The faithful Strat needed new strings, so I went to the city to buy some. I was on my way back to the car when I saw the ‘20% OFF’ sign in the window of the French Connection store. They sell OK shirts so I bought one. After I’d paid for it the girl at the counter put it in one of their posh bags for me. Nothing out of the ordinary there, except looking at the bag I couldn’t help but ask why it had dead bodies printed on one side (see above). The counter girl said, “Do What?” so I pointed to the pic on the side of the bag.
She has a good think, then says, “I think they’re just asleep.”
I say, “That’s what my mum told me when the dog was put down. Besides, they still look dead to me.”
“No, they’re just asleep.” I think she was anxious for me to leave.
A little further up the road is the street market. They sell all sorts of stuff there. As I was walking toward the fruit & veg stall I couldn’t help but spot two of the perfectly formed girls who work the stall each holding an, ‘Easy Peelers’ sign. My random thoughts were in overdrive, until I realised that the signs related to the mass of small oranges on the stall and definitely not for what I was thinking.
This week I found myself writing a lot of lines about death and guns. Out of respect I won’t make this a song, at least not until the time feels right. Here’s just a few of the less angry verses. You’ll get the drift.
THE 59
Old Boy Wonder, with a shotgun
Stood where angels charge top rates
And dollar’s change hands in gaming machines
In the land of many States
The ones he killed don’t want your pity
Be they queens, or babes, or nuns
Or heterosexual alpha men
With penis extensions in the shape of guns
Politicians look the other way
Bank rolling firearm sponsorships
They quote the 2nd Amendment
Another name for apocalypse
I apologize in advance to my American friends. It’s nothing personal. It’s just my hate of guns and pointless death whether it’s in the US, UK or any place else.
Time for a bit of music. I’ve a whole mass of new music coming soon, but for the moment one of mine called ‘Time Out’ from the album. Just a short piece that fits my mood right now;
Next a tribute cover of Cohen’s ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ from magical Aurora. If you don’t know her work, I suggest you try it out. She’s very good.
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This post. Right up my street. Easy Peelers … well you’d certainly be forgiven for thinking that. Juicy.
This right to have firearms gets my goat as well. They should just roll up their sleeves. It will amount to the same thing but with no guns involved.
Have a fine week. Chris.
Thanks for reading. Have a fine week yourself. What is it about carrying guns?
Yeah, those girls look dead. If they were asleep, they’d be in some sweet happy meadow with a bit of sunburst. This bag looks like “serial killers r us.” And as a female, can I just say I don’t get that shoe style? They look so flippin’ uncomfortable, biting at the ankle and pinching your toes like that…
Anyway.
There’s actually a really interesting article on Medium I read on how tragedies such as what happened in Vegas should be bringing a new problem to light: mental health for boys and men. It shared the statistics on mass shootings’ upward spiral in the last fifty years, and I’d have to say his points on the emotional psyche’s breaking points to be pretty sound. Excusing what happened? No. More like, this isn’t going away. Time to find the roots and dig them out.
Would you team those lyrics with guitar? They seem too hard for a piano’s subtlety.
Sorry, I meant to reply earlier, only I was updating the blog and it all went pear-shaped for a while. Maybe, most probably, the males of our species have got it all wrong in their heads. To me that seems like the perfect reason not sell guns. What is it about owning a gun? I don’t mean that as an aggressive question.
thank you for expressing this George, most of us are sick and tired of the corruption here with the NRA paying off our congressmen…. Paul Ryan was paid 48,000.00 dollars and Mitch McConnell 28,000.00 and the list goes on. They sale of guns sky rocketed following the massacre in Vegas. The GOP and the NRA have blood on their hands. Good song.
Thank you for reading it. I didn’t know those stats, but I’m not surprised. It’s what politicians all over the world do. I still don’t understand why anyone would want to own a gun.
As a means of self defense. Or if you are a terrorist or sociopath to kill innocents.
You’re right. But I would never carry a gun.
That’s good ! I hope you are always safe. x
Excellent post George. I read a very good point re the Second Amendment this week, that it was written in the days when people had to load up their rifles with powder. It was not written to give someone the right to own a machine gun arsenal. The models made me think of snow angels somehow. I see you mention angels.. x
Thanks, Shey. People often say ‘if it’s not broke; don’t mend it’. I think with guns and re-The Second Amendment, ‘if it is broke; replace it with something better’ might be the way they should look at it.
A bleak view but not necessarily untrue! Still don’t really get the point of the girls ‘sleeping’.
I don’t get the ‘sleeping’ bit, but I Iike it. Sorry I’ve not been on FB recently. I thought about it long and hard, but it’s not a bit of social media I can get my head around.
This was a great mix of understated humor, stream of thought, heartfelt prose. Also, Aurora was beautiful to hear.
Thanks, Lee. Aurora’s live piece on YouTube – in a simple room environment, I remember – is something else. Little accompaniment.
Thanks for that, Lee.
Excellent post. Beautiful song
Thanks you.
Excellent post, George, with a bit of everything. The bag looks creepy to me too.
How is your Dad doing? I am not commenting on his page, don’t want him feel like he has to reply. He should stay away from the screen until he feels better.
Thank you, Inese. As you can tell, I don’t like guns. Dad is OK. He can now see through his left eye, but has what he calls, ‘money spider floaters’ travelling around in his eye all the time. He’s been back at his desk working on his book and tells me he’ll be blogging again very soon.
Thank you for the update! Tell him to take it easy.
I don’t like when a life is taken using any means. I don’t know what possess people to take a life.
I’m sorry–I’ve tried to like two posts now, but I just can’t get anything to display besides “loading.” Just wanted to bring this to your attention in case anyone else has this problem. Could be a one-off. *shrugs*
Thank you, Cathleen. We’ve just been updating to the all guns blazing WP. It seems we’ve have yet another ‘hitch’. I’m sorry to have wasted your time, but appreciate you trying to ‘like’. Than you again – it looks like another query is going to land on WP’s desks!
I like this piece. I’m not American either but what you have said needs to be said .
Thank you, Anne.
Read all comments on this post and forgot what I was going to say. Listening to, and watching Aurora sing had me mesmerised blew my mind. I remembered I had copied the last lines of your lyrics,
“They quote the 2nd Amendment
Another name for apocalypse”
In a nutshell, and there it should stay. Like you I can’t understand why anyone, especially civilians have a need to carry a gun, period!
Keep making music, write on!
You need to check out Aurora’s live acoustic stuff from what looks like room in her house on YouTube, Mick. Sublime. I gave you a mention/credit a while back on this one;
https://zoolonhub.com/2017/09/12/zoolon-a-shadow/
and I agree, maybe more than agree. Only an accomplished tosser would want to carry a gun.
Hear, hear! Thanks for the mention and the link, going to check that out right now…
Many thanks for the mention, another cracking song and music, and and agreeing.
Heartfelt prose from such a gifted writer.. you.
Thank you, Christy. I hate the concept of guns so much, and the men who think it’s cool to want/carry one. Big ‘why’?
I also hate guns. America is a scary place to live these days.
I don’t think I’ll ever work out why anyone would want a gun.
I won’t either. I don’t think I do want to work it out.