Tag Archives: rock poetry

Poetic Preliminaries:

 

ROXY MUSIC remains one of my all-time favorite bands. I attribute my useless love of poetry in part to some of their lyrics. The cover of this very poetic record was always too hot to handle. I thought of pasting it in here but 5 of my 7 regular readers would be offended. It was risqué in 1974 and it is still so today. If you are curious you can always click HERE. The heavenly bodies distract us, yes, but it is the words that I am after.

I also love the Southwestern states of the U.S. where I lived for years.
And so I bring you two favorite Roxy songs: Prairie Rose and Amazona:

TEXAS . . . that’s where I belong / It seems to me
Lonesome star / Shine on / The big country
With open skies, and you for company
Oh prairie rose . . . how happy I should be

Hey hey . . . You can take it from me / Hey hey, I’ll be coming, you’ll see
Hey hey, oh what a state to be in / Hey hey, you’re tantalizing me

Texas: I will compose in fancy rhyme, or just plain prose
A song of praise / To you, Prairie rose
Though I’m not sure I can explain your strange allure
Prairie rose / A crown of thorns / A scented flower
Hey hey
I’d better leave right away / I can hear you calling me / Prairie rose

 

AMAZONA . . . is a zone where / there is no doubt / No more fall-out
Why don’t you step through the mirror and see?

From Arizona to Eldorado / Sure is a mighty long way.
Hey little girl / Is something wrong?
I know it’s hard / For you to get along

The bell-tower rings; it tolls a hollow sound
But your castles in Spain still maybe realized / And longings more profound.

You see, every cloud has a silver lining . . .
And sometimes paradise around your corner lies . . .
In Amazona everything is nice
Little one, come take my hand; I’ll try to help you there
I’ll take you there

Amazona’s getting closer / Soon you’ll see.
Journey’s over / We’re almost there!

O Lucky Man! (Finale)

If you have a friend on whom you think you can rely, you are a lucky man
And if you found the reason to live on and not to die, you are a lucky man

The preachers, and the poets and the scholars don’t know it
The temples, and the statues and steeples don’t show it
If you’ve got the secret, just try not to blow it
Stay a lucky man / Stay a lucky man

Because on and on and on and on we go . . .
And it’s around the world in circles turning
Earning what we can
While others dance away
The chance to light your way

So you know that if you have a friend
On whom you think you can rely, you are lucky man
And if you’ve found the reason to live on and not to die
You are lucky man

You know the preachers, and the poets and the scholars don’t know it
The temples, and the statues and steeples don’t show it
If you’ve got the secret, just try not to blow it
Stay a lucky man / Stay a lucky man

And it’s around and round and round and round and round we go we go . . .
And it’s around the world in circles turning, earning what we can
While others dance away
The chance to light your day . . .

O Lucky Man!
watch it HERE

directed by Lindsay Anderson, 1973 (183 min.)
soundtrack by Alan Price of The Animals

 

O Lucky Man!

If you have a friend on whom you think you can rely
You are a lucky man!
If you’ve found the reason to live on and not to die
You are a lucky man!

Preachers and poets and scholars don’t know it
Temples and statues and steeples won’t show it
If you’ve got the secret try not to blow it
Stay a lucky man! A lucky man!

If you’ve found the meaning of the truth in this old world
You are a lucky man!
If knowledge hangs around your neck like pearls instead of chains
You are a lucky man!

All the fakers and the takers and the talkers won’t tell you
The teachers and the preachers will just buy and sell you
When no one can tempt you with heaven or hell
You’ll be a lucky man!

All the fakers and the takers and the talkers won’t tell you
Teachers and preachers will just buy and sell you
When no one can tempt you with heaven or hell
You’ll be a lucky man!

It’s much better by far to be just what you are
You can be what you want if you are what you are
And that’s a lucky man! Oh yes, a lucky man!
And that’s a lucky, lucky, lucky man! A lucky, lucky, lucky man!

A FANTASTIC FILM !
watch it HERE

I recommend it. One of my favorite movies,
with soundtrack by Alan Price of The Animals.
1973, 183 min.

American Iambs for Springtime

I couldn’t stop movin’ when it first took hold
It was a warm spring night at the old town hall
There was a group called The Jokers, they were layin’ it down
Don’t cha know I’m never gonna lose that funky sound

Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Lawdy mama light my fuse
Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Truck on out and spread the news

The skeeters start buzzing ’bout this time o’ year
I’m goin’ round back, she said she’d meet me there
We were rollin’ in the grass that grows behind the barn
When my ears started ringin’ like a fire alarm

Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Lawdy mama light my fuse
Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Truck on out and spread the news

Hope ya’ll know what I’m talkin’ about
The way they wiggle that thing really knocks me out
I’m gettin’ high all the time, hope ya’ll are too
Come on a little closer, gonna do it to you

Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Lawdy mama light my fuse
Rock and roll, Hoochie Koo / Truck on out and spread the news

That I’m tired of payin’ dues / Done said goodbye to all my blues
Lawdy mama light my fuse

 

AND NOW,
The MFA Modern Lit re-write:

spring: The Jokers
(in Hoochie-Koo, the lawdy Hoochie Koo—)

and so the laying-down
until fuse lit

the mama lawdyspread, a truck
trucking the news;

skeeters buzz the grass, rolling, rolling
alarmed: the barn fire

// she had said she would meet me//

in Hoochie-Koo (the lawdy Hoochie Koo)

wriggling, spring knocked
higher // closer than time had known

bitten, dues paid, bit-lit

illiterate

mama lit that fuse
in Hoochie-Koo, the lawdy