(Sometimes I Feel Like) Fletcher Christian

I just roll with the obsession.


Today gets an all-Mekons random. Live with it, spoons.


1. millionaire from the album "25 Years: acoustic " by Mekons - sung by Sally Timms, One of the classics about vapid sexuality. "Lust corrodes my body/ I've lost count of my lovers/ but I can count my money/ forever and forever" The original was a chunky guitar-based mid tempo rocker underlying Sally's detached, cool vocals. This was recorded during one of their 25th anniversary shows, during the acoustic/unplugged set, and Rico Bell's accordion takes center stage.

2. 32 weeks from the album "25 Years: Decade 3" by Mekons One of the remakes of an early song, a raging compendium of the basic necessities of life, and how much of your life you must sacrifice to afford them. Due to inflation, the ratios are pretty much the same as they were in 1978. In fact, the ratios are more representative of middle class wages NOW; when the song was written the ratios represented blue collar wages. We're losing ground, friends an guinea pigs; kick a Republican in the yarbles in gratitude. Again, a live track from teh 25th anniversary shows. They played four nights; each night was a different segment: acoustic, 1st decade, 2nd decade, 3rd decade.

3. (sometimes I feel like) fletcher christian from the album "25 Years: Decade 2" by Mekons I love these lyrics, but I have no idea how to interpret them:

Sometimes I feel like Fletcher Christian
Staring out across the sea
Torn apart by duties shackles
The twisted tongues of loyalty

Well I sucked hard on every pleasure
Till my head began to spin
He'll choose between the whip and feather
And that is where his crimes begin

Sometimes I feel like Fletcher Christian
In paradise with the tables turned
Yes and I can fell the tatooists needle
I can feel my neck and ankles burn

These south sea isles are cold and barren
but this civil war's been good for me
We took drugs and tore our uniforms
Gave up our captain to the sea

Sometimes I feel like Fletcher Christian
Twisting off the serpents head
For the mutiny I'll shoot the big one
Hot and hungry, far from home

Through the sun and sea my skin is peeling
But it don't make these picutres fade
Those shapes and symbols, I know their meaning
The shameless riches of another world

If I return they're sure to hang me
So I guess I'll have to stay
And if I should croak out in the darkness
No-one will know I got away

4. Garage D'Or from the album "Edge Of The World" by Mekons Spoken word piece of a dysfunctional family, Sally on vox, over a violin track. "But it's nice to be warm when you're feeling cold" From one of the early country inflected albums.

5. bastard from the album "25 Years: Decade 2" by Mekons Another early, cow-punk song resurrected for the anniversary show. Rollicking accordion fueled diatribe featuring Tom Greenhalgh on vocals.

6. Insignificance from the album "Retreat from Memphis" by Mekons From one of their great guitar albums. Subtitled (Conversation with Boche). I saw them on this tour and they were amazingly tight. "A hologram of a naked man's eyes batters round the room/ Fix you in their sites, proof of existence/ A giant stirs to swat a fly that's lost its best defense/ Insignificance

Damned if you do, Damned if you don't/ Don't drink that coke, It's really bad for you/You have the right to lie awake at night/Don't think that I am paranoid enough"

7. Slightly South Of The Border from the album "Edge Of The World" by Mekons Another early track that sounds like a Tex Mex waltz played at the end of the night, by a band that's as massively drunk as the audience, and no one cares.

8. Only You And Your Ghost Will Know from the album "Oooh!" by Mekons A very nice segue into the next song, from the recent album. Very strong on the violin, and Tom's vocals are much more sedate than the early ones. "Was there a place to leave or a place to go?/ A mouth to kiss or a hand to hold? / Only you and your ghost will know" Friends come and friends go, and sometimes it seems like all of them were imaginary. Your ghost is more sympathetic than your shadow.

9. I'm So Happy from the album "The Mekons Story" by Mekons Total anarchic amateur punk rock. Sounds like the Germs, except less professional and heroin-filled.

10. oblivion from the album "25 Years: Decade 2" by Mekons More from that anniversary show.

11. karen from the album "Devil's Rats & Piggies" by Mekons Another noisy amateur jobby. Semi-professional dance punk, eventually appropriated and perfected by Gang of Four.

12. chivalry from the album "25 Years: Decade 2" by Mekons Okay, it's still JUST a live taped affair. Good quality and all, but come on iTunes. Great lyrics though:

I was out late the other night
Fear and whiskey kept me going
I swore somebody held me tight
But now there's just no way of knowing

13. Hate Is The New Love from the album "Oooh!" by Mekons This is another recent one, very strong, simple violin propelling a Sally vocal over some of my favorite lyrics:

'Cos there's no peace
On this terrible shore
Everyday is a battle
How we still love the war

14. Untitled 1 from the album "Where Were You?" by Mekons a toss off from one of the outtakes album. playing with a drum machine.

15. The Old Fox from the album "Natural" by Mekons Finishing up with one of the new ones. Still don't know what to make of this. It's obviously some kind of allegory.