To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=137880
34 messages

BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly

16 May 11 - 04:35 AM (#3154902)
Subject: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: GUEST

Come down, come down, Red Molly, called Sergeant McRae
                For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery
                Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside
                Come down, Red Molly to his dying bedside
        
So if James Adie got a shotgun blast in the chest during an armed robbery that he was 'taken for', who shot him? Or was it a clumsy accident?


16 May 11 - 04:52 AM (#3154911)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: GUEST,Chris B 9Born Again Scouser)

I wouldn't worry. It's only a song.


16 May 11 - 05:30 AM (#3154927)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: catspaw49

He had a used shotgun he bought from Wiley Coyote that had originally been purchased from the Acme U-Barrel Shotgun Company...........or more probably had been shot by authorities when being apprehended.......or even more probably, I don't give a shit.................


Spaw


16 May 11 - 05:48 AM (#3154939)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: akenaton

Anyway...it was a "lightning"


16 May 11 - 06:02 AM (#3154947)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: TheSnail

He was remarkably loquacious for someone who'd had a "Shotgun blast hit his chest, left nothing inside"


16 May 11 - 06:24 AM (#3154952)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: open mike

yes, the song is 1952 Vincent Black Lightning...by Richard Thompson.... covered by many including a killer bluegrass version by
The Del McCoury Band

The Vincent Black Lightning was a racing version of the Black Shadow, .
Around 30 Vincent Black Lightnings were built during 1949-52. ..


16 May 11 - 06:36 AM (#3154957)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bee-dubya-ell

"Taken" as in "taken in", copspeak for "arrested".

I suppose Mr. Thompson could have written the lyric "They've arrested young James Adie for armed robbery", but he didn't.


16 May 11 - 06:44 AM (#3154966)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Richard Bridge

So when did the police in the UK carry shotguns, that's the point isn't it?


16 May 11 - 07:02 AM (#3154981)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: McGrath of Harlow

"According to the most recent figures for England and Wales, there are 138,728 people certificated to hold firearms and they own 435,383 weapons. There are 574,946 shotgun certificates which cover 1.4 million shotguns. (From here)


16 May 11 - 07:11 AM (#3154985)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bee-dubya-ell

UK police may not routinely have shotguns in their patrol vehicles, but what if a robbery went bad and the perpetrator refused to surrender? Wouldn't special tactics officers be called in? Wouldn't they have shotguns?


16 May 11 - 08:09 AM (#3155021)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: catspaw49

Richard still lives in the Blunderbuss era................


Spaw


16 May 11 - 08:36 AM (#3155040)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: theleveller

Armed Response Officers in the UK don't use shotguns - much too indiscriminate - and I don't think that they ever have (although I could be wrong on that). In most instances nowadays they use Tasars backed up with dogs. Not sure what era the song is set in but I don't think our police ever went around blasting away with shotguns.


16 May 11 - 08:52 AM (#3155052)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: McGrath of Harlow

Nothing in the song that says it was a policeman using the shotgun, is there?


16 May 11 - 09:15 AM (#3155068)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Midchuck

Del's version changed, as far as I can hear, one word and one only. "...down to Boxhill they did ride" was changed to "...down to Knoxville.." That moves the action to the US, and many US police do travel with shotguns - not carried on their persons, but in the trunk of the cruiser.

The point that no one who took a "shotgun blast to the chest," assuming buckshot was involved, would survive more than a few seconds, and that he/she would not be able to speak, in any event, is a good one. But I recall from high school, more than half a century ago, being puzzled by how many of the best-known speeches in Shakespeare were made by characters in the process of dying of mortal wounds, and asking the teacher, "Doesn't anyone ever just say 'ouch' and die?" Surely Thompson should be allowed as much artistic license as Bill gets...

P


16 May 11 - 09:28 AM (#3155077)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bonzo3legs

That was stupid of McCoury, the story is set around Boxhill, which is a bikers' meeting place in Surrey England.


16 May 11 - 09:40 AM (#3155081)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: catspaw49

Lookeer Boy.....Thizzeer's Amairka and we got bikes heer tu.....an aint nun nunnothem faggy Brit thingz neither. We gottus sum reel harley-davidson motorsickles with reel big engines and reel big hoorspower and reeel big oil leeks. An not only that Boy.....Wee gottus sum bigass shotguns an we doan mind uzzin em on jerks ur kweers ur whutevver we feelz like. So iffen we wanna change sum song wurdz than we gonna do it. Now yall wanna jez agree or do yall wanna look down the barrel uv thizzeer Remington?


Spaw


16 May 11 - 09:52 AM (#3155084)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Wesley S

C'mon Spaw - Y'all know you don't need an engine to experience good ol American "hoorspower".


16 May 11 - 09:58 AM (#3155091)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: McGrath of Harlow

So what was Marlon Brando riding in The Wild One, Spaw? A faggy imkported British Triumph...


16 May 11 - 10:19 AM (#3155105)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: melodeonboy

"Now yall wanna jez agree or do yall wanna look down the barrel uv thizzeer Remington?"

