One day in March 1974 (I think it was in the Coventry Journal Office (opposite The Coventry Evening Telegraph), I met
Adrienne Harwood and Steve Kouchi. They'd been interviewed for an article in Coventry Journal for a new Awareness group they were forming and giving out leaflets in the precint. I liked the idea and offered space in Hobo (if we could keep it going given our lack of finance to get it printed).
We were planning another magazine around 1974 called Trenchcoat that would deal with more social issues had available resources worked out better, and we thought they could have space in that magazine. Hobo was then going to be a part an important cultural section of Trenchcoat. Unfortunately Hobo folded in 1975.
However there was an entry in the Hobo News section of an unpublished issue of Hobo (unpublished because the printers had reduced the size to unreadable proportions and we couldn't put it out. It was redone and updated.
The piece read
SOMETHING TO SAY
Every Monday at the Lanch Polytech in room B 315, a meeting of the People's Awareness Group will take place.
Anyone who is interested in getting things together in this fair city - who has any ideas - who can help or is just intersted - bring them and yourselves and your friendz, friendz friendz...
People awareness need you...
A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
Below are some lyrics to in relation to the ideas -
MR BUSINESSMAN - RAY STEVENS c1968
Itemize the things you covet
As you squander through your life
Bigger cars, bigger houses
Term insurance for your wife
Tuesday evenings with your harlot
And on Wednesdays it's your charlatan
analyst, he's high upon your list
You've got air conditioned sinuses
And dark disturbing doubts about religion
And you keep those cards and letters going out
While your secretary's tempting you
Your morals are exempting you from guilt and shame
Heaven knows you're not to blame
refrain:
You better, Take care of business Mr. Businessman
What's your plan?
Get down to business Mr. Businessman if you can
(Before it's too late and you throw your life away) 1st time
Did you see your children growing up today
And did you hear the music of their laughter
As they set about to play
Did you catch the fragrance of those roses in your garden
Did the morning sunlight warm your soul,
Brighten up your day
Do you qualify to be alive
or is the limit of your senses so as only to survive
Hey yeah.....
Spending counterfeit incentive
Wasting precious time and health
Placing value on the worthless
Disregarding priceless wealth
You can wheel and deal the best of them
And steal it from the rest of them
You know the score, their ethics are a bore
Eighty-six anesthetic crutches prop you to the top
Where the smiles are all synthetic
And the ulcers never stop
When they take that final inventory,
Yours will be the same sad story everywhere
No one will really care, no one more lonely than
This rich important man, let's have your autograph
Endorse your epitaph
refrain
Summer in the City
The Lovin' Spoonful
(John Sebastian - Mark Sebastian - Steve Boone)
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
Cool town, evening in the city
Dressing so fine and looking so pretty
Cool cat, looking for a kitty
Gonna look in every corner of the city
Till I'm wheezing like a bus stop
Running up the stairs, gonna meet you on the rooftop
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
------ instrumental break ------
Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city
All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head
But at night it's a different world
Go out and find a girl
Come-on come-on and dance all night
Despite the heat it'll be alright
And babe, don't you know it's a pity
That the days can't be like the nights
In the summer, in the city
In the summer, in the city
Coventry's Dave Cooper (Dando Shaft) showed this awareness in his lyrics as exampled here -
LAZILY SLOWLY -
Lazily slowly, flows that old river
I’m of a mind to dream a little while
For tomorrow comes with the morning
And there’s no time for troubles
Or bursting of bubbles tonight.
All the good guys, they’re on my side
And that old river, she’s playing tunes.
Come lay by me, I don’t mind sharing
We’ll dance with the water
Until we are caught by tomorrow.
In the morning there are soft sounds
Maybe the echo of some siren sounds
Will come creeping through your window
You reach for the sunrise
Your innocent eyes, they might open.
Lazily slowly, flows that old river
I’m of a mind to dream a little while
For tomorrow comes with the morning
And there’s no time for troubles
Or bursting of bubbles tonight.
RAT RACE (Roddy Radiation) THE SPECIALS (Written in the Lanch Union bar Coventry)
You're working at your leisure to learn the things you'll need
The promises you make tomorrow carry no guarantee
I've seen your qualifications, you got a Ph.D.
I've got one art O-level, it did nothing for me
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
You plan your conversation to impress the college bar
Just talking about your mother and daddy's Jaguar
Wear your political T-shirt and sacred college scarf
Discussing the world situation, but just for a laugh
You'll be working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
Working for the rat race
You're no friend of mine
Just working at your leisure to learn the things you don't need
The promises you make tomorrow carry no guarantee
I've seen your qualifications, you got a Ph.D.
I've got one art O-level, it did nothing for me
Working for the rat race
You know you're wasting your time
You're working for the rat race.
Check out Another Tree Will Grow by
Indian Summer (You can listen on their My Space)
Comments