Hero’s such as Joe Strummer from the Clash who paved the way for punk in the 70’s, and led the Houses for Votes campaign against the government, to address the homeless/squatters problems in London.
Fuck-ups like Sylvia Plath who had a morbid obsession, a disturbed childhood and wrote poems about it. Then killed herself.
Another fuck up; Arthur Rimbaud, who had a good upbringing and started out as a very good poet. He was called ‘A young Shakespeare’ at one point. But later in life he became an anarchist, and started drinking and amused himself by shocking local people with shabby clothes and long hair.
He stated that he had poetical visionary power through immense and rational derangement of all the senses.
He raises a drink (thanks/appreciates) their songs and words, because it’s real – “lives lived”, not fairy tales.
Rimbaud on the Red Sea.
Arthur Rimbaud – Poet (1854 – 1891)
'The Drunken Boat', by Arthur Rimbaud.
The Red Sea is a journey through land, sea and the body - across territories of sensuality, pain and memory. This quest is a tragic journey of self discovery, where disturbing images and the striking soundtrack are a testament to intense emotional territories which often remain unspoken or censored. The Red Sea is the bearer of lost images - beauty and horror reel past in a disturbing celebration, a ghost dance set in the depths of an imaginary world.
Strummer in the slum.
Joe Strummer – Musician, The Clash
Julian Yewdall, was a housemate of Joe Strummer's in a squat at 101 Walterton Road in Maida Hill, west London.
It was here that Strummer and some of his fellow squatters formed a band called The 101ers, who have acquired cult status among music fans as one of the bands that paved the way for punk. Maida Hill was the centre of the squatting movement that emerged in the mid-Seventies in homes that had been run down by the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman. The 101ers started rehearsing in the basement of the squat, using old mattresses as soundproofing.
Plath at her daddy's grave,
Syliva Plath – Author/Poet (1932 – 1963)
The children were robbed of the chance to get to know their father or to see him as a loving and supportive parent, as he was more concerned in his job studying animals. Her father only gave the children 20 minuites a night to see him in which they boasted about what they had learnt that day, sang songs and read poems. Sylvia Plaths father died suddenly after he kept a condition of severe diabetes hidden from the family. After Sylvia heard the news of her father’s death, she proclaimed, “I will never speak to God again!”
Later in life Sylvia was married and after her 2nd child she found out her husband Tim had been having an affair. This coupled up with bad reviews for her book and unstable mental health throughout her adolescence led to her taking her own life by taking a handful of sleeping pills, and putting her head in the oven with the gas turned on. She died on February 11, 1963
Hunter with his gun.
At approximately 2 a.m. on the morning of April 23, 1964, Bill Hunter was sitting at his desk in the press room of the Long Beach police station and reading, when two detectives - both of whom were later described as "friends" of Hunter - came into the room.
Initially, there was considerable confusion over exactly what happened next. One officer was first quoted as saying he dropped his gun, causing it to discharge as it struck the floor. Later, he changed his story to say that he and the other detective were engaged in "horseplay" with their loaded weapons when the tragedy occurred.
Whatever the case, a single shot suddenly rang out, striking Hunter where he sat. An autopsy later showed that the .38-caliber bullet plowed straight through Hunter's heart.
He died instantly, without ever moving or saying a word. Hunter had just finished doing investigative journalism into the JFK assassination, and had just returned from Dallas after Jack Ruby had killed Lee Harvey Oswald in his apartment.
Punks – Joe Strummer, paving the way for Punk.
Cowards – Sylvia Plath, could not deal with her husband and bad reviews of her book so killed herself.
Bukowski on a binge in the streets of L.A
Charles Bukowski was a Los Angeles novelist and poet (What you were born to be). In 1955 he was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer through alcoholism which was nearly fatal (What you become).
Bukowski married and then was divorced 2 years later. Following the divorce, Bukowski resumed drinking and continued to write poetry.
Those who lived hard cause they could see no other way ….
During Bukowski's childhood, his father was often unemployed, and according to Bukowski, verbally and physically abusive. (Your abuse)
Bukowski suffered from shyness and an extreme case of acne.
He spent a long period of time roaming around the US, working odd jobs and staying in cheap rooming houses.( Your boredom. Your years of uncertainty)
His wife divorced him after only 2 years, and constantly doubted his skill as a poet. (Your failures)
Bukowski died of leukemia on March 9th, 1994, at the age of 73, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp. The funeral rites were conducted by Buddhist monks. His gravestone reads: "Don't Try". (And what is left of a man when his work is done)
Somone once described Bukowski as a "detailed depiction of a certain taboo male fantasy: the uninhibited bachelor, slobby, anti-social, and utterly free."
