This was probably the last song that the band wrote together and was one of those tracks that formed in the rehearsal studio. We often ended a live set with it, as it was a song that picked up speed towards the end with all the members of the band going full throttle until they were utterly spent. A 'blisters on fingers and gasping for breath' kinda thing.
Wikipedia describes a torch song as 'a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love'. The song itself is more a full-on rock 'n' roll blast than a sentimental journey, so is certainly not an attempt at writing a torch song. As some of the original torch song singers would include people such as Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich and Billie Holiday, I don't think my vocals could quite reach those lofty heights anyway!
The studio we used to rehearse in was in an old underground arch near the sea in the Kemp Town area of Brighton. It's well known as Brighton's gay quarter and perhaps rehearsing in such salubrious surroundings led my lyrical aerials to pick up on what was in the area, as many of the original torch song singers are big gay icons nowadays.
As for the rest of the lyrics, they flowed from the title. 'Itchy trigger finger' rhymed well and I seemed to describe a character whose tragic life led to a loose gun hand. From there, it becomes some character from a mythical American past - wearing alligator shoes and holding up banks - some kind of mid-West outlaw.
It's also got a certain hint of my return to political interests in my writing, with talk of revolutionaries and bringing systems to their knees. I'd read Naomi Klein's 'No Logo' at the time and was beginning to feel radical again. The 'battle lines are drawn' line was a reference to the anti-capitalist movement that has picked up a lot of steam by then, culminating in the Seattle WTO riots (that led to the development of Indymedia). Looking back on that period from the perspective of 7 or 8 years later and post-invasion of Iraq, the losses of civil liberties that have accompanied the 'War on Terror' may well appear to be a reaction to that kind of street violence and opposition to untrammelled globalisation and profit grabbing by governments and corporations in recent years.
The song was only recorded as a rough demo and can be downloaded here.
'Pigeon Souvenirs' sleeve design by Dom Pates.
Wikipedia describes a torch song as 'a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love'. The song itself is more a full-on rock 'n' roll blast than a sentimental journey, so is certainly not an attempt at writing a torch song. As some of the original torch song singers would include people such as Edith Piaf, Marlene Dietrich and Billie Holiday, I don't think my vocals could quite reach those lofty heights anyway!
The studio we used to rehearse in was in an old underground arch near the sea in the Kemp Town area of Brighton. It's well known as Brighton's gay quarter and perhaps rehearsing in such salubrious surroundings led my lyrical aerials to pick up on what was in the area, as many of the original torch song singers are big gay icons nowadays.
As for the rest of the lyrics, they flowed from the title. 'Itchy trigger finger' rhymed well and I seemed to describe a character whose tragic life led to a loose gun hand. From there, it becomes some character from a mythical American past - wearing alligator shoes and holding up banks - some kind of mid-West outlaw.
It's also got a certain hint of my return to political interests in my writing, with talk of revolutionaries and bringing systems to their knees. I'd read Naomi Klein's 'No Logo' at the time and was beginning to feel radical again. The 'battle lines are drawn' line was a reference to the anti-capitalist movement that has picked up a lot of steam by then, culminating in the Seattle WTO riots (that led to the development of Indymedia). Looking back on that period from the perspective of 7 or 8 years later and post-invasion of Iraq, the losses of civil liberties that have accompanied the 'War on Terror' may well appear to be a reaction to that kind of street violence and opposition to untrammelled globalisation and profit grabbing by governments and corporations in recent years.
The song was only recorded as a rough demo and can be downloaded here.
'Pigeon Souvenirs