RIP Philip Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg

♥ ♥ ♥ RIP ♥ ♥ ♥

Philip Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg 192?-2021

With regrets and sadness I must respond to the death of our beloved "Prince" Philip (aka The Duke of Edinburgh).  This is a solomen occastion for all Scotsfolk.  I offer my condolensenses to Philip's wife, city and other loved ones.

The Virus has taken its most high profile victim but we must stay strong and continue to fight it.  I urge all readers to make sure they have a mask on at all times.  After many changes in my life (as of the last couple of months) I had been intending to return to this blog with new news.  But not this news.  Why this news?  Sad, sad news.

 

 

Here is my tribute (which I am making public domain to celebrate this most charitable of men)

 

Elegy for a fellow feminist

Touched by you

A century of us were

Humbled and dominated

But lovingly, as if free

A marriage intact

Gender roles flipped

You showed women

They could be King

It was his ambition all young able-bodied boys compete in various outdoor challenges so I would urge you donate money in memory of the dead Philip here: https://www.dofe.org/donate/

With love, R x

Goodbye, Keith.

Yesterday, Monday 11th December 2017, was a grave day.

With immense sorrow, the day literally no-one wanted to see, arrived. The day Keith "Cheggers" Chegwin died.

I can't believe it. So little time has passed but I feel compelled to lay down my feelings although still so raw, so painful.

Hearing his name on the radio yesterday my heart leapt. I assumed, as presumably we all did hearing his name on the news, that Our Keith was coming back to the screen. The big screen? The little screen? Perhaps the theatre? Panto surely?

No. Vae autem homini pulchra mortuus est.

It is at these darkest of times we question the Mother Spirit on High. How can such "evil" come to pass? The deepest of primal vibrations shake us to the core. Such a beautiful man. Taken. His family mourns, his friends mourn, all humanity mourns.

I loved Keith Chegwin. I never met him and it is with tears I shall not get to meet him on this plane of existence. However I know he is throned up on high and if I continue to lead a life of humble positivity, I may - the Gods willing - eventually meet him in spirit. I know I am not worthy, but I must try my hardest.

KC stood for honour, integrity, joviality, loyalty, excellence. He made us laugh, he made us think, and now - his final act - he made us cry.

I can only hope his final twitter post is a portent of a possible rebirth - a messianic call the 21st Century is waiting for, the true second coming. He who may return to guide us through the darker times to come in his absence. I, with the world, live in hope.

To end, the words of a fellow Scot:

Praise of a Man (Norman MacCraig)

He went through a company like a lamplighter –
see the dull minds, one after another,
begin to glow, to shed
a beneficent light.

He went through a company like
a knifegrinder – see the dull minds
scattering sparks of themselves,
becoming razory, becoming useful.

He went through a company
as himself. But now he's one
of the multitudinous company of the dead
where are no individuals.

The beneficent lights dim
but don't vanish. The razory edges
dull, but still cut. He's gone: but you can see
his tracks still, in the snow of the world.

RIP Keith.
Gone but NEVER forgotten.

R.

Lonesome, This Night

Lonesome, troublesome, this night
Cannot be right these rumours of flight
For what? I ask. For what?

Wonder aloud, wondering around
Your sound echoes through reverb chambers,
That song. Without now?
What's gone wrong?
These long nights...

I smell like suicide

Feeling like Charlie and Craig Reid's
"Caledonian clown"
I reminisce and wish my
Scottish roots were somewhat more,
Prominent.

Have I lost my way?
I rediscover "Turning Stones" - it helps:
Judy Tzuke's philosophy of youth
"We'll go dreaming" forever-more
At least I hope; for now
I can but mope.

The man whose name rhymed with
Mandy, remains in my thoughts;
Such tragedy.

No Justice (I.U.P.G.)

On March 23rd I was arrested under mistaken identity and held in a police cell for four nights. Despite my innocence, I was verbally abused, sexually humiliated and held in contempt by those in charge. With no money, upon release I forced to hitch-hike 75 miles to Glossop.

---

NO JUSTICE
(INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY)

No justice, no justice

I'm innocent I say.
Give us your name they say
I'm innocent I protest.
Where were you on this date they aggress
I'm innocent I cry.
Shackled they split my eye,
My innocent eye.

No justice, no justice

Groping they accuse,
In a loving relationship I prove.
Guilty they imply when
Innocent, am I.
For the crime of mistaken identity
A fiddling nonce I may become,
In the eyes of their justice.
Where's my justice?

Oh, Lucre

For without we sink
An audial abyss
That which doesn't attract
Fails in its reap
And ho-ho how low
We who doth preach
Nobody hears the band
Nobody hears the band
Oh, lucre

"Heroin Daze"

Heroin Daze
How did it come to this
Where did it all go wrong
What happened to that face
What happened to those songs?