This could back up this line of being too human, being bored with life or being the same as everyone (breath in, breath out, repeat) he wanted to be different.
Miller in the tropics
Reffering to Henry Miller who wrote a book called the Tropic of Cancer. This led to an obscenity trial that was one of several that tested American laws on pornography in the 1960s.He developed a new sort of "novel" that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism.
Lorca murdered in the street
Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet and dramatist, also remembered as a painter, pianist, and composer. He was killed by Nationalist partisans at the age of 38 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. He associated himself with the liberalism and socialism of the Second Republic. When the Spanish civil war started, Lorca believed he would be safer in Granada than elsewhere - a fatal error. He was shot and buried in an olive grove by the Black Sqaud - a motley group of ex-policemen, rich landowners' sons, Falangists and plain thugs, all fighting in the Spanish civil war.
Richey at the Severn Bridge feeling incomplete
Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preachers. Had severe physiological problems, everything had to be perfect for him. Quote from an interview with him – “The worst thing I did was to keep trying to be normal”.
He harmed himself several times, was anorexic, he once took a razor and carved 4-Real in his arm. After his pet dog died he felt he had nothing and shaved off his hair and went to see all his family; taking photos of them all. He drove to his flat in Cardiff, where he left his passport and other documents, before leaving his car close to the Severn Bridge. This is where the trail ends, he was never seen again.
An orphan who spoke the silent language of love.
I found this hard to work out, but the only thing that stuck out at me was the only political film by Charlie Chaplin that he’s ever done called ‘Modern Times’ (1936) ((modern life is war = modern times??)
He plays a character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. And meets an orphan who is fleeing the police after stealing a loaf of bread, he tells the police he stole it and gets arrested. This orphan then forms a close bond with the character and gets him a new job instead of being a factory worker.
Silent language of love, could refer to most of the film being shot at "silent speed", 18 frames per second, which makes the slapstick action appear even more frenetic. Also, sound cannot be recorded when filming at 18 frames per second, so most of it would have been silent with sound effects added later.
Anyways, thats what i think. I love the song - its one of my favourites. And it was really interesting finding out about all these people. Its amazing how much depth there is too it and how much time he must have spent writing this song and many others.
What an awesome songwriter.
Hero’s such as Joe Strummer from the Clash who paved the way for punk in the 70’s, and led the Houses for Votes campaign against the government, to address the homeless/squatters problems in London. Fuck-ups like Sylvia Plath who had a morbid obsession, a disturbed childhood and wrote poems about it. Then killed herself. Another fuck up; Arthur Rimbaud, who had a good upbringing and started out as a very good poet. He was called ‘A young Shakespeare’ at one point. But later in life he became an anarchist, and started drinking and amused himself by shocking local people with shabby clothes and long hair. He stated that he had poetical visionary power through immense and rational derangement of all the senses.
He raises a drink (thanks/appreciates) their songs and words, because it’s real – “lives lived”, not fairy tales.
Rimbaud on the Red Sea. Arthur Rimbaud – Poet (1854 – 1891) 'The Drunken Boat', by Arthur Rimbaud. The Red Sea is a journey through land, sea and the body - across territories of sensuality, pain and memory. This quest is a tragic journey of self discovery, where disturbing images and the striking soundtrack are a testament to intense emotional territories which often remain unspoken or censored. The Red Sea is the bearer of lost images - beauty and horror reel past in a disturbing celebration, a ghost dance set in the depths of an imaginary world.
Strummer in the slum. Joe Strummer – Musician, The Clash Julian Yewdall, was a housemate of Joe Strummer's in a squat at 101 Walterton Road in Maida Hill, west London. It was here that Strummer and some of his fellow squatters formed a band called The 101ers, who have acquired cult status among music fans as one of the bands that paved the way for punk. Maida Hill was the centre of the squatting movement that emerged in the mid-Seventies in homes that had been run down by the notorious slum landlord Peter Rachman. The 101ers started rehearsing in the basement of the squat, using old mattresses as soundproofing.
