In praise of John Cooper Clarke

[rollinder]

it's been asked on here before but does the Fucking version listed on on lyrics sites as Evedentally Chicken Town actually exist?

 

[Annierak]

11:30pm on Thursday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/pip/242oq/

Oh excellent, can't wait for that

 

[strummerville]

You can't have a John Cooper Clarke thread without Chickentown:

the bloody cops are bloody keen
to bloody keep it bloody clean
the bloody chief's a bloody swine
who bloody draws a bloody line
at bloody fun and bloody games
the bloody kids he bloody blames
are nowehere to be bloody found
anywhere in chicken town
the bloody scene is bloody sad
the bloody news is bloody bad
the bloody weed is bloody turf
the bloody speed is bloody surf
the bloody folks are bloody daft
don't make me bloody laugh
it bloody hurts to look around
everywhere in chicken town
the bloody train is bloody late
you bloody wait you bloody wait
you're bloody lost and bloody found
stuck in fucking chicken town
the bloody view is bloody vile
for bloody miles and bloody miles
the bloody babies bloody cry
the bloody flowers bloody die
the bloody food is bloody muck
the bloody drains are bloody fucked
the colour scheme is bloody brown
everywhere in chicken town
the bloody pubs are bloody dull
the bloody clubs are bloody full
of bloody girls and bloody guys
with bloody murder in their eyes
a bloody bloke is bloody stabbed
waiting for a bloody cab
you bloody stay at bloody home
the bloody neighbors bloody moan
keep the bloody racket down
this is bloody chicken town
the bloody train is bloody late
you bloody wait you bloody wait
you're bloody lost and bloody found
stuck in fucking chicken town
the bloody pies are bloody old
the bloody chips are bloody cold
the bloody beer is bloody flat
the bloody flats have bloody rats
the bloody clocks are bloody wrong
the bloody days are bloody long
it bloody gets you bloody down
evidently chicken town

Good call. This was used at the end of one of The Sopranos episodes. Must have earnt him a few quid.

 

[futha]

my mate randomly started talking to him once without realising it was him and he gave her his address and number and stuff. it was only the morning after she realised she has been talking to john cooper clarke

 

[fishfinger]

it's been asked on here before but does the Fucking version listed on on lyrics sites as Evedentally Chicken Town actually exist?

Yes it does. It's on the soundtrack to "Control".

 

[Kaka Tim]

The PROPER version of Chicken town.

the fucking cops are fucking keen
to fucking keep it fucking clean
the fucking chief's a fucking swine
who fucking draws a fucking line
at fucking fun and fucking games
the fucking kids he fucking blames
are nowehere to be fucking found
anywhere in chicken town

the fucking scene is fucking sad
the fucking news is fucking bad
the fucking weed is fucking turf
the fucking speed is fucking surf
the fucking folks are fucking daft
don't make me fucking laugh
it fucking hurts to look around
everywhere in chicken town

the fucking train is fucking late
you fucking wait you fucking wait
you're fucking lost and fucking found
stuck in fucking chicken town

the fucking view is fucking vile
for fucking miles and fucking miles
the fucking babies fucking cry
the fucking flowers fucking die
the fucking food is fucking muck
the fucking drains are fucking fucked
the colour scheme is fucking brown
everywhere in chicken town

the fucking pubs are fucking dull
the fucking clubs are fucking full
of fucking girls and fucking guys
with fucking murder in their eyes
a fucking bloke is fucking stabbed
waiting for a fucking cab

you fucking stay at fucking home
the fucking neighbors fucking moan
keep the fucking racket down
this is fucking chicken town
the fucking train is fucking late
you fucking wait you fucking wait
you're fucking lost and fucking found
stuck in fucking chicken town

the fucking pies are fucking old
the fucking chips are fucking cold
the fucking beer is fucking flat
the fucking flats have fucking rats
the fucking clocks are fucking wrong
the fucking days are fucking long
it fucking gets you fucking down
evidently chicken town



Replacing all the fuckings with bloodys - who the fuck did that!!???!

Utter vandalism -

 

[William of Walworth]

JCC -- Genius.

First saw this thread this morning but only last night , I was listening to The Very Best Of with most of those classics in it (only the clean vesion of Chickentown tho' ).

Some weird remixes with music I hadn't heard before included, but the words come through! Oh yes!

Saw him life last year -- fantastic. He will be at Beautiful Days this year

 

[peterkro]

JCC sometime Brixtonite by the way.

 

[belboid]

Anyone here familiar with Beasley Street ?

he did a very good an updated version last time I saw him ,to take account of the redevelopment of the area since he wrote it. Can't remember any of the lines now, except it was now Beasley Boulevard

 

[Part 2]

Just spotted this one.

I love JCC, if anyone can interest kids in poetry it has to be him. Hire Car is a favourite, he does a few top jokes too.

A few years ago I saw him at the comedy store in mcr, he was pissed as fuck and pretty shit tbh.

Within weeks I also saw a play about JCC at The Salford Arms by Neil Bell (he's the tall fella in Dead Mans Shoes for those that have seen it, if not why not?). he was better at JCC than the real thing.

 

[northernhord]

Top Notch bloke is Johnny Clarke, last time I saw him was at the kings Arms Pub on Bloom Street in Salford where he played for white wine martini and soda water instead of payment.

 

[alexjames]

Did he die or is this just a spontaneous act of praise?

Great poet

 

[Part 2]

Top Notch bloke is Johnny Clarke, last time I saw him was at the kings Arms Pub on Bloom Street in Salford where he played for white wine martini and soda water instead of payment.

Ahhh The Kings Arms was where I saw the play.

top venue.

 

[northernhord]

Ahhh The Kings Arms was where I saw the play.

top venue.

Great Pub too, they were a freehouse the last time I sank a few there

 

[Maggot]

11:30pm on Thursday
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/pip/242oq/

That was an excellent programme, despite being presented by Paul morley. And it was on at 11.30AM

I recommend you listen again.

 

[Annierak]

Did he die or is this just a spontaneous act of praise?

Great poet

Totally spontaneous act of praise. Praise the Cooper Clarke!

 

[moose]

He supported the Fall last week in Salford, and I couldn't go

 

[Part 2]

Aye, missed that one meself. It wa sounds from the other city last weekend and I missed that too

 

[Annierak]

He supported the Fall last week in Salford, and I couldn't go

Did he? Oh bollocks . Went to see The Fall in Liverpool in march but JCC didn't support them there

 

[Stanley Edwards]

He's not a performer, but he is a great poet IMO.

Good to see people talking about him. Chicken Town is class. I'd forgotten about him until Firky posted something here a couple of months ago. Still as relevant as ever.

 

[subversplat]

My favorite poet

TWAT...

That song came on my random playlist while I was doing the cleaning last night. Made me smile

 

[Annierak]

That song came on my random playlist while I was doing the cleaning last night. Made me smile