Turn on the TV here in Britain these days and it’s non stop Election coverage.
Opinion Poll after Opinion Poll contradicting each other.
Who’s up? Who’s down?
Leaders debates (but not including all the leaders)
Interviews, Hustings. Meet The People. Manifestos.
Dreadful, heart sinking phrases :
’We have been very clear about our policy ….’
‘We inherited a terrible situation …’
’We have had to make some very hard choices …’
Every time I hear one of these phrases I take out my trusty Air Horn and give it a long, loud blast.
Somehow it makes me feel better!
A friend said that an Election Campaign heralds an avalanche of Nonsense sure to bury us all.
I disagree.
Election campaigns herald Evasions, Elisions, Diversions, Fantasies, Fakery and outright Lies rather than Nonsense.
I’m in favour of Nonsense :
Give me plenty of that kind of Nonsense!
I find that the best defence against the political pollution relentlessly assailing me is to combine regular blasts on the Horn with loud declamations of The Jabberwocky swiftly followed by my own take on an all time Nonsense Classic, ‘Surfing Bird’ by The Trashmen.
Turn your volume controls to Max and sing along with gusto!
Roll over Tristan Tzara tell Roland Barthes the news!
Notes :
Surfing Bird was released in November 1963 and surged to No 4 on Billboard.
Clearly it owes much to two tracks by The Rivingtons : Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow and The Bird’s The Word. Hence the songwriting credit to Al Frazier, Carl White, Sonny Harris and Turner Wilson.
However, i salute Trashmen drummer and vocalist Steve Wahrer for taking the raw material of two fine songs and through an act of crazed creativity producing an immortal record.
In addition to Steve Wahrer The Trashmen comprised guitarists Tony Andreason and Dal Winslow and bassist Bob Reed.
A-well-a everybody’s heard about the bird!
Bird bird bird, b-bird’s the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, bird is the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, well-a bird is the word
A-well-a bird bird bird, b-bird’s the word
The Immortal Jukebox 
Every day I tell my cat (whose name is “Bird”) “You know, the bird is the word!” In case you were wondering, the cat is named for Charlie Parker. Our other two cats are named Bix and Monk.
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Proper Jazz Babies. I might go for Pepper, Yancy and Bechet! Regards Thom.
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Politics are one thing; but the hate that I am witnessing coming out of what use to be a symbol of America, is something the loudest air horn cannot erase.
Now to your post. Here in Minneapolis/St. Paul, before Dylan being recognized and way before Prince, we had two home grown groups that youngsters my age took pride in, our contribution to the emerging rock and roll scene. The Trashmen and Augie Garcia. Such memories. Thanks, Thom.
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Thanks Don. I’ll have to check out Augus. Regards Thom.
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I feel your pain, things are just as crazy here in the U.S., however I have been able to channel my emotions in the positive, like writing.
Bought the Surfin’ Bird single when I was 12; it’s been a lifetime favorite ever since – never get tired of hearing it.
Here’s my version of what the Surfin’ Bird looks like and some of his “novelty” friends:
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Thanks a lot!
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