October 28, 2023
October 21, 2023
Half God Half Nelson
Our Admiral’s head it has one eye
Heave away! Heave away!
His empty sleeve’s the flag we fly.
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Heave away Horatio’s boys
Heave away! Heave away!
Heave away and make a Victory noise
We're gone tomorrow but we're here today!
He hunted polar bears, the lad
Heave away! Heave away!
‘To fetch a white rug to my dad.’
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
Mosquitoes bit him half to death:
Heave away! Heave away!
‘I’ll die a hero’s life instead’
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
Off Corsica, his eye foresworn,
Heave away! Heave away!
‘I got a little hurt this morn.’
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
Off Cape St Vincent, breaking ranks,
Heave away! Heave away!
He won the day and England’s thanks.
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
Our king’s right hand at Santa Cruz;
Heave away! Heave away!
A night to seize; an arm to lose.
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
‘A peerage or Westminster crypt!’
Heave away! Heave away!
He sinks the French from here to Egypt
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
‘You’ll discontinue!’ flagged his Admiral.
Heave away! Heave away!
‘My blind eye does not see your signal!’
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Chorus
‘Redoubtable’ sharpshooters spy him
Heave away! Heave away!
‘They’ve done for me at last. I’m dying.’
‘Tell my wife I’m killed,’ we say.
Heave away Horatio’s boys
Heave away! Heave away!
Heave away and make a Victory noise
We're heroes tomorrow but we're gone today!
October 12, 2023
Badass King John
@PeacockTaleFolkIndieDuo
On the 7th anniversary of my rapping this as part of the civic unveiling of the statue of King John in Lynn (Oct 12 2016), an unexpected climax for the tour phase of the Doin Different project, here is a new version as a duo as heard on our double album of the project DONE DIFFERENT (releases November 2023).
The entire civic ceremony (including the rap) was filmed in a borough council film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXE9BdSGCgM and it was the lead story on BBC LOOK EAST primetime news that day, including footage of the rap and an interview with yours truly.afterwards. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07xps0n
Badass King John was Ballad 7 in the 39 ballad book https://www.poppyland.co.uk/products/B79622 and is track 4 on the new album. https://peacocks-tale.bandcamp.com/album/done-different (link goes live November 2023).
The impressive statue, cast in bronze, was made by Scottish sculptor Alan Beattie Herriot, who was in the town to see it unveiled. Legend has it that on October 12, 1216 King John lost the crown jewels in the Wash, and the £22,000 statue was unveiled 800 years to the day later.
October 05, 2023
The Ruined Hall (from The House on the River) live at the Lynn Guildhall.
alternative lyric as published in 'Doin Differen't 2015)
Strange that an Encyclopaedic Age
Leaves Fye Bridge House un-reckoned on its page.
But wait! a lace-cuffed bard with limpid eye
Is halted by a spirit thrilling by…
‘I haunt the former greatness of this Hall -
Before a ceiling floored its gothic stage,
My cheek is paper-white, my poppy
Mouth the blemish on a poet’s page.’
‘Consumptive spirit! Wild! Unbounded! Free!
O sleepless beauty past all human measure.’
She falls upon the thorns of life. I bleed!
Her gates of Eden open at my ple-….
‘I pine for Ruined Hall and sing
An elegy of days before a floor
Plucked window’s eye and clipped the wings
Of church-like space, staired flights unknown before!’
I charge her cup again, again, and ever:
Our Road to Wisdom’s Palace is Excess;
Her blood lips wailing for her demon lover
And black eyes staring from her naked breasts!’
Repeat ‘Consumptive spirit…’ Chorus
Alas! A pounding at the door, the vision flies.
The Parson calls on business, and the Poem ...dies!
October 03, 2023
The Vicar of Stiffkey
Another offering from Doin Different, our not so slim Poppyland volume of folk ballads published in 2015. The long-promised musical album of the book is approaching completion and is scheduled (fingers crossed) for release this Christmas.
Chronicling Norfolk ( and East of England) history from Boudicca and Fiddler's Hill - a haunted bronze age barrow in Binham - to UEA and a contemporary carol at Lynn Minster, the book at this point reaches the (in)famous tale of 'Little Jimmy', The Rector of Stiffkey, the 31st of 39 ballads, a story which gripped the nation at the time and is an emblem of the inter-war battle between the 'Victorian' establishment and the more permissive values of modern times. We hope you like our seaside postcard approach to the subject.
PS 'Victorian' is in scare quotes because the period was actually one of the most progressive in history - the abolition of slavery (its repression enforced by the royal navy), Married Women's Property Act, Universal Manhood suffrage, public sanitation, enormous advances in science and technology etc etc - but yes there was plenty to be progressive about.
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