I didn't know that electric razors had barrels! :)


16 May 11 - 10:43 AM (#3155116)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: catspaw49

Shitfire boy.....we kan shave wif enny dam thang ..... an Ol Marlon dint know shit neether.........Thet thair movie wuz dun by them Hollywood boys whut doan know nuthin .....Tha REAL riot the movie wuz bout wuz in Hollister in 1947 and I can tell ya' thet they wuz mainly on Harleys an a few Indians.   Tha Indains went outta bizniz cuz it wernt no fun straddlin the arrows.....................


Spaw


16 May 11 - 11:13 AM (#3155132)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: GUEST,Jon Dudley

Here's a nice piece of pedantry for you...RTs lyric says that he gave Red Molly the keys (to his Vincent Black Lightning)...as that particular model was built for racing it is most unlikely to have had a key to start it...honestly, I can't believe I said that - hell, it's a great song and reputedly one of his most requested


16 May 11 - 02:01 PM (#3155229)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bonzo3legs

I would say the song is about British motorbikes so up yours USA.


16 May 11 - 02:19 PM (#3155243)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Ann N

When I rode a Vincent Black Lightning it was a kick start ..... and if you got it wrong it kicked you back .... Ouch!!


16 May 11 - 03:54 PM (#3155309)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Rusty Dobro

No keys on a Lightning, no lights for road use, and only a single seat, so no trip for Red Molly to Box Hill. RT got it wrong - he has said so in interviews. Can we leave it at that, please, and get back to discussing the definition of folk music?


16 May 11 - 04:16 PM (#3155325)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: melodeonboy

Well, James had it modified, didn't he?


16 May 11 - 04:23 PM (#3155329)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: catspaw49

I wuz purty ashaimt uv Ol Del ennyway for leavin' in thet motorbike thang.......See, ya can call it sickle or call it a motorsickle or call it a bike but aint nobuddy knowin jackshit gonna call it a motorbike which makes reel Amairkans think of a gawdamn moped. And whut in the naim of good jumpin Jesus iz sum playz callt "Box Hill?"   Sounds like a collection uv hoorhouses up atop a ridge..........Glad Del changed that one.


Spaw


16 May 11 - 04:53 PM (#3155340)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bonzo3legs

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-boxhill


16 May 11 - 05:12 PM (#3155352)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: GUEST,lively

I'm a thirtyish female always willing to flirt (in a committed relationship!) with older men for a ride on something that properly rumbles.. Gotta love anything with leather and chrome. None of that lime green and irritating zizzy fly noise for me thanks :)


16 May 11 - 11:31 PM (#3155483)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Neil D

Don't know why but I always assumed it was the guy he was trying to rob that did for him.


17 May 11 - 12:32 AM (#3155497)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: Bee-dubya-ell

Armed Response Officers in the UK don't use shotguns - much too indiscriminate.... In most instances nowadays they use Tasars backed up with dogs.

Wait a minute here... Are you trying to tell me that if a robbery goes bad and an armed robber is holding a store owner hostage, UK police are going to send in guys with Tasers and dogs? Bullshit! They're going to use the same tactics and the same weaponry cops everywhere would use in a similar situation.

Look, the tactical techniques and materials used by US police were borrowed from the US military. The tactical techniques and materials used by the US military were borrowed from the British military. Our Special Forces learned everything they know from British commandos. And you're trying to tell me that the police in the country which invented commando tactics don't have the equivalent of US S.W.A.T. teams?

As for shotguns being too indiscriminate, that's BS too. They're only indiscriminate if they're used indiscriminately. The reason US cops use them in certain situations (and, no, they don't use them in all situations) is that shotgun pellets don't ricochet like bullets do. Using handguns or rifles in urban areas where there's a lot of concrete and asphalt is very dangerous. A bullet ricocheting off a brick wall or sidewalk can still kill an innocent bystander hundreds of feet away.


17 May 11 - 01:08 AM (#3155505)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: EBarnacle

vincent Black Shadow--one of the great cycles.


17 May 11 - 02:00 AM (#3155514)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: GUEST,Paul Burke

The original versions had "Curly Hetchins 1935", "Famous James '48" and "BSA Bantam 1952" before hitting on "Split Screen Morris Minor". And at first he handed the keys to Red Molly when he retired due to a bad back.

On a historical note, black rubber was more common than leather back then.


17 May 11 - 03:35 AM (#3155541)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: theleveller

"Wait a minute here... Are you trying to tell me that if a robbery goes bad and an armed robber is holding a store owner hostage, UK police are going to send in guys with Tasers and dogs? Bullshit! They're going to use the same tactics and the same weaponry cops everywhere would use in a similar situation."

Errr....excuse me. My eldest son is a member of a police Armed Response Unit and has been for years. I think I know rather more about the tactics the police in the UK use than you do. They don't use shotguns. They use semi-automatics and tasars and, in special situations may carry hand guns - but tasars arenow the main weapon. Whenever possible dogs are sent in first. During several years in the force my lad has never yet had to shoot anyone with anything other than a tasar. This is the UK we're talking about not the gun-crazy wild west.

Personal attack removed.
moderator


17 May 11 - 03:59 AM (#3155548)
Subject: RE: BS: Vincent Black Shadow lyric anomaly
From: theleveller

Oh, and if you care to read the reports of the Raoul Moat case - the most high profile police action against a gunman in the UK recently - you'll see that the police used tasars against him although, in the end, he shot himself.