Hi. I was torn between so many great books... finally settled on "The Underground Man" by Mick Jackson (the plot: a peculiar, aged aristocrat writes about his theories, experiences, philosophies in a journal...poetic melancholy and childish happiness...insane ideas....). Very touching, charming, lovable. It's a most warmly recommended read :D
The Underground Man
Lately, the most compromising states, they please me no end
A maid was upset by me heels over head in an apple tree
With the strongest of boughs and blossoms popping out
Oh, to know one's place in the world
And Clement, he heard my soul leap in the bathroom
His splendid tub water tricked me into believing
A long lost footfall had paused just outside my door
Oh, come in, old friend, I cried
Then, one dark afternoon in the wake of December
I wrapped myself up in all those layers of cotton
To blend in namelessly with the beautiful townspeople
Oh, to circle the lake in silent craic
Well, I have tunnelled my estate
And I have sung in my tunnels
I have seen the heartbeat in every oak
And heard the wind howl inside the late John Snow
Well, it seems the seasons are stranded within my ribcage
And my dear haunting boy spirit has drifted to the surface
Of a cold seaside memory
And now the blood on my forehead
And the tombstone in the heart of the forest
Are just phantoms of the ache
Hmmm... some insecurity spots in there... also, wondered if "His Grace" might be a better title...
Anyways, I hope I managed to capture at least a tiny bit of the sentiment of the book :wink:
Cheers,
straycat.
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
One word; suberb!
Really enjoyed it.
Neil
As always I enjoyed the writing, but I get the feeling I'd understand the song a lot better if I'd read (or even heard!) of the book. I've no reference points - I don't know why "his grace" would be a better title, I don't know Clement, I don't know John Snow.....shame really, I should visit the library more often.
I CAN see that this shouldn't be too hard to find some music for - it's a bit sparser than some of your lyrics. Hope you find something good for it!
In the meantime, I'll try and grab hold of the book.....
:D :D :D
Vic
"Sometimes the beauty of music can help us all find strength to deal with all the curves life can throw us." (D. Hodge.)
Really good, well done!
Yes, I had never heard of the book myself....
And the first reading (of the song) left many questions that couldn't be answered.
So.... I Googled The Underground Man and read the Amazon synopsis and several readers reviews.
It was sufficient enough to grasp Straycat's lyrics.
Beautiful! As always :wink:
Sort of a Victorian version of Howard Hughes.... Who I've been compared to (without the money! :twisted: )
Perhaps I'll pick the book up myself :wink:
Ken
"The man who has begun to live more seriously within
begins to live more simply without"
-Ernest Hemingway
"A genuine individual is an outright nuisance in a factory"
-Orson Welles
Hi,
Intriguing lyrics. :D
I didn't know about the book, but I had heard of the real life aristocrat who dug all the tunnels and who reputedly lived a determinedly eccentric life. The stories about him seem to vary quite a bit, so it's hard to judge how odd or not he really was.
WilliamCavendish-Scott-Bentinck
I believe that the government took over his house and used it as an army training college for several decades too. I did read somewhere that they liked the tunnels because of their potential to be used as large scale underground bomb shelter. But a lot about the man and the place seem to have been embroidered a fair bit. Fascinating though. I'll keep an eye out for the book now. Thanks for the reference, and for a fascinating song too... :D
Chris
I see I made you curious about the book... great! Really, it's a beautiful book (as is Mick Jackson's "Ten Sorry Tales"). If anyone's in need of more explanations right now- just ask :wink: By the way, the aristocrat was a Duke and is referred to as "His Grace" in the book... and I think he is in many ways very graceful :D
Ken, you made me look up Howard Hughes :D very interesting.
I also read the bit about the real Duke, Chris, and I think you'd find much of this in the book. Also the idea of differing stories/opinions about him...
Thank you for all of your comments, you made me smile! :D
Cheers,
straycat.
"oh, eventually it will break your heart" - anders wendin
