Saturday, March 10, 2007

Fionn Regan - Put a Penny in The Slot



I apologise,
seem to have arrived,
On what items in my bag from your house.
There's cutlery,
a tablecloth, some Hennessy,
And a book on Presidents deceased.
I'll have them fed-exed to you,
It was a strange thing to do,
I hope we can still be friends.
Ah, it was not me,
but someone else, you see,
Twisting the steering reins.

Put a penny in the slot and make an
artificial li-ii-iight shine,
Leave go-ooo. Mark old and line.

I don't give advise,
But be wise and think twice,
Before getting involved in a game.
Where the minority
Face the majority,
Who are faceless and born without names.
Was it knock synch when
we came across three men,
They had church candles wrapped in newspaper.
I bought two from them,
And I'll lit one for you,
I hope the message made it's way down the wire.

Put a penny in the slot and make an
artificial li-ii-iight shine,
Leave go-ooo. Mark old and line.

The soul of a dog,
he's alive and not gone
To the farm like the others said.
A Rhodesian ridgeback,
Off the beaten track,
In a furniture shop down on the quays.
For the loneliness you foster,
I suggest Paul Auster,
A book called Timbuktu.

Put a penny in the slot and watch the
Drunken sailor boy dance.
She will not let you be
Her lov-ver.
She goes out looking for
The taxi.
Her phone is ringing straight to
Message-minder.
Send out a battalion to
Find her.

Put a penny in the slot and count the
Swans through a te-elescope.
I can't help from cryin'
I wish you were mine.

When I was seventeen,
I followed my dream,
Up into a high-rise block.
The adventures of Augie March,
By Saul Bel-low,
Was all I had for company.
At night time I'd lie
In Beckingham park,
With tears like flashbulbs.
And recall my treasure-
Searching days,
In the rock pools as a kid.

To the remains of
The cherub plains,
Or around the bonfire in Nailors’ cove.
Good company and grief
Sit like a dock leaf,
Sits beside a stinging nett-le.

Put a penny in the slot and make an
artificial li-ii-iight shi-iine,
Leave go-ooo. My golden arm

5 comments:

Ayça said...

This is amazing, and the lyrics reminds me that i don't like trademark-verbs like "fed-exing" or more commonly "googling".

Kate said...

Just a few corrections:

"A Rhodesian ridgeback" is a type of dog, a richback is not.

Paul Auster, not Oster.

Beckingham park??

"Sit like a DOCK leaf,
Sits beside a stinging nett-le"

Cheers x

Ayça said...

I've just made the corrections, thank you very much :)

Sadhbh @ Where Wishes Come From said...

Hi, I have a few 'local' insights into these lyrics.(I'm from the same town as Fionn and my Dad and his Dad are mates)
Can I submit a few corrections please?

Was it knock synch when
should be
Was it Knocksink when (Knocksink is a wood in Wicklow)

To the remains of the cherub plains
should be
To the remains of the chair-o-planes (these were a feature of the funfair that came to Bray seaside every year)

Or the bonfire around Nailors' cove
Nailors' should be spelled Naylors' (petty I know, but it's named for my family who once owned it!)
Cheers...

Ayça said...

sadhbh thank you very much :)