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My Gangster

from Ramshackle Heart by Lach

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about

Lach: "This tune is actually based on a true story. There are Lower East Side/Brooklyn gangsters from the 1930's somewhere in my family tree, the stories we don't talk about. It's all a bit foggy but seemed romantic to me growing up and I was always fascinated by old black and white gangster movies with George Raft and Alan Ladd. The nightclubs, getaway cars and killer blondes.
The harp sound reminds me a bit of a cat burglar sneaking into the high rise apartment for the jewels like in the old TV show It Takes A Thief. The tail-out of the bass at the end took a few tries because Ben kept wanting to resolve the figure. "No, no," I'd explain. "Just keep playing and it'll tail out" I knew I'd have the car whooshing sound coming in again only this time it could be a plane taking off into the next song, Blue Overcoat, continuing the wet, cold rainy film noir feel of urban night."

lyrics

My Gangster

There’s a gangster in my family tree somewhere
At times I hear his laughter and I wonder what he’s after in there
And his limo drives my dreams
Like an actor drives a scene
Gets out with a machine-gun and asks if I'd like some fun
He knows my answer because he’s living inside my head
He’s a cancer and he’ll live until I'm dead

Shiny leather blacktops on the ivory white dance floor
Everything stops when my gangster walks through the door
He motions to the maestro start the band up once more
Everything goes back to the way that it was before
Except everybody’s sitting around like a pack of hungry jurors
While my gangster, the only dancer, he waltzes away the hours

Bang, bang you’re dead, get the money and run
A gangster ain’t a gentleman and an outlaw ain’t no fun
And a baby’s a genius though a short-lived one
Like a rainstorm in a desert a challenge to the sun
A question left unanswered because now the dark night has come
My gangster is loaded he carries a gun
My gangster don’t do nothing for no one
He rides the sideboard straight into heaven
He lives life like life was religion
And if you don’t get it it won’t be given

credits

from Ramshackle Heart, released February 14, 2013
Lach - Vocals, Guitars, Harp

Ben Hall - Bass

Caroline Banks - Drums

James Humphries - Congas, Bongos

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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 ... more

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