Cooksferry Queen: Issa's Sunday Service, #120

This past week, a friend insisted I keep at it with two things: John Keats' poetry and Richard Thompson's music. I'm happy to say that both clicked and, in the later case, after a few years of insistence.

A tip of the hat to Che for his insistence and always spot-on taste.

The album that won me over was Mock Tudor and what was to be discovered there? Not one, not two, but three songs that qualify for the Sunday Service and today's is a beauty: "Cooksferry Queen." The litrock connection comes from a line that has been referenced in a previous selection. The Alice books seem to be an endless source for rock bands; along with the Bible, they have by far have provided the most tunes for this regular feature.

I got a bit of a charge out of the description of the song on Songfacts:

"The song is about a thug who gets dosed with acid and adopts the paisley."

There are a number of different videos of this song floating around; here's one I like a lot.





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This week's archival poem comes from Lilliput Review #68, April 1995, by the esteemed small press legend, A. D. Winans. Enjoy.

Coffee Gallery Blues

I don't care how god
damn smart they are
I'm bored with their writing
for each other

Just the other day
one of them said
poetry isn't for
the masses

It's been raining
intellectual snobs
all day
long

A. D. Winans

the masses wait
but all in vain...
cuckoo

Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue

best,

Don

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Go to the LitRock web site for a list of all 120 songs

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