the rock & roll uncanny

Behind a coat of arms and guilded lies - know.
The crown prepares the sacrifice
And she prepares to die oh
Radiant and beautiful she's taken in her prime
Oh executioner atone for all your crimes now

Written and released several months before the Paul Burril-released letter in late October that documented Princess Diana's own prediction of her untimely demise, it certainly gives one pause. Might Jaz not be full of shit after all?

And war is always a relevant subject. Search: Homer, et. al.

This had to be mentioned...

I certainly don't recall their response to the Royal Wedding in 1981 as having been entirely supportive!

AND WE WERE !!!

"Flying high and drinking
To the goddess on the stage
You're such a damaged baby
You're the paparzi's dream
A front-page-perfect princess
You hit the high life scene
Where you apply your lipstick and mascara to a scream

Blame it on your heritage
You've done it times before
But a prejudice won't extinguish
the flames around your door
Someone lies beside you
Now you see that it is you
And you pray that these good ambulence men
Know how to use the glue

And the stars
Are calling you home"

Smashed Princess
David J.
1992

I don't think it's so much that they're fans of Lady Die, but rather that they're keen on exposing the might-be crimes of the Royal Family.

Well easy sleazy
In and out and back again
Feel a power running through me
And I'm alive and kicking
I accept submission
To the pleasures of the flesh
And the joy of pain
Satisfy me satisfy
Live like kings and queens

Back to square one, and the old school backfire
It's just begun, let's watch the blind eyes turning
Stains on the wall, been waiting far too long now
Nice day, blue sky, I watch them shrug their shoulders
Tighten the grip (getting tighter)
Now see the ball is rolling
We take delight, it's been a long wait for this moment.

Time moves on and then you notice
The ground starts to tremble beneath your feet
Man killed man and blood was shed (yawn!)
And the gasps of relief at human nature like
Follow the leaders
(look at the leaders)

Ha, Ha and thrice Ha!

(what comes after cubed?)

The dollar went down and the President said
Whos in charge, now? I dont know, take your pick.
A new disease every day and the old ones are coming back
Things are looking kind of gray, like theyre going to black

Dont turn on the TV, dont show me the paper
(I) dont want to know he got kidnapped or why they all raped her
I want to go on vacation till the pressure lets up
But they keep hijacking airplanes and blowing them up

(Refrain)
Its been a hard day on the planet
How much is it all worth?
Its getting harder to understand it
Things are tough all over on earth.

Its hot in December and cold in July
When it rains it pours out of a poisonous sky
In California the body counts keep getting higher
Its evil out there, man that state is always on fire.

Everyone has a system, but they cant seem to win
Even Bob Geldorf looks alarmingly thin
I got to get on that shuttle get me out of this place
But theres gonna be warfare up there in outer space
(Refrain)
Ive got clothes on my back and shoes on my feet
A roof over my head and something to eat
My kids are all healthy and my folks are alive
You know, its amazing but sometimes I think Ill survive

Ive got all of my fingers and all of my toes
Im pretty well off I guess, I suppose
So how come I feel bad so much of the time?
A man aint an islandJohn Dunn wasnt lying
(Refrain)
Its business as usual; some things never change
Its unfair, its tough, unkind and its strange
We dont seem to learn; we cant seem to stop
Maybe some explosions would close up the shop

You know, maybe that would be fine: we would be off the hook
We resolved all our problems, never mind what it took
And it all would be over, finito, the end
Until the survivers started up all over again
(Refrain)

Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's original release date was supposed to have been Sept. 11, 2001. The song on that album that really messes me up w/ re: to this is the lyric "tall buildings shake/voices escape singing sad sad songs" from "Ashes of American Flags".

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005YXZH.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

"War On War"
...
There's a war on war
You're gonna lose
...

"Jesus, etc."
Jesus, don't cry
You can rely on me, honey
You can combine anything you want
I'll be around
You were right about the stars
Each one is a setting sun

Tall buildings shake
Voices escape singing sad sad songs
tuned to chords
Strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around

Don't cry
You can rely on me honey
You can come by any time you want
I'll be around
You were right about the stars
Each one is a setting sun

Tall buildings shake
Voices escape singing sad sad songs
tuned to chords
Strung down your cheeks
Bitter melodies turning your orbit around

Voices whine
Skyscrapers are scraping together
Your voice is smoking
Last cigarettes are all you can get
Turning your orbit around

- Vivid imagery of the skyscrapers falling and people jumping out - this affecting many people's lives ("turning your orbit...") and then the optimism of "Hey everyone, it's alright, we'll get through this disaster." Really seemed like the perfect post-9/11 song.

"Ashes of American Flags"
...
I would like to salute the ashes of American flags
...

Tracks 3, 4, and 5, respectively.

The sword of thruth is just another weapon
Let me live for one more second
I see a woman she's holding flowers
A bouquet of roses that are blood red
From a burning building, a man leaps to his death
I stand above these mansions of the death
Red tombs and above us looms
The Tower

I see red
I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye

Radiowaves curve and cross
I stand below them - Lost !
Above me is a black obelisk
And the dangers that i risk
Here gather the ghosts of the mind
That tear my heard and here i find
All that traps that have been set
Everything i would forget, beneath
The Tower

I see red
I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye

Violence is close at hand
You are damned if you do
And if you don't - Dammed !
A red eye, A tyrant full of hate
Glares from the sky, It's captive state
If it should blink ordeviate
A thousand words would obliterate
I do not move, nor do i speak
Beneath that hard and pitiless peak
Of concrete , steel and antennae wheels
The Tower

I see red
I see a tower against the sky
Beneath a red unblinking eye