Plath at her daddy's grave, Syliva Plath – Author/Poet (1932 – 1963) The children were robbed of the chance to get to know their father or to see him as a loving and supportive parent, as he was more concerned in his job studying animals. Her father only gave the children 20 minuites a night to see him in which they boasted about what they had learnt that day, sang songs and read poems. Sylvia Plaths father died suddenly after he kept a condition of severe diabetes hidden from the family. After Sylvia heard the news of her father’s death, she proclaimed, “I will never speak to God again!” Later in life Sylvia was married and after her 2nd child she found out her husband Tim had been having an affair. This coupled up with bad reviews for her book and unstable mental health throughout her adolescence led to her taking her own life by taking a handful of sleeping pills, and putting her head in the oven with the gas turned on. She died on February 11, 1963
Hunter with his gun. At approximately 2 a.m. on the morning of April 23, 1964, Bill Hunter was sitting at his desk in the press room of the Long Beach police station and reading, when two detectives - both of whom were later described as "friends" of Hunter - came into the room. Initially, there was considerable confusion over exactly what happened next. One officer was first quoted as saying he dropped his gun, causing it to discharge as it struck the floor. Later, he changed his story to say that he and the other detective were engaged in "horseplay" with their loaded weapons when the tragedy occurred. Whatever the case, a single shot suddenly rang out, striking Hunter where he sat. An autopsy later showed that the .38-caliber bullet plowed straight through Hunter's heart. He died instantly, without ever moving or saying a word. Hunter had just finished doing investigative journalism into the JFK assassination, and had just returned from Dallas after Jack Ruby had killed Lee Harvey Oswald in his apartment.
Punks – Joe Strummer, paving the way for Punk. Cowards – Sylvia Plath, could not deal with her husband and bad reviews of her book so killed herself.
Bukowski on a binge in the streets of L.A Charles Bukowski was a Los Angeles novelist and poet (What you were born to be). In 1955 he was hospitalized with a bleeding ulcer through alcoholism which was nearly fatal (What you become). Bukowski married and then was divorced 2 years later. Following the divorce, Bukowski resumed drinking and continued to write poetry. Those who lived hard cause they could see no other way …. During Bukowski's childhood, his father was often unemployed, and according to Bukowski, verbally and physically abusive. (Your abuse) Bukowski suffered from shyness and an extreme case of acne. He spent a long period of time roaming around the US, working odd jobs and staying in cheap rooming houses.( Your boredom. Your years of uncertainty) His wife divorced him after only 2 years, and constantly doubted his skill as a poet. (Your failures) Bukowski died of leukemia on March 9th, 1994, at the age of 73, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp. The funeral rites were conducted by Buddhist monks. His gravestone reads: "Don't Try". (And what is left of a man when his work is done)
Somone once described Bukowski as a "detailed depiction of a certain taboo male fantasy: the uninhibited bachelor, slobby, anti-social, and utterly free." This could back up this line of being too human, being bored with life or being the same as everyone (breath in, breath out, repeat) he wanted to be different.
Miller in the tropics Reffering to Henry Miller who wrote a book called the Tropic of Cancer. This led to an obscenity trial that was one of several that tested American laws on pornography in the 1960s.He developed a new sort of "novel" that is a mixture of novel, autobiography, social criticism, philosophical reflection, surrealist free association, and mysticism.
Lorca murdered in the street Federico García Lorca was a Spanish poet and dramatist, also remembered as a painter, pianist, and composer. He was killed by Nationalist partisans at the age of 38 at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. He associated himself with the liberalism and socialism of the Second Republic. When the Spanish civil war started, Lorca believed he would be safer in Granada than elsewhere - a fatal error. He was shot and buried in an olive grove by the Black Sqaud - a motley group of ex-policemen, rich landowners' sons, Falangists and plain thugs, all fighting in the Spanish civil war.
Richey at the Severn Bridge feeling incomplete Richey Edwards - Manic Street Preachers. Had severe physiological problems, everything had to be perfect for him. Quote from an interview with him – “The worst thing I did was to keep trying to be normal”. He harmed himself several times, was anorexic, he once took a razor and carved 4-Real in his arm. After his pet dog died he felt he had nothing and shaved off his hair and went to see all his family; taking photos of them all. He drove to his flat in Cardiff, where he left his passport and other documents, before leaving his car close to the Severn Bridge. This is where the trail ends, he was never seen again.
An orphan who spoke the silent language of love. I found this hard to work out, but the only thing that stuck out at me was the only political film by Charlie Chaplin that he’s ever done called ‘Modern Times’ (1936) ((modern life is war = modern times??)
He plays a character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. And meets an orphan who is fleeing the police after stealing a loaf of bread, he tells the police he stole it and gets arrested. This orphan then forms a close bond with the character and gets him a new job instead of being a factory worker. Silent language of love, could refer to most of the film being shot at "silent speed", 18 frames per second, which makes the slapstick action appear even more frenetic. Also, sound cannot be recorded when filming at 18 frames per second, so most of it would have been silent with sound effects added later.
Anyways, thats what i think. I love the song - its one of my favourites. And it was really interesting finding out about all these people. Its amazing how much depth there is too it and how much time he must have spent writing this song and many others. What an awesome songwriter.