“Thunder Road” at Hammersmith Odeon, 1975

Bruce Springsteen - “Thunder Road”

Full Lyrics: Bruce Springsteen lyrics - THUNDER ROAD [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]

The last verse of this song — particularly in this performance — has become one of my favorite things ever.

There were ghosts in the eyes
Of all the boys you sent away.
They haunt this dusty beach road
In the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets.
They scream your name at night in the street!
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet.
And, in the lonely cool before dawn,
From your room, you hear their engines roar on.
But, when you get to the porch, they’re gone on the wind.
So, Mary climb in.
It’s a town full of losers,
And I’m pulling outta here to win.

[Originally posted to KFG in October, but I’m bringing it back here because a) it’s just so insanely great, and b) I’m working on a longer post about the ‘75 Hammersmith show for the www. ]

Billy Collins - “The Best Cigarette”

Full Text: “The Best Cigarette” by Billy Collins

Interesting side note via wikip:

In 1997, [Collins] recorded The Best Cigarette, a collection of 34 of his poems that would become a bestseller. In 2005, the CD was re-released under a Creative Commons license, allowing free, non-commercial distribution of the recording.

A super classy move for somebody in the word business.

Ira Glass on Storytelling #4

This American Life’s Ira Glass, on two rookie mistakes of storytelling, including our tendency to adopt the presenting style of people we know from radio and TV.

Ted Koppel’s already on TV. They don’t need you imitating Ted Koppel.

Great line. Maybe a little unintentionally ironic to the superfans who’ve noted how much a couple of regular TAL contributors speak in Glass’s own halting, Woody Allen-esque manner.

Previously on 43f »

“Skunk Hour” by Robert Lowell

Nicely read by Tom O’Bedlam.

Lowell is one of my favorite 20th century poets, and, late in life, he was the author of a favorite quotation.

Full text: “Skunk Hour” - Poets.org

Eric Idle, on John Cleese’s Approach to Writing

John Cleese sweated every word — to the point of exhausting collaborators like Eric Idle.

In other places, I’ve heard Cleese himself talk about his work ethic within the Pythons, mentioning how Graham Chapman might slip out early to start drinking, while Cleese would stick around and revise a sketch for another half-hour or longer. Over time, he felt the extra effort was what made the difference in the enduring appeal of his material.

It also helps explain why a classic like the Cheese Shop still delights a word nerd like me. Specificity.

Frank O’Hara - “Having a Coke with You”

As Brian reminded us a while back, the title of Frank O’Hara’s book, Lunch Poems, came from the fact that he wrote much of his wonderful, breezy verse while on his lunch break while working at MoMA.

Like William Carlos Williams, Richard Hugo, and countless other of my favorite poets, some of O’Hara’s finest work was written when such writing was not his job.

Full text: Having a Coke with You by Frank O’Hara : Poetry Foundation