music, at this link.
Here are the lyrics:
Snubbed Again
Am I not beautiful? Am I not brilliant? Are these limbs of mine not godly in wit? And yet it seems the greater part Of those who tread this Earth Don’t get it.
Can you imagine? I’ve been snubbed again, Drubbed again, Had my face rubbed in it again. I thought I was addressing the Commonwealth, But I was talking to myself, again.
There’s some discrepancy Between the reality And the self-image I thought self-evident. It takes a special kind of poet To know the world is blind And show it.
Can you imagine? I’ve been snubbed again, Drubbed again, Had my face rubbed in it again. It’s worse when you’re snubbed by some hard-nosed girl you meet, And gush upon in your initial greeting.
But at least I’m in good company. At least I’m in good company.
Luckily there's the music of Sasa Combe Zoric, for whom, as you all know, I've been writing lyrics like someone with the opportunity to write lyrics for a really great and relatively unknown band.
But Kodagain's Cycast profile has recently been whittled down hugely. So, if you want previews of the kind of material that we're working on, you'll have to visit the Kodagain MySpace page while the tracks in question are still there. The two songs currently featured on that page for which I have provided words are Take This Tip From Me and Kamakura.
Also, I still love this very simple song, for which I always seem to be in the right mood:
And, at this link, there is another of my very favourite Kodagain songs.
I'm still working on lyrics, and someone should probably stop me, before I do myself a mischief. Current titles include My Well Known Views on the Subject and Incompetent Doctors. The most recent of our recorded demos, I believe, has been The Death of Walt Disney.
My Opera
