I don't think Julian Cope's first two solo albums generally get the attention and credit they deserve. I'd rank them with the two Teardrop Explodes albums which I rate very highly. They document a certain kind of English eccentricity better than anything I can think of. He also had a remarkable way with melody and words. I saw him play around the release of the third which brought him briefly back into the UK charts. He played at the university campus where I was studying. 1986 or '87. My girlfriend at the time and I were very enamoured of him. I seem to remember the NME cover below on her wall at the time. We planted ourselves in front of the stage. Julian had a particular stage gimmick round about this time an extended microphone stand with a stool halfway up which he would perch on and swivel when the mood took him. Julian announced that this song would be next which resulted in her letting out a 'Waaaauuuugggghhhh!' at which point he came swooping offstage clutching his new mic and responded with a 'Waaaauuuugggghhhh!' of his own inches from her face. Brushes with fame.
'Busy at home
I was happy for a while
But the joke is over
Looking down
At the carefully laid out infamy
Take a scythe, take a scythe,
To the rotting core
Of man-vegetaton
Now I sigh
At the cool cool attitude to ignorance
The look in your eye
When you gave this to me
Just put me on my guard
In this elegant chaos
I stand to one side
Shouting “ha”
Was I forced into this?
Or was it given to me?
It’s a nice idea -
As a gift
Or as something to try for a while
70 years?
It’s neither one thing nor the other
My big fear
Is to dig it at last
And have it taken away
The look in your eyes
When you gave this to me
Just put me on my guard
In this elegant chaos
I stand to one side
It’s not a problem of secrecy
I take it in my stride
Did I learn to breathe to be killed like this?
Faces to the glass
I see them televise my death
Oh, and here comes the part
Where I break down and cry.
People I see
Just remind me of mooing
Like a cow on the grass
And that’s not to say
That there’s anything wrong
With being a cow anyway
But people are people
With the added advantage
Of the spoken word
We’re getting on fine
But I feel more of a man
When I get with the herd.'
I was happy for a while
But the joke is over
Looking down
At the carefully laid out infamy
Take a scythe, take a scythe,
To the rotting core
Of man-vegetaton
Now I sigh
At the cool cool attitude to ignorance
The look in your eye
When you gave this to me
Just put me on my guard
In this elegant chaos
I stand to one side
Shouting “ha”
Was I forced into this?
Or was it given to me?
It’s a nice idea -
As a gift
Or as something to try for a while
70 years?
It’s neither one thing nor the other
My big fear
Is to dig it at last
And have it taken away
The look in your eyes
When you gave this to me
Just put me on my guard
In this elegant chaos
I stand to one side
It’s not a problem of secrecy
I take it in my stride
Did I learn to breathe to be killed like this?
Faces to the glass
I see them televise my death
Oh, and here comes the part
Where I break down and cry.
People I see
Just remind me of mooing
Like a cow on the grass
And that’s not to say
That there’s anything wrong
With being a cow anyway
But people are people
With the added advantage
Of the spoken word
We’re getting on fine
But I feel more of a man
When I get with the herd.'
Cope
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