Lyr Add: Turkey Song/Turkish Song of the Damned

Subject: Lyr Add: Turkey Song/Turkish Song of the Damned
From: GUEST,The Damned: The Turkey Song
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 02:51 PM

Followers of Shane MacGowan and the Pogues,
have you all heard the story of how
they wrote the title before they wrote the song?

Actually, the story varies somewhat, but all the stories agree
that the title,
"The Turkish Song of the Damned", was first to be written,
and the lyrics, by Shane MacGowan, came afterwards.

Some other points of agreement:
The Pogues were touring continental Europe, and in between gigs
they looked at magazines and journalism in newspapers and wherever.
During gigs, fans in the audience might request a song by name.

Somehow or other, while performing for German-language audiences,
the subject of the punk band, The Damned, came up.
And so did "The Turkey Song," a B-side on a single by The Damned.

A twist was put on the subject because the writer - or speaker,
depending on which story variation you hear -
was German, with English not the native language.
And instead of saying
'The Turkey Song' by 'The Damned,'
the statement / article quote came out:
'The Turkish Song Of The Damned.'

The lyrics of the Pogues song are quite another matter,
and anybody else is free to comment or enlarge upon them.

As for me, I had to look at this whole business of
a song by The Damned.
See next post.

Subject: Lyr Add: Turkey Song (B-side, The Damned)
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 02:56 PM

I apologize, everybody.
GUEST above is me, keberoxu, and I knew better ...
I have absolutely no explanation or excuse. I'm so sorry.

SO:
here's the studio version of the The Damned singing
"The Turkey Song."

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Turkey Song/Turkish Song of the Damned
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 03:04 PM

According to the Wikipedia article on the album by The Damned,
"The Turkey Song" has lead vocals
sung by Captain Sensible, for what that's worth.

To make things even more complicated:
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today", from the
album Machine Gun Etiquette,
was released as a single;
"The Turkey Song" was the single's B-side,
but it seems that the original album
left off "The Turkey Song."

When the album was re-issued in a 25th anniversary edition -
again, according to Wikipedia -
THEN they deigned to include "The Turkey Song."

To be continued.

Subject: Lyr Add: TURKEY SONG (The Damned)
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 03:15 PM

TURKEY SONG
by Raymond Ian Burns, Christopher John Millar, David Vanian, Alasdair Mackie Ward


There's a turkey in your house
Get him out
Get the turkey out
Get him out of the house
Get him out
(repeat)

CHORUS
Get -- tur - key --
out of the house
Get turkey out of the house
Get him out
Get the turkey out
Get him out

There's a rhino in the room
Get him out
Get him out of the room
Get the rhino out
Get him out
(repeat)

CHORUS
Get -- rhi - no --
out of the room
Get rhino out of the room
Get him out
Get the rhino out
Get him out

FINAL CHORUS
Get -- tur - key --
out of the house
Get turkey out of the house
Get him out
Get the turkey out
Get him out
Get that turkey out

--Copyright Rock Music Co., Ltd. 1979?

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Turkey Song/Turkish Song of the Damned
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 04:55 PM

... that's quite the little earworm, that song is.

Let's see if I can get Shane MacGowan's
magisterial lyrics in the next post.

Subject: Lyr Add: TURKISH SONG OF THE DAMNED (The Pogues)
From: keberoxu
Date: 03 Nov 19 - 05:18 PM

TURKISH SONG OF THE DAMNED
By Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan

I come, old friend, from Hell tonight, across the rotting sea
Nor the nails of the cross, nor the blood of Christ can bring you hope this eve
The dead have come to claim a debt from thee
They stand outside your door fourscore and three

CHORUS

You remember when the ship went down, you left me on the deck
The captain's corpse jumped up and threw his arms around my neck
For all these years I've had him on my back
This debt cannot be paid with all your jack

CHORUS

And as I sit and talk to you, I see your face go white
This shadow hanging over me is no trick of the light
The spectre on my back will soon be free
The dead have come to claim a debt from thee

CHORUS
Did you keep a watch for the dead man's wind
Did you see the woman with the comb in her hand
Wailing away on the wall on the strand
As you danced to the Turkish song of the damned

-- from If I Should Fall from Grace with God (1988)

under copyright: Perfect Songs, perhaps?



AND

here's an unusual video to go with the song.

graphic art by Roel Seidell, The Netherlands