Title: Sport 42: 2014

Editor: Fergus Barrowman

Publication details: Fergus Barrowman, 2014, Wellington

Part of: Sport

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Sport 42: 2014

Bill Manhire

page 130

Bill Manhire

Bridle Song

Excellent horse-like lady
you know you drive me crazy
wouldn’t you want to be my baby
wouldn’t you want to be my baby
and run around like you were crazy too

pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue

They say a good commander commandeers the view
(the horseback view, the horseback view)
I was busy commandeering, there was nothing I was fearing
I never thought of running into you
Excellent horse-like lady, excellent horse-like lady
please tell me that you’re commandeering too

pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue

Excellent horse-like lady
your haunches drive me crazy
you’re noodles and you’re gravy
you’re noodles and you’re gravy
Oh come and stir that gravy into stew

She’s a virgin on a stallion!
she’s the general’s embrace!
she’s everything we tell him!
she’s Mozambique and Melbourne!
she’s Bamiyan and Belgium!
she’s a general, a general disgrace!
page 131 pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says we haven’t got a clue

Oh the saddle and the bridle
and the way your body idles
each time you see me sidle up to you
I was feeling fairly tribal
like a wise man in the Bible
till that fateful day I cantered into you

pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says there’s something wrong with you!

Excellent horse-like lady
my body’s slow and shaky
like a horse that might be turning into glue
I tried to hold the line but I lost the tribal spine
yes I lost the tribal spine
I’ve a bullet here made specially for you

pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says he’s got his eye on you
pyong-yang-a-lang, pyong-yang-a-loo
dear leader says he’s coming soon for you

repeat, hoofbeats, gunfire

page 132

My First Hit

I woke up in another lover’s song.

It said: are you a good person or a bad person?
and where you were during the instrumental?
I can’t decide I can’t decide

Guess I’ll wait around in the chorus
it’s the one place where I miss you
one place where I miss you

Now love yes it makes me guess at the world
Love makes my tears to fall
from this other song I’m listening to

It’s true, it’s true, it’s true
don’t like the elephant
don’t like the monkey
don’t like the king
don’t like the flunky

rpt

They’ve all walked in from another song
from another lover’s song
A melody like that you can’t go wrong
it’s sad to wake up in another lover’s song

page 133

Gold Goes Platinum

The necessary thing, where did it go
oh oh oh oh
each night the moonlight’s saying no
no no no no

I was trying to read Stalky & Co
I was trying to read Stalky & Co
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh

I lost my place I was losing face
I don’t like Rudyard Kipling
but man that man can sing

Rikkitikkitavi
you’re so charming
Rikkitikkitavi
oh my darling

Rikkitikkitavi
you’re so charming
Rikkitikkitavi
oh my darling

I can’t believe your tender kiss
I can’t believe your tenderness
The end of empire is a special emptiness
The end of empire is a special emptiness