River in the Valley

from by Kiran Leonard

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about

god ... so ... this song is based on a story a friend told me about his university days. he went into the back room of his union pub and there were a load of rugby lads in there getting pissed up. they were in the midst of some initiation rites for a new member of the team. the newbie was laid out on the table and two of the older boys were stood over him; one at his feet with a tinnie in his end, the other with his feet between newbie's ears, facing away, with his arse out. and the boy with the tinnie took a bit, and poured it down the other boy's back, forming a beer trail that ran straight through his arse and into the open mouth of the new member.

i found this story intriguing for two reasons. first of all it's so abhorrent, macho and disgusting, not to mention hilarious. but secondly, and more importantly, it got me thinking about the new guy... what he'd done to end up in that situation, what he was looking for. we haven't all had alcohol forcefed to us siphoned through a man's arsecrack (the 'crescent pail' of the album title) but we've all felt without direction or belonging, and submitted to a maybe-not-very-smart group mentality to compensate for that void. so i decided to write a song that offered some sympathy for this poor bloke

lyrics

there is a temperament
that we all seek:
the balance of our jest,
merely a noise that
drowns out questions from the deep
a coat that plumps us up when we feel weak

and i recall that night
in the back room of a pub:
a dozen boys all suited,
built all brutalist and proud;
with athletes’ volume,
they jeered and they howled,

and laid out on their table
a newcomer,
while two stood above:
one at his legs with a can of pilsner;
one at his head, but facing away
his dress pants slung over a nearby chair

they all stood round and laughed
as a tinny’s trail
curved down the naked back
of a virile male
towards those opened jaws
through a crescent pail

there was a river in the valley
and it fell from up high
into a void and hung
for a moment in clear sky
before it reached his lips
curved in a smile-

because he knew its course
and its provenance
just to glimpse the shore
to which it may carry him;
to himself, just for a moment,
or to belonging

credits

from Monarchs of the Crescent Pail, released September 20, 2017

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Kiran Leonard Manchester, UK

FIRST TWELVE RECORDS

from saddleworth, uk ; songs writes pruelewarne.tumblr.com

al albums put in chronological order w basic descriptions of their contents, #12-1

(2012-18) ... more

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