By the end of the song he's sat huddled round a fag-end, maybe pulling a stinking blanket that bit tighter round his frame.
"Now I am lying here, I've had too much booze
I been spat on and shat on and raped and abused
I know that I am dying but wish I could beg
For some money to take me from the Old Main Drag"
Aye, if anyone knows about London, it's Shane. A mental map scrawled along the psyche, every byway and skyway and parkway rendered in glorious, intoxicating poetry.
A fella can wander along those "Dark Streets Of London" with their memories of summers past, summers spent in psychiatric wards all "Drugged-up psychos with death in their eyes." He can catch sight of that "golden heart" pulsing twixt the city's "scarred-up thighs" in "London You're A Lady."
A fella can curse "Dear dirty London in the driving rain" like the drunken rogue in "Sea Shanty."
He can career along the "Dear old streets of Kings Cross" with yon scallywag hero of "Transmetropolitan," screech across Hammersmith in time to "scare the Camden palace poofs," "worry all the whores," and "storm the BBC" before the first hints o' twilight kiss the stone.
"We'll drink the rat's piss, kick the shite
And I'm not goin home tonight"
(Wondering for a moment if a fella can easily acquire non-alcoholic extra-caffeine diet-Rat's Piss without too much of a hubbub?)
Aye, I tell her. These gloriously wretched tableau's and episodes, I been catching glimpses of them e'er since that momentous afternoon when first I hit play on Rum, Sodomy & The Lash.
But the other London Shane talks about, the London of "long-gone songs from day's gone by" carried along the swell o' the Thames, the London of "Rainy Night In Soho," I been pining for that, y'unnerstann.
"Rainy Night In Soho," I remind her, is maybe the most beautiful song ever written, certainly the most beautiful ever written about Soho.
Was goin to be the first song at the wedding I almost stumbled into, by the by. We used to dance drunkenly round the kitchen in time to the sway o' yon strings.
"I took shelter from a shower
And I stepped into your arms
On a rainy night in Soho
The wind was whistling all its charms"
London.
What I tell her is that's where I'm headed, and I'm excited and terrified and tired and fryin.
London, where's it's "Time For Heroes" and singsong revelry and grot-mawed entrepreneurs sayin aye, maybe so, maybe we could make that record.
London. What I tell her is sometimes I get homesick and I'm still lain in my bed, what I tell her is sometimes I just get a craving to go wander round the disused quarry feeding chunks o' hedgerow to the horses, what I tell her is I dunno how well I'll do, being away and all that.
Article comments
1 - Richard Marcus
Another masterful gem written from your personal heart of darkness my friend. London won't know what hit it, and you might not know what London is going to hit you with, but it will be far better for you than the factory life.
It's all what you make of it anyway, least that's what they tell me on my good days, on the bad days it doesn't matter anyway just as long as you make it.
Fare Well in that dirty old town.
cheers
2 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Thank you Richard. And you're right, it's all in what you make of it. It's a fairly troubling thought, that it might reveal itself to be some kind o' arachnid monstrosity snarlin at my cheek-bones, but worse than that notion is the notion of never doin nothin cause you're somewhat scared regarding the whole What's Out There thing.
certainly scribbling this screed has proved all sortsa cathartic with regards clearing the mind-funk.
thank you again, sir, very much appreciated, those words.
3 - DJRadiohead
Just saw this up here a second ago... looking forward to giving it a proper reading, Duke.
Btw... it was great having you back on the BCRadio thing.
4 - Sinéad
our aaron, that made me weep a little
5 - Greg Smyth
How could it have ended any different? Obviously disappointing personally but, as part of The Duke's Great Ongoing Masterwork, a necessary plot point.
Top drawer as usual, Good Sir.
6 - Aaron Fleming
Fucking great! But oh so sad and meditative at the same time. Wonderful poetic genius!
And I feel your fear, but agree that the fear of doing nothing is that bit stronger. One fear shoving another fear along...that might make a good stop-motion animation.
7 - Mark Saleski
i might be getting my history all fouled up & fuzzy...but that's pretty close to the best goddamned thing you've ever written here.
8 - Fearghus
Man, that's fucking amazing. Traumatic but poetry without a doubt. You're a gifted fella. Good luck..
9 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
Dear lord, folks, thank you. i expected a greetin of maybe "oh, AGAIN with the moaning". but no, lovely words awaiting a fella.
DJ - i hope you dig it sir, and t'was a pleasure to be back on BC, although i apologise no end for what is, really, a terribly shoddy segment. i was rusty, as you're well aware.
sinead - thank you m'dear. and it had the same effect on me. imagine that.
(unreleated side-note regarding the mystery recipient o' the email described up yonder, whose permission wasn't asked, and a formal thank you for not tearin the limbs off my torso wi rage)
Greg - thank you sir. heh, a neccesary plot point. it is. still, i coulda worked just as well with a different conclusion. ah well.
Sir Fleming - you're input on these matters is highly regarded, seeing as how involved in them you are (should point out the email wasn't an email to Sir Fleming). and that animation aside had me roarin to the heavens wi giddy throat-spasms.
Sir Saleski - thank you, i can't offer any opinion on your musing, but i'm very glad you saw fit to muse in such a manner.
and Fearghus - i'll take that luck, good sir, and run with it. Thank you for stoppin by!
10 - DJRadiohead
Duke! This is... well fuck, good man. This is fucking great. All of it. Every last word of it. Now I am feeling like I should switch from the Petty on my iPod to "London Calling." Is that weird? Yeah. I thought so, too. Enough of me. Seriously, Duke. This was a great one. I cannot wait for the next installment in written or audio form.
11 - Scott Butki
Another excellent, fascinating mind-blowing piece, Dukester. So what's the time frame on your move?
12 - Duke De Mondo
DJ, i dunno how i missed your comment, but thank you! and the new instalment is with the BC cleaners, as they say.
Scott - I DO know how i missed yours, and it relates to an email dysfunction. What i can tell you is that since this number was etched, the move has been put back to September of 2007 for reasons of finance and what have you. Also, it gives me time to get the ol' novel scribbled. i'm feelin very good about that, actually, on account of bein in the midst of chapter 6, and therefore unmistakably well past chapter one paragraph one. terror'll do that to you. and thank you for the kind words, apologies again that it took so long for me to respond.