Flashbacks Of The Black Lion
Giles St
Early 80's
Early 80's
I am London overspill
Been here since the early 80's
The jobs I reluctantly took
often brought me to blows with suspicious villagers.
"Fucking Londoners stealing our jobs".
"Thieving cockney bastards".
The hostile rejection gave me the perfect reason
to doss on the dole.
It was easy then.
I needed no excuse.
I craved adventure and rock n roll.
Arrogant footloose.
I drank in The Black Lion Giles St
along with artists,poets and musicians.
The underbelly of this leather dust town.
A pub who's clientele were counter culture stars in waiting.
Quietly listening or lip reading every conversation.
Attending polished raconteurs performances twice daily.
And I so wanted to join this club with no members.
A dive to some.
But not me the place was cool.
It was were the action was.
That's when I really started writing regardless being ashamed of my
lack of formal education.
I knew my place.
The jobs I reluctantly took
often brought me to blows with suspicious villagers.
"Fucking Londoners stealing our jobs".
"Thieving cockney bastards".
The hostile rejection gave me the perfect reason
to doss on the dole.
It was easy then.
I needed no excuse.
I craved adventure and rock n roll.
Arrogant footloose.
I drank in The Black Lion Giles St
along with artists,poets and musicians.
The underbelly of this leather dust town.
A pub who's clientele were counter culture stars in waiting.
Quietly listening or lip reading every conversation.
Attending polished raconteurs performances twice daily.
And I so wanted to join this club with no members.
A dive to some.
But not me the place was cool.
It was were the action was.
That's when I really started writing regardless being ashamed of my
lack of formal education.
I knew my place.
I looked up at them.
The now myths and legends.
Who's first chapters started there.
I still do.
My early songs popped cherries in the back room.
I popped cherries on the way home to whatever
sofa that would have me.
Clumsy radio hit attempts rolling into pool table pockets.
Every stranger a A&R man lurking.
You never know.
I didn't care.
They paid us in beer for the first gig.
Twas the landlords most costly mistake.
Thereafter we were paid.
We filled that back room with sweaty
drunken drug fuelled chancers.
Every time we played.
It was our time.
My time.
I even had a slate.
Cleared fortnightly on giro day.
I got mild grief when I payed it late.
The Black Lion as we knew it then
has been name raped it's spirit long gone.
The carnival no longer passes.
It's bricks and mortar remain
I pass it and am reminded
of the misfits that welcomed and befriended me.
My swagger.
My patter.
For I'm no longer London overspill.
I am Northampton .
Who's first chapters started there.
I still do.
My early songs popped cherries in the back room.
I popped cherries on the way home to whatever
sofa that would have me.
Clumsy radio hit attempts rolling into pool table pockets.
Every stranger a A&R man lurking.
You never know.
I didn't care.
They paid us in beer for the first gig.
Twas the landlords most costly mistake.
Thereafter we were paid.
We filled that back room with sweaty
drunken drug fuelled chancers.
Every time we played.
It was our time.
My time.
I even had a slate.
Cleared fortnightly on giro day.
I got mild grief when I payed it late.
The Black Lion as we knew it then
has been name raped it's spirit long gone.
The carnival no longer passes.
It's bricks and mortar remain
I pass it and am reminded
of the misfits that welcomed and befriended me.
My swagger.
My patter.
For I'm no longer London overspill.
I am Northampton .
Not as if it really matters.
********************copyright Jono Bell.
Jono Bell is the Jono in Jono & The Uke Dealers, as well as a member of the nation's premier ska band The Two Tones. You can find more information about him and his musical/lyrical output at jonoandtheukedealers.com
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