My adolescence just missed cupid's LSD smeared arrows. It's been said that the Alice Cooper Band first drove the stake thru the heart of the peace and love set. The onset of the 70's brought a decidedly different and ominous flavor to the rock world. Bands like Cooper and Black Sabbath seemed to relish an image that sided with darker, even evil, forces.
Among these bands were the New England outfit Blue Öyster Cult. Alot of fast paced bluesy guitars, fluid energetic lead passages, and those cryptic lyrics. With song titles like "I'm On The Lamb But I Ain't No Sheep", "Transmaniacon MC", "7 Screaming Diz-Busters", and "The Red and The Black". gave the impression that something sinister was going on here, yet my teenage ears and cheapo stereo were no match to the decipher.
Yet, there in fine print on the Escher-esque lp back was a note "for lyrics, send SASE" and an address. The envelope-in-envelope was off for the decoder ring. And the waiting began. Week after week, I sifted thru the family mail. The weeks became months. Though I don't have perfect recall, I probably saw the 'Cult twice while I waited for their words to arrive, mumbling through the songs as best I could, until the day finally arrived.
I ripped open the envelope addressed in my own hand to find a couple pages of green-bar computer paper - most likely the first time I'd ever seen it. The words were there, printed in faint grey type, strung together on line after line of unbroken text, the change in songs signaled only by the song title...blink and you've missed it.
Goblins of surcease? Sir Rastus Bear?
A lesson learned - answers are only questions in disguise.
Redeemed Dont you give up my young, young friends Heres a story I think will please How Sir Rastus Bear was in fact redeemed Redeemed from the cell to which hed been thrown By men whose love was more For the ice and cold Goblins of surcease, villians of wise They pranced his brain on through the long, long night Sir Rastus Bear whod ever believe Youd be by a song Redeemed Up on the north forty Im sure it was Christmas day When Sir Rastus Bear taught children how to play Games of life and love And songs, oh those songs Oh those deep but true Hill country songs Goblins of surcease, villians of wise They pranced his brain on through the long, long night Sir Rastus Bear whod ever believe Youd be by a song Redeemed Redeemed good lord, from the ice and cold Redeemed from the cell to which Ive been thrown Redeemed by virtue of a country song And I believe good Lord, it wont be long wont be long It wont be wont be long-long-long-long-long-long-long-long- long-long-long-long-long-long-long-long-long-long Then Came The Last Days Of May Parched land no desert sand, sun was just a dot And a little bit of water goes a long way, 'cause it's hot Three good buddies were laughing and smoking in the back Of a rented ford They couldn't know they weren't going far Each one with the money in his pocket Could go out and buy himself a brand new car But they all had the money they had Money they hoped would take them very far The sky was bright, a traffic light, now and then a truck And they hadn't seen a cop around all day They brought everything they needed bags and scales to weigh the stuff The driver said the border's just over the bluff It wasn't until the car suddenly stopped In the middle of a cold and barren place And the other guy turned and spilled Three boys blood, did they know a trap had been lain? They're ok the last days of may, I'll be breathing dry air I'm leaving soon, the others are already there You wouldn't be interested in coming along, instead of staying here They say the west is nice this time of year Stairway To The Stars You can have my autograph I think I'll sign it love to you But should I sign it just for you Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you Stairway to the stars, we got better things to do You can drive my motorcar It's insured to thirty thou Kill them all if you wish Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you Stairway to the stars, we got better things to do You can have my autograph I think I'll sign it good health to you Upon the cast, your broken arm Stairway to the stars, I think I'll write good health to you Stairway to the stars, I hope you heal up real quick Stairway to the stars...Come on, let's get on outa here.
Comments (9)
the moral? must be the music, baby!!
Great story, I think that was what made the 70's so different then today...it was all about the big act, the big rock star, not indie artist appeal at the least.
nice story! I think I'll name my next pet Sir Rastus Bear. :) By funny coincidence, they just played a show here a few days ago.
Really enjoyed reading this... Alice Cooper was I think the big first concert I ever went to... still remember it as though it was yesterday...although cant remember what i did yesterday... :-)
Def a different time Indi..."classic" rock had pushed musicianship to such a high norm, and with no vid games or even vid cassettes, the "Big Rock Star" was the thing to be...
Deg, I saw them on a cable "freeview" event afew years back. THey were so rusty, I'dve been ashamed to admit I knew who they were!! Tha would make a good pet name - get a monkey!
Alice was my second concert Zen, The Billion Dollar Babies tour. My parents were nice enough to drive us to Cinci. And yes, that memory is fresh, but yesterday's breakfast?? ppffft...
the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a collection of aliens who had collected to secretly guide Earth's history.
really inrum? where is that from???
The name "Blue Öyster Cult" came from a 1960s poem written by manager Sandy Pearlman. It was part of his "Imaginos" poetry, later used more extensively in their 1988 album Imaginos. Pearlman had also come up with the band's earlier name, "Soft White Underbelly", from a phrase used by Winston Churchill in describing Italy during World War II. In Pearlman's poetry, the "Blue Oyster Cult" was a collection of aliens who had collected to secretly guide Earth's history.
"They pranced his brain on through the long, long night Sir Rastus Bear whod ever believe Youd be by a song Redeemed Redeemed good lord"
Aah, drugs.