A murder
3 Likes
One of the finest songs written.
Defo in my top twenty.
Iâve also just found out who wrote it, to my great surprise.
"I looked out across the river today.
Saw a city in the fog and an old church town where the seagulls play.
Saw the sad shire horses walking home in the sodium light,
Two priests on the ferry.
October geese on a cold winterâs night.
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea.
Two priests came 'round our house tonight,
One young, one old, to offer prayers for the dying to serve the final rite.
One to learn, one to teach which way the cold wind blows.
And fussing and flapping in priestly black like a murder of crows.
All this time the river flowed endlessly to the sea.
If I had my way, take a boat from the river and Iâd bury the old man.
Iâd bury him at sea.
Blessed are the poor, for they shall inherit the earth.
Better to be poor than a fat man in the eye of the needle.
As these words were spoken I swear I hear the old man laughing.
What good is a used up world and how could it be worth having?
All this time the river flowed endlessly like a silent tear.
All this time the river flowed.
Father, if Jesus exists then how come he never lives here?
Teachers taught us the Romans built this place.
They built a wall and a temple and an edge of the empire garrison town.
They lived and they died.
They prayed to their gods, but the stone gods did not make a sound.
And their empire crumbled 'till all that was left
Were the stones the workmen found.
All this time the river flowed in the falling light of a Northern sun.
If I had my way, take a boat from the river.
Men go crazy in the congregations, they only get better one by one."
Who wrote it then?
Why canât you google it like he did?
Gordon Sumner.
(Using his real name was actually the surprise)
@balbec , I know it by heart, but copy and pasted it for ease. He wrote it after his dad died.
The sting in the tale
He never went to the funerals of either of his parents.
Never knew that. I know he was distraught after the death of his father, but maybe that was guilt?
Nonetheless itâs a brilliant song with brilliant lyrics.
Google is cheating. I wanted to hear his story.
"As he sat beside him, Sting suddenly realised âwith the jolt of an electrical shockâ that for all their differences, their hands were identical. âWe have the same hands, Dad, look!â I was a child again, desperately trying to get his attention.â
Sting held his fatherâs hand next to his own, but little was said by these two strong Tyneside men. One sentence, however, stayed in Stingâs memory.
âAye, son, but you used yours better than I used mine.â
It was the first time Sting could recall ever hearing a compliment from his dad, or being acknowledged for what he had achieved.
His father, just 59, closed his eyes in exhaustion, Sting kissed him softly in the centre of his forehead and whispered that he was a good man and that he loved him. They never saw each other again."
He was a milkman wasnât he?
Ran a dairy, so I reckon so.
Sad story really.
As are jay
Sting has gone down in my estimation. What kind of cunt wouldnât take one last walk with his father?. Iâm going to embellish this tale for the Cobweb Manager and by bedtime sheâll be ringing the children to tell them what a cunt Sting was.
I find that pretty moving, wished Iâd have shown my old man more respect, donât remember ever telling him I loved him, those with dads and Mamâs alive cherish them, I was lucky to have a great relationship with my mam but the oul guilt ref my dad stays and heâs gone since 84
6 Likes
A film adaptation of Liam OâFlahertyâs The Informer directed by John Ford won 4 oscars in 1936, including best actor. The tans did not like it and the censor made 129 cuts including references to IRA and B&Ts.
OâFlahertyâs book had the storyline based on a labourers strike.
5 Likes
Perhaps more something I never realised.
The IRA bombed Northern Ireland and England. But never bombed Scotland and Wales.
Looks like they might have had plans for Gibraltar thoughâŚ
Great play as well
Never seen it. Trying to find a copy of the movie as have a link with it.
1 Like
Old but decent