Very soon after posting TWAOM on June 5th, I received a complaint from Jan The Whistle that this song had no chorus. At first thinking that songs did not necessarily have to have choruses, I realised that this one would probably be better with one; so, with much thanks to JTW for the prompt, here is Version 2… With, into the bargain, an extra verse which I think rounds it off well.
Style: Country & Western or spoof Bob Dylan
There was an old musician who woke up feeling bad;
He asked to see the holy man, and the holy man was glad.
The holy man said, by the bed, ‘How can I help, my son?’
‘Oh Holy Man, please tell me: in heaven, do they have fun?’
Chorus
In my next life, I want to keep on singing –
And I’m not talking ’bout the Angels’ Choir:
I’m hoping for a strum-up every evening
As we shoot the breeze around a blazing fire.
The holy man said, ‘How d’you mean? I need some more detail.’
‘Oh Holy Man, in heaven can you get good strong ale?
And I know that they play harps in the pictures I have seen;
But how ’bout a Martin guitar for the fine boy I have been?’ Chorus
‘And while you are here, Padré, please answer me this too –
In heaven are there open mikes where you can sing the blues?
And is there electricity, power sockets in the walls,
For a Fender with a Marshall amp to fill those vaulted halls?’ Chorus
‘My son, my son, they have great fun in heaven, it is true:
There’s every sort of music, and that includes the blues.
There are power points and USBs as far as you can see
And, champagne through to Guinness, the drinks they all are free!’ Chorus
‘In fact up there in heaven, there is everything one needs:
A veritable paradise from Alpha through to Zee;
But, my son, I do not understand why this should interest you –
I’m darned sure it’s the other place that you’ll be going to!’ Chorus
The old musician’s heart, it didn’t miss a single beat;
He broadly smiled, ‘Well, Padré, guess I’ve always liked the heat:
Where I come from the sun is strong, it burns down on the dunes;
And anyway the Devil, they say, has all the greatest tunes! Chorus
© Christopher Jessop 2023
