Rambling ...

I'm an Irish Girl, A Dubliner, with the 'Gift of the Gab' ... I like to talk & to tell you things. In Celtic times news, views and comment were carried from place to place by wandering Seanachaí ~ Storytellers ~ who relied on their host's hospitality and appreciation. I will need that from you too, as I venture to share Politics, Poetry, Laughter, Love, Life & everything in-between ... from Bog to Blog!!


Wednesday, December 8, 2010

A Working Class Hero is something to be!



My Blog this week is dedicated to the Heroic Israeli Dead in the Carmel Forest fire as I promised. So, today shall see a double post, as today, 8th December, is the 30th anniversary of John Lennon, of Beatles fame. I wasn't overly enamoured with the Beatles or Lennon ~ too Hippy trippy for me by far!!

But, I adore female 'chantuses' & Marianne Faithfull   is one of my favourites.   Her autobiography is an amazingly candid &  addictive  read.    I like this Lennon compostion lyrically (the only one I can think of that I actually like!).    I particularly like her interpretation of this Lennon classic ~  'Working Class Hero '!


As soon as you're born they make you feel small
By giving you no time instead of it all
Till the pain is so big you feel nothing at all
A working class hero is something to be

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules
A working class hero is something to be
A working class hero is something to be

When they've tortured and scared you for twenty-odd years
Then they expect you to pick a career
When you can't really function you're so full of fear
A working class hero is something to be

Keep you doped with religion and sex and TV
And you think you're so clever and classless and free
But you're still fucking peasants as far as I can see
A working class hero is something to be

There's room at the top they're telling you still
But first you must learn how to smile as you kill
If you want to be like the folks on the hill
A working class hero is something to be
If you want to be a hero well just follow me .......

(Incidentally, I also like Marilyn Manson's version of this classic!)


1 comment:

  1. And this is probably the only JL track that I love the lyric to ....

    "They hurt you at home and they hit you at school
    They hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool
    Till you're so fucking crazy you can't follow their rules ... "

    And, I've had a drink with this woman in a pub in Celbridge, County Kilare, Ireland .... she is an absolute revelation!!!!

    ReplyDelete