"Gimme Some Truth"

 


As anyone knows who peruses the Pond with any consistency, my favourite band of all time is "The Fab 4." Back in the day, John and Paul delighted yours truly together as a song-writing duo, and later when they went solo. John with the acerbic wit and introspective musings; and Paul, the balladeer, who could also belt out a "Helter Skelter."

This year marks the 25th anniversary of his death. I had been the Manager of H.W. for little over a year at the time, so 25 years seems like a looooooong time ago. Yet in the grand scheme of things it's a drop in the bucket.

John wrote some great lyrics and some quite bizarre ones. Not many people know of his "Woman is the Nigger of the World" song, for example. The lyrics for "Gimme Some Truth" are Great. Apologies to Tony the Tiger. Written during the hey-day of Dick "Sock It To Me" Nixon, circa 1971.

No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of tricky dicky
Is gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocketful of hope

and....

I’m sick to death of seeing things
From tight-lipped, condescending, mama’s little chauvinists
All I want is the truth
Just gimme some truth now

I’ve had enough of watching scenes
Of schizophrenic, ego-centric, paranoiac, prima-donnas
All I want is the truth now
Just gimme some truth

and there was "God:"

God is a concept,
By which we measure,
Our pain,
I don't believe in magic,
I don't believe in I-ching,
I don't believe in bible,
I don't believe in tarot,
I don't believe in Hitler,
I don't believe in Jesus,
I don't believe in Kennedy,
I don't believe in Buddha,
I don't believe in mantra,
I don't believe in Gita,
I don't believe in yoga,
I don't believe in kings,
I don't believe in Elvis,
I don't believe in Zimmerman,
I don't believe in Beatles,
I just believe in me,
Yoko and me,
And that's reality.

I grew up listening to these tunes. If I have a creative side, it explains my attraction to Lennon/McCartney. Before John died, he had decided to tour again. What a treat we all missed, because I would have travelled anywhere to see him. It would have been just like starting over. v.c.

P.S. In My Life

There are places I’ll remember
All my life though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone and some remain
All these places have their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life I’ve loved them all

But of all these friends and lovers
There is no one compares with you
And these memories lose their meaning
When I think of love as something new
Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more

Though I know I’ll never lose affection
For people and things that went before
I know I’ll often stop and think about them
In my life I love you more
In my life I love you more