McGoohan's Blues - Roy Harper

Nicky my child he stands there with the wind in his hair

Wondering whether the water the wind of the where

I fear that someday he might ask me if mine is the blame

And I’ve got no reply save to tell him it’s all just a game

And Heather and I lay together and I was in love

She weighted up the gains and the losses and gave me the shove

The fear of mankind’s untogetherness pounds in my heart

The deceit of my friends the betrayals of which I am part

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my two feet standing here questioning

And I’m just a social experiment tailored to size

I’ve tried out the national machine and the welfare surprise

I’m the rich man the poor man the peace man the war man the beast

The festive consumer who ends up consumed in the feast

And my fife eyed promoter is clutching two birds in the bush

He’s a thief he’s as bad as the joker they’re both in the rush

He’s telling me Ghandi was handy and Jesus sold his ring

(Dunno who to, God maybe)

«And everyone knows dat dis dough’s gonna make me de king»

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my two feet standing here questioning

Meanwhile the ticket collectors are punching their holes

Into your memories your journeys and into your souls

Your life sentence starts and the judge hands you down a spare wig

Saying: «Get out of that and goodbye old boy have a good gig»

And the town label makers stare down with their gallery eyes

And point with computer stained fingers each time you arise

To the rules and the codes and the system that keeps them in chains

Which is where they belong with no poems no love and no brains

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my two feet standing there questioning

Meanwhile the TV commercials are sweeping the day

Brainwashing innocent kids into thinking their way

The wet politicians and clergymen have much to say

Defending desires of the sheep they are leading astray

And Ma’s favourite pop star is forcing a grin he’s a smash

Obliging the soft-headed viewers to act just as flash

The village TV hooks its victims on give away cash

The addicts are numbers who serve to perpetuate trash

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my stupid poetry shuffleing

And the bankers and tycoons and hoarders of money and art

Full up with baubles and bibles and full of no heart

Who travel first class on a pleasure excursion to fame

Are the eyes that are guiding society’s ludicrous aim

And the village is making its Sunday collection in church

The church wobbles 'twixt hell and heaven’s crumbling perch

Unnoticed the money box loudly endorses the shame

As the world that Christ fought is supported by using his name

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my stupid poetry burbling

And the pin-striped sardine-cum-magician is packed in his train

Censoring all of the censorship filling his brain

He glares through his armour-plate vision and says «Hmm, insane»

The prisoner is taking his shoes off to walk in the rain

And the luminous green prima donna is sniffing the sky

She daren’t tread the earth that she’s smelling her birth was too high

Her bank balance castle is built on opinion and fear

Which is all she allows within three hundred miles of her ear

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my stupid poetry burbling

And I’ve seen all your pedestal values your good and your bad

If you really believe them your passing is going to be hard

And I’ve thought through our thought and I know that its blind silly season

Occurs when our reasoning is trying to fathom a reason

And if you really know it’s all a joke but you’re just putting me on

Well it’s sure a good act that you’ve got 'cos you never let on

But if all of that supersale overkill world is for real

Well there’s nowhere to go kid so you might as well start to freewheel

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see my two feet standing there burbling

And I had this dream in here same time as standing awake

These various visions rushed through as I giggled and quaked

The distant guns thunder my end and I duck for a while

Auntie Lily is handing me candy she chuckles I smile

And our village is where I was born and it’s where I will die

And I’ll never be able to leave it whatever I try

The ebb and the flow of the forces of life pass me by

Which is all that I’ll know from my birth to my last gasping sigh

And O how the sea she roars with laughter

And howls with the dancing wind

To see the dying lying there obeying

My age and my time

The blood fire wine and rhyme

That fills my dream reminds me of an atom in a bubble on a wave

That held its breath for one sweet second then was popped and disappeared

Into fruitful futilities meaningless meaning

Meaningless meaning

Under the toadstool lover down by the dream

Everything flowing over rainbows downstream

Silver the turning water flying away

I’ll come to see you sooner I’m on my way

And there’s a mirror that I’m looking straight through

And I get it

And there’s a doorway that I’m ducking into

To forget it

But flashing just beyond the sky

The shattering midnight gathers

And reminding me behind my mind

The earth quakes, the sun flakes flutter

Over the mountain fairground

Candy flies stay

Under the moonshine fountain

I’m on my way

Lemon tree blossom ladies

Poured my tea

After the blue sky breezes following me

There’s a river that I’m making it with

And I know it

And I’m floating to I don’t care where

I just go it

But flashing just beyond the sky

The shattering midnight gathers

And reminding me behind my mind

The earth quakes, the sun flakes flutter

Daffodil April petal hiding the game

Forests of restless chessmen life is the same

Tides in the sand sun lover watching us dream

Covered in stars and clover rainbows downstream

And the question in the great big underneath is forever

And the fanfare that I’m forcing through my teeth answers «Never»

But flashing just beyond the sky

The shattering midnight gathers

And reminding me behind my mind

The earth quakes, the sun flakes flutter

The pumpkin coach (oh yes) and the rags approach

And the wind is devouring the ashes