Chalkhills, Number 13

                    Friday, 5 May 1989

Today's Topics:
              XTC song in hostage situation
                       king 4 a day
                  NEED HELP WITH LYRICS
              Re: singles and Little Express

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Date: Thu, 4 May 89 17:41:35 PDT
From: jhm@ebay.sun.com (reality you can rely on)
Subject: XTC song in hostage situation

Just heard on the radio...

A high school student in England held the principal and a secretary
at knifepiont while he played 'Dear God' on the school's PA system.
When the song was over he surrendered the knife and was arrested.

Strange days...

scorch

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Date: Thu,  4 May 89  23:25:15 EDT
From: jsd@umass.bitnet
Subject: king 4 a day

I don't see what all the fuss is about them releasing "King For A Day"
as the single.  Let's look at the facts.  First, Paul Fox is pushing
the band in a more "commercial" direction - it says so in his interviews
in the latest Little Express.  Secondly, "King For A Day" has just
enough banality to actually MAKE IT on Top-40 radio - I mean, it
explicitly rips off "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" to such an
extent that I have begun to call it "(Everybody Wants To Be) King FOr
A Day" (thanks, Mitch!!).  Lastly, XTC have always released the most
brain-damaged singles!!!  Honestly, can you imagine anyone overlooking
"Earn Enough For Us" (the world's most perfect single track) in favor
of "Grass"?  Oy!

And on that subject - what would _YOU_ have substituted as single
releases?  Feel free to discuss in any manner which seems appropriate.

BTW, I would like to ask all members of this list that subscribe to
The Little Express to reveal as little as possible from that august
journal so that everyone else will have to subscribe, and help out
those hard-working folks up in Canada, because they do a damn fine
job and we should give them all the encouragement that is humanly
possible.

-------------
 !   !\             BITNET: jsd@umass
\!on !/rukman      ARPANET: jsd%umass.bitnet@mitvma.mit.edu
"In a black and white world, murder brings a touch of color."

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Date: Fri, 5 May 1989 8:01:56 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: NEED HELP WITH LYRICS

In need of an excuse to listen to obscure XTC songs over and over?
Here's your chance.  We're trying to get the lyrics for these songs
together, and have clues for the following, but there are still bits
and pieces missing.  If you want to help, we'll send you the lyrics as
we've been able to figure them out.  Just send a message to
chalkhills-request and we'll send these lyrics to you.

   Looking for Footprints
   Pulsing Pulsing
   Strange Tales, Strange Tails
   Take This Town
   Officer Blue
   Blame the Weather
   Tissue Tigers (The Arguers)
   Punch and Judy
   Terrorism
   The Troubles

Enclosed are the lyrics for "Terrorism", because I like the song.

	-- John

Terrorism
---------

Terrorism
You're writing your diary, in innocents' blood
You're vain and you're ugly, you're no Robin Hood
You don't steal from the rich to help the poor
You just take life from both and what is more
You break your bread and drink
But post-confession you'll still stink of
Terrorism

Terrorism
But you [seek good / speak for] Muslim and Christian, you say
Now which religion will you wear today?
And in whose Bible do you find your cause
That says bomb children in department stores?
I hope your god is pleased
To see all creation on their knees for
Terrorism

Terrorism
Angel of death with black woolen mask
[Breeding like rabies / Free to make raids] in long wooden cask
They never doubt that right is on their side
When right is right, [bolt shades], where can you hide?
Don't want daughter sweet
To be target practice in the high street
Terrorism

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Date: Fri, 5 May 1989 8:57:48 PDT
From: John M. Relph <relph@presto.ig.com>
Subject: Re: singles and Little Express

Jon sez:
>Honestly, can you imagine anyone overlooking
>"Earn Enough For Us" (the world's most perfect single track) in favor
>of "Grass"?  Oy!

Well, "Earn Enough For Us" was released as a single in Canada, but
nothing else is known about it.  Anybody knowing the B-side, catalog
number, release date, etc., please send it in to chalkhills-request so
we can update the Discography.  Thanks.

>And on that subject - what would _YOU_ have substituted as single
>releases?  Feel free to discuss in any manner which seems appropriate.

"Mayor of Simpleton" had to be the first single.

"Merely a Man" is so perfect for a pop single that I wonder who wasn't
listening to it!?  It's got flashy guitar licks, simple singalong
chorus, and a *nice* message.  However, it's a little slow for a dance
song.  But by that token, so is "King for Day".  "Pink Thing" would
have made a good B-side, maybe for "Scarecrow People" or "Merely a Man".

>BTW, I would like to ask all members of this list that subscribe to
>The Little Express to reveal as little as possible from that august
>journal so that everyone else will have to subscribe, and help out
>those hard-working folks up in Canada, because they do a damn fine
>job and we should give them all the encouragement that is humanly
>possible.

I was wondering why you were so silent after having received yours.

I will gladly post a subscription blank for all those interested in
subscribing to The Little Express.  I think it's a well done 'zine,
and it's a good source of information.  It's also a good discussion
forum for those of us who do not have network connections, which is to
say most everybody else in the world.

	-- John

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withdrawal from the list, discography requests, etc., send
a message to the following address:

	<chalkhills-request@chalkhills.org>

The views expressed in Chalkhills
are those of the individual authors only.

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Go back to Volume 1.

6 May 1989 / Feedback