The Penny NEVER Drops

Its over 40 years since I wrote a song called the "Penny Drops.... as the mushroom rises" I always thought Penny Drops was the soundtrack to Trainspotting but that's because I missed chunks of the 80's and only saw the film in the 90's. Our Song was about love of the earth and political stupidity. The kind of stupidity that saw me scar a testicle by straddling an ashtray strewn table in the Tayside Bar.

A foreboding rhythm section saw the bass line soar before plummeting, a war dance to fill the floor. The loud speaker vocals and crashing chord guitar, its "E" of course, with a rippling A as the bass hit the high E The sky is blue The sun is shining A loud bang Alarm bells ring

Its 1979 and Labour have won a seat or two in Scotland, but crashed and burned in England and its not good. Mrs Thatcher has convinced enough people in a few hundred constituencies to change sides. We were a few years too late to sing songs that made Labour look bad. We didn't want Career Opportunities even if we sang about them. We had moved further into the void, but that void never included Thatcher. Look again Its not the same Sky has changed Blue is grey The Penny Drops as the mushroom rises......

Indeed it did. The penny did drop as the Tory flag was raised over Downing Street. The flag started getting raised in Scotland too, and it was a red one at first. Many of us got behind a flag of convenience and no suprise 40 years on we do the same again. "...There's no-one left nobody at home, said it wouldn' happen we never believed them I search for the people, but... I'm all alone.." We voted ....we lost....its all about the nuclear bomb that was our politics. We looked around, like a kid at the football who charged the opposing fans only to find themselves alone, out of step with the movement. Yes you can shout all you like, but when it comes to charging at fans, or paying more in taxes, or .....wanting to give the care workers a rise above the living wage never mind the minimum wage...I search for the people but I'm all alone.

My plane's away now Miles out of sight Should've been there Missed the flight I'm slip sliding away now. It doesn't matte what anyone will say, I've gone. I voted and others voted. I lost my love, by the factory wall. It was there in my hands, the love story, politics everything and it all went in that short period, oooooops! All alone Get the shakes All around World it bakes Yeah, shit happens and this was big shit. We fought on different fronts, some unkindly said different fonts, they were right and I lacked the humour. I couldn't see that others in the world were baking a cake and if you were part of the bakers then you got cakes for free. You just needed to know and want to join the bakers. Like the Titanic the bakery school was popular. Unlike the Titanic, as a mode of tavel, its still popular today. Penny Drops..... "My Hand's away now.. Reaching for the needle Cold on my Skin Warm in my mainline How predictable the collapse of resolve is. Even in a song I'm lamenting the fact that I cant be arsed. First door turncoat second door drugs. Ok, I'm not out of here, I'm just going into the happy room for a while. We were listening to a lot at the Velvet Underground Shop that day, obviously there was very little left on their shelves! shaking stops temporary comfort slipping away No effort Sounds like I never revisited these lines. Sounds like they were written at the end of the song when the had work, the heavy lifting had happened. Yeah, its true. I'm now blasted out of my tiny wee head and cant write any more any need to finish what I think is a love song to my last partner. A nonsense CND blast that puts the love of my life on the pedastle I saw them. And thats why the band was fun. We never had a little RED ROOSTER or pale BLUE eyes, no ALPHAVILLE, nor CANDSKIN, not even a U2 SKY. Nowadays we fight over whether its a Prescott. Have you had 2 JAGS or 2 JABS, but we can agree over a TURBO BOOSTER! The Penny Drops as the Mushroom Rises.....let's hope its not rising much longer Merry Christmas Al I always write too much so cut and paste my edits below....to cut and paste back in....or not A little satire and a lament for the country's and my own times. I'm going to indulge myself for the few not the many. There are a few who read this and the many that dont are lucky!