Talkin’ Return of the Great Gangsta Folk Scare Blues

Lyrics

[Intro] "July 13, 1985." This next—this one's better, um. It's more up to date as well, although— Um, this next song is, in case anybody doesn't know about the kind of music I'm playing you this evening, this is the traditional music of uh, Hastings, East Sussex. It's called gangsta folk. And uh, and uh, it's, you know, it's uh, it's— Well you know if the word "movement," say, could be, if that word meant only one person does it, then it'd be a movement.  And uh, this next song, this next song is called "Talkin' Return of the Great Gangsta Folk Scare Blues." Talking blues, um, and it pretty much tells the story of my life in music, which I know, you know you wanna hear. And uh, but I'm gonna play the introduction very fast because I'm able to. And then when I get to the actual song I'm gonna slow it right down because it'd be stupid. I'm really just showing off at the beginning. And uh, and it's a talking blues song, so obviously you know the words are essential. If I was "blah blah blah blah", that wouldn't be good, that would be silly. So um, "Talkin' Return of the Great Gangsta Folk Scare Blues" on the classic waxing, Dynablob One. Um, and here it is, dead fast.  [Verse 1] Well I was born in 1965 That was a damn good time to be alive Except that by the age of ten Music had turned crap again Now people wanna bring back the 70's I say, "No, give the bad music of today a chance" (Alright) [Verse 2] Then punk came round, that was pretty scary It was like a contemporary Peter, Paul and Mary Before the 80's got too far It was time for me to pick up my guitar Picked it up Looked good! [Verse 3] And all my friends turned up their noses At Freewheelin' and For The Roses Preferring image over substance A hairstyle for a musical influence All those Ultravox records, all those Flock of Seagulls records They're gathering dust But I'm still listening to Live Rust And if the 90's is the 60's turned upside down Then the 80's must have been the 60's the right way up But with half the top cut off Did you catch that? Think about it now [Verse 4] And in the town where I did live There was no one I could do hoot night with So I sat alone with my six strings And I learned how to play and sing Woody Guthrie's guitar killed fascists and crime But in the mean streets of Hastings, East Sussex My guitar killed time [Verse 5] And I got gigs opening for bands And things would get sorta outta hand Big men would yell out their derision So I developed humor as a defense mechanism How many folksingers does it take to change a light bulb? You don't know it? The answer The answer is blowin' in the wind [Verse 6] And after University I moved to the big old smoky city Got a gig opening for a friend of mine Happened to be playing my ace In the right place at the right time So I gave up my PhD I became a dustbowl folkie That's Phil Ochs, folks, not Phil Oakey Thank you very much for laughing at that, right there He was the guy in the Human League, he had a very silly haircut He never played at the Freight and Salvage, I know that's a fact [Verse 7] Then I learned the Folksinger's Prayer: Our Father Who art on Folkways Ramblin' Jack be thy name Thy Folk City come Thy will be done On CD and CD-ROM as it was on vinyl and eight-track cartridge Give us this day our daily gig And forgive us our protest As we forgive those who protest against us And lead us not into commercialism But deliver us from playing Unplugged For John Prine is the kingdom The power of the story Forever be clever A minor [Verse 8] So hey everybody, the time is near The folk revival is coming here But it's a tough thing to revive today 'Cause it never goes away And that's 'cause it's a good thing So it's time to come and claim your share It's time to re-iron your hair And in five years time you'll look back and say "I was there The Freight and Salvage, that was cool, John Wesley Harding" The return of the great gangsta folk scare Alright, thank you! [Outro] Thank you! Hold on a second, I have to get my other guitar. Hold on.  Thank you. Great. I declare this guitar in tune. Well, I'm really having a good time. Thanks for coming. I was just buying a little time there. But it's true, I am.