I've got a punk rock compilation CD and the very last track is Kung Fu International by John Cooper Clarke. This got me thinking about punk rock poetry. I used to dabble in poetry in my adolescent era and I know that a few of you do too.
Anyway, here's John C. Clarke to get you in the mood:
Edit: Does it matter that there's music? it's still poetry. If you can find it the dan le sac remix of that song is really good, I don't think it's on youtube.
I really like saul williams though, one of the most amazing things ive seen at leeds fest in 11 years was his 2nd set (he did a normal set of his more music based stuff on the carling stage) where he appeared with youthmovie soundtrack stratagies, and improvised poetry over them jamming for half an hour. it was magical.
Fantastic thread my friends, excellent stuff here.
Poetry is something which can say a great deal very powerfully in a brief space / period of time.
I remember hearing Kung Fu International back in the day. Very funny.
What If Punk Never Happened is something for the naysayers to listen and learn I reckon...interesting that its got a bit of a negative response here. Thanks Steff for posting that vid, a real raw rendition of it.
Saul Williams is sick as fuck. Its all about the delivery with this cat I feel.
Can't find a vid or whatever for it...which is a shame because the delivery is brilliant, but here are the words to a spoken word track off The Business' "No Mercy For You" entitled "Oi The Poet," I happen to think its boss as fuck and something we can all relate to in our own way:
STREET PUNK where you belong. They say they're right you know they're wrong. Bored on the street there's nothing to do. Every day You're just taken for a fool. REJECT you don't fit in. They beat you down but you never give in. Never had a proper wage no future no job and you're always told you're just a lazy slob. Well I may have nothing but I shine twice as bright. I know what's wrong and I know what's right, So stick your city job and your suburban wife cos looking at you I love my life.
On a lighter note, the aptly named character 'Poet' in Oz delivers some mad lyricism...trust me, watch the first two, you will be missing out if you don't:
That guy wouldn't need such an unwieldly piece of long paper if he wrote with smaller writing. Nah but seriously, I didn't like the start of that but I was getting into it by the end, nice one. A few more listens to that and I'd be a fan.
The king blues video wasn't the one I was actually looking for, I was looking for the dan le sac remix. He adds his own response to what itch is saying, and it's really fucking good. Disclaimer: IMO.
steff my brother i was about to try and find a sage track called 'hey bobby' which has no music and is just poetry. sage is a legend a lot of very good political and socail commentary, though my favorite pice is probably about the most personal one he did 'inheritted scars' about him finding out his sister was self harming. "Could I erase your body language telling you its all been said before? Or change the words you wrote, exchanging your scars for my metaphors? I'd add them to my collection while smiling Next time you want to paint with razor blades and need a canvas use my skin" that bit chokes me everytime i hear it.
ok this is taken from hidden track on an ep so the actual poem propper doesnt start till 1minute in almost eactly so fast forward to there or lsiten to a minute of silly stuff)
I actually thought armitage was one of the better poets in that book, he wrote about a hitch hiker getting beat to death by the person who picked him up which made for mildly interesting reading. Carol anne duffy was the worst by far
What I didn't like about that curriculum is how they made you have their opinion on the poetry. It didn't really leave room for an expression of my own opinions of the poems, just the curriculum's. As long as I wrote what I was told to write, the english teacher was happy.
You're completely right there, our teacher used to stress that as long as we backed up our opinion we would be allowed to say whatever but then he used to tell us that we were wrong for saying anything other that the poet supposedly wanted us to think.
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