Angie, Vincent, the Teddy Bear and Me

The Teddy Bear sat there with me and a bottle of wine
the day it was dying and stars were beginning to shine
the music had died about a quarter to five
there was nothing or nobody looking alive
and the Teddy Bear thought to himself
'what a waste of a day.'

I answered the door to an outgoing girl from abroad
I'd been feeling so low but now my troubles began to unload
I said 'I'm glad you could come, I've been all along,
there are times when I don't feel so good on my own
I hope you stay for a while' and she smiled as I brought in some tea
for Angie and me.

It was coming on twelve when we went up to bed
the Teddy Bear didn't let on what went on in its head
but I was quite sure when she walked through the door
that this would be different from ever before
and with gentle surprise I gazed at the sky in her eyes
when they didn't surmise

It was almost three when she said to me I must be gone
she asked me to show her my love for her in a song
I said 'I'm tired you know, and anyway you've got to go
and love is not an easy thing for me to show
but I'm glad you could come and I hope that I've not done you wrong,
and I'll work on a song.'

The atmosphere thickened and guilt hung itself in the air
I piced up the book that she'd read when she'd sat on the chair
and as I patiently waited for the day to begin
I picked up a pen and started writing
and I dedicate this song to Angie and Vincent Van Gogh
and physical so-called love, that's not nearly enough

Elvis

He was there at the corner, a foreigner
at the wrong side of town,
so quietly singing a country song
he never made a sound
then the crowd heard him singing
and shaking and swinging
he looked just like a dream
that rocked and rolled
full of gospel soul
in the age of Jimmy Dean

Elvis, Elvis
a duck's ass for your hair
was it you were a hound dog
or just a Teddy Bear
Elvis, Elvis
and where you anywhere
and all the love that you gave for free
was it love that didn't care

They really made their mark on you
when you showed them all around
singing your golden rock and roll
with a style that you had found
and then they took you to Hollywood
in the mindless USA
where your innocent heart #
played out its part
for MGM and RCA

Elvis, Elvis
I remember when you died,
some wanted to die with you
but they just died inside for a day or two (maybe a week)
Elvis, Elvis, your money and your fame
cost the life that you bought them with
when life had gone insane

Elvis, Elvis
a duck's ass for your hair
was it you were a hound dog
or just a Teddy Bear?

To Sylvia, for the Breeze and the Wildfire (an extract)

Nine years old and tuned into the sounds of Italia, in the place where Victoriana encompassed a later time. They were all there, the man the woman the girl the boy, and why yes, of course, the razor belt. At times I saw a holy angel in private frustration vowing to leave it all behind, but love was the dam.. It was modern then, it was new, one of the visitors vibrated to the sounds of the sea and one of the visitors guests was none other than Narcissus himself. There was scary laughter concerning me and the Italian prince but I was too young to care, I just flipped the Lira over until the sad news came 'September sees a prince change his tune' I wasn't so much hurt but concerned, I believed now in sharing someone elses wife, I wasn't so innocent after all and I knew it.