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Blue Monk

from Blang! by Lach

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    The ultimate antifolk album by the movement's founder. "Excellent! Blang! is required listening!"-Allmusic.com. "Triumphant! A wholly enjoyable voyage into a strange and brilliant musical mind!"-Billboard, “Don’t just listen to this album, study it, marvel at it then you can relax and enjoy” -Songwriter’s Monthly,
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about

SONG NOTES: I dreamt there was a line of people trying to get into a beautiful Japanese Zen garden. Someone said an enlightened monk in the middle of the garden could grant your heart's desire. However, the monk was so holy and beautiful that you would be too enraptured to remember what you wanted. I got in line and kept repeating my wish over and over (embarrassingly, it was to get a really good record deal). When it was finally my turn to sit with the monk I was completely overwhelmed by his kind and joyful pres¬ence. After thanking him for meeting with me I left the garden for¬getting to ask my wish. I woke up, wrote the song and it ended up on this record. Maybe I got my wish after all.

STUDIO NOTES: I wanted it to be like a New Orleans' funeral march and Geoff sug¬gested we bang on a whole bunch of pots and pans, I went into the studio equipment room and came back with a percussion box filled with assorted symbols, bells, triangles and beads. I draped everyone with various gear, we marched and danced around a central micro¬phone making a huge racket and having a blast. The honky-tonk piano sound is a detuned electric piano mixed with a grand piano. For the French horn we had our classically trained musician "warm-up and play along with the tape." With the song over we said "Thank you, got it!" He complained that he didn't know we were recording, surely we weren't going to keep it, it was just noise. "No, it's perfect the way it is!" We said. He looked at us in horror, picked up his gear, shook his head and headed back to the orches¬tra where things were done right!

lyrics

The Blue Monk

I got a need to go out fighting
Got a need to go out in song
Got a need to go on righting
Everything that has gone wrong
But a blue monk he sits beaming
In a garden of pearl and wine
He lives a life without needing
And everything just turns out fine
I want to be with the blue monk

The blue monk he is dancing
Amongst lilacs, lilies and birds
He don't need nothing
He just lives off the fragrance of words
I want to be with the blue monk
So, give me a powerful trumpet
I want to blow my pain away
Because all this restless anger
It’ll be the death of me

Hey, you can ask him for anything
There's a line outside his gate
Of people with desires
For things that just won't wait
But once they finally meet him
All the world just disappears
And the only thing you be wanting
Is for him to keep you near
I want to be with the blue monk

Give me Heaven's hot water
I want to wash the sins from me
I just want to start over
In the blue monk's company

I want to be the blue monk
Blue monk
Blue monk
You must learn the ways
Of the blue monk

©1998

credits

from Blang!, released November 11, 2013
Lach - Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards, Piano, Percussion
Geoff Notkin - Bass, Percussion
Billy Ficca - Drums, Percussion
Stewart Schuelle - French Horn

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about

Lach Edinburgh, UK

Lach, founder of the Antifolk movement and star of BBC Radio 4's The Lach Chronicles.

‘Beat-punk-unplugged joy!’-The Guardian UK

‘Splendid! Best of it's kind!’- Mojo

‘Incredibly bright, influential, funny, poetic.’-Suzanne Vega

‘Best punk guitarist since Johnny Ramone.’-Billy Ficca of Televis
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