Song #32 A Song for Innocence

 

SONG FOR INNOCENCE

 

I’m reaching out for love

And I fear that when it comes

It will pass me right on by without a word

This sad old crying world can leave you down

 

We all know this world has problems

We all know that times are hard

But try and accept with wisdom

The many things you cannot change

Let your anger turn to joy if you care at all

About that drunk and lonely man on the road – goin’ nowhere

 

If you want to point a finger at the poor old man’s oppressors

If you want to preach a message then make it one of hope

And if you have no hope left in you keep you quiet

What are you doing preaching words of shock and hate?

 

We are all tethered to the same big tree

We’re all in this together: sadness, you and me

If you wanna give us something clever, give us words of hope

Try and make it easier for those who’ve lost their way

Your shocking angry sermons are a waste of words

 

No one’s listening

Are you listening?

If you’re listening

Sing I am listening…..

 

(Copyright Michael Coghlan 1983)

 

COMMENTARY

I had gone back to the theatre for the first time since I left school and found myself in a production that I think may have been called Songs of Innocence and Experience. Just checked and yes it was a collection of poems by William Blake.  There was a scene where the director wanted me to read a particular poem that I found offensive and I refused. It was one of those moments where I can be quite stubborn – I didn’t feel like such a poem added anything of value to the world. I know I didn’t read the poem in the play – perhaps someone else did – but I went away and wrote this song in response. I didn’t ever show it to the director! For the record, I thoroughly enjoyed the production and have many find memories of it.

Argentina and Adelaide’s Lockdown – Another COVID Tale

for my dear friend Rita in Rosario :)

Argentina and Adelaide’s Lockdown – Another COVID Tale

What does Argentina have to do with Adelaide’s lockdown? Well as it turns out, very little! Earlier in the year an 81 year old Adelaide resident, originally from Argentina, went back to Argentina for a visit with his daughter. This immediately begs the question - how did they get permission for this journey? There are few details made public about why they were allowed to travel to Argentina and back but the fact is hundreds of Australians have been refused permission to leave or enter the country.

However, the man and his daughter began their two weeks hotel quarantine in Sydney on their return. Towards the end of this quarantine period the man apparently had a fall in his hotel room and had to be transferred to a general hospital. He was COVID tested, found to be negative, and eventually discharged and returned home to Adelaide.

Some days later he developed breathing problems and together with is daughter presented with his symptoms at the emergency department of a local hospital at 2.30 am. What kind of person walks into a hospital with breathing problems in this day and age? What the hell were they thinking???? He was COVID tested, found to be positive, and immediately 57 emergency ward staff at the hospital are sent into quarantine and the emergency department shut down!

When this story was reported in the media we all started thinking it was another case of someone bringing COVID into Australia from overseas. BUT, it turns out the 81 year old gentleman caught the virus in the hospital in Sydney!! Because he and his daughter had been cleared of COVID in Sydney they just went about their normal life when they got back to Adelaide. Now he and his daughter and 10 other people in the community are infected, and thousands of primary contacts – from restaurants, schools, offices, shops - are in home isolation. And the entire state of South Australia is now in a 7 day stay-at-home lockdown.

So if the old man hadn’t fallen over in his hotel room this wouldn’t have happened. But he can’t be blamed. The virus was already raging in Sydney. It did come from overseas – an overseas aircrew passed it on to the driver of a minibus some weeks earlier and it quickly spread because the NSW state government were reluctant to enter lockdown. In the end they had no choice, but they were too late. By then the virus had spread through most Australian states and consequently I sit here in lockdown again.

COVID TALE II

 A friend of mine has been playing with some musicians for a few years and gradually developing a collection of songs they might eventually play at gigs. Recently a new member joined the band. When my friend went to this new person’s house for band practice the band were talking about COVID vaccinations and a couple of them were saying they would not be getting the vaccine. When my friend told the others he was already vaccinated he was told he was not welcome at the house because he would now be passing the virus on to other people in the band!! My friend has since left the band and is really disappointed. Three years of building up a repertoire and musical relationships down the drain because of dumbf***ery.

COVID-19: the gift that keeps on giving.