My insides coming out
My outside caving in

How did it come to this?
Where did we lose our way
Craving for the skanky brown
As the horse courses through the vein

My brain is melting slow
That slow melt feels so good
Opiate visions light the path
Between Moses and the Burning Bush

A final mustard tooth
Aching in the gum
I'm trying to scale the wall
I'm searching for a hit

These days, these days
These days, these days
In a glorious
Heroin daze

"Burn and Smoulder"

A song composed through my 'automatic writing' technique. Intended for a 2006 solo album, when this never came to pass the song was forgotten about. I don't feel it is my greatest work, written in a bipolar fog one November eve; mourning the loss of my dearest.

---

BURN & SMOULDER
We’re gonna burn and smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Now the work is done

We can have some fun

I’ll take care of

All your fears, we’re gonna

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Why won’t you let me go

With you back down under?

You know how I love it there

Riding my pony quite content

I’ve seen the light, I know it’s true

I want to have your children

But you think I’m not good enough

So you won’t give me your womb!

I’m lost, in this

Tomb!

I need your

Womb!

Now I’ve said goodbye

Forgive me if I die!

Listen to the ticking clock

Now accept my sperm!

Burn     and       smoulder

You     me       and a child!

Burn     and       smoulder

Love    my       family!

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

Burn     and       smoulder

"Empty Inside and Out"

Lyrically continuing the conceptual narrative of Hard Rock Hotel adequately; musically this song stood out when The Garibaldis' performed it live in 2009, going down well with the crowd who in turn elevated its performance. Unfortunately, as with much of the original album, the studio recording is under-par.

---

EMPTY INSIDE AND OUT

Coming to terms with what I’ve done

Should probably hide, should probably run

I stretch out my hand, but no-ones there

What happened to life, does anyone care?

Empty on the inside and I’m empty on the out

Empty on the inside and I’m empty on the out

Clearing up the evidence from my possessions

Coming to terms with just what I’ve done

Time to make a run for it, how did it come to this?

Two years ago I had no troubles: the butcher’s life I miss!

Empty on the inside and I’m empty on the out

Empty on the inside and I’m empty on the out

Empty on the inside (I’m empty on the out!)

Wait a second, can somebody tell me who I am?

Lost in a daydream between the future and the past

Can someone help me? Can someone help me?

I’m lost on the inside, and the out

Followed by a deadly doubt

Will be caught, ever found out?

I’ve got an urge to eat some trout!

Thinking back to how have changed

Feeling different, feeling strange

Killing a person just isn’t right

But a massacre just ain’t polite!

Empty on the inside (I’m empty on the out!)

Empty on the inside (I’m empty on the out!)

"The Price Of Salvation"

Upon founding The Ill-Fitting Garibaldis', we gave the writing process a kick-start by planning a trinity of albums. The concept for second album Hard Rock Hotel was brainstormed by Steve and myself in an internet chat-room (popular at the time), shortly after the completion of An Angel Called Lucifer. We arranged to write six songs each (an indication that David Picklesworth's departure was already imminent) with me opting to start the album. Of the eight songs on the 2008 finalised version of HRH, "The Price Of Salvation" remains my favourite.

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THE PRICE OF SALVATION

Now I am older and I’ve grown wiser to life

Looking back at what I’ve done

Ashamed but I don’t wanna be

Turn to the lord he’s the one who’ll save me

The price of salvation is too high

Give up your life and repent your sins before you die

I have seen the light and there’s one thing I must do

To pay the price of salvation, it’s that or die a fool!

I’m going at this alone

I don’t need to pay the price no more!

All it does is drag me down

Who needs a god anyway?

Persecuted for what I’ve said over the years

Life is so simple so why give up on it now

Trade in my values to be politically correct

Salvation’s price is too high for me

Pack up my bags and move away

If that’s what it takes to escape my fate

No turning back

Helpless on my own

Judged for my beliefs

Acting as the fool

No more pain – throw this life away

I know a place where I can stay

The price of salvation is too high

Give up your life and repent your sins before you die

I have seen the light and there’s one thing I must do

To pay the price of salvation, is the actions of a fool

I’m going at this alone

I don’t need to pay the price no more!

All it does is drag me down

Who needs salvation anyway?

Lost, never to be found

My feet now far from the ground

Will I see my life again?

It’s now or never my friend

Now I am older and I’ve grown further from my life

Looking back I see just black

Ashamed but I can’t feel anything else

The Lord just stands laughing down at me

The price of salvation is too high

Give up your life and repent your sins before you die

I have seen the light and there’s one thing I must do

To pay the price of salvation, is the actions of a fool

No turning back

No turning back

No turning back

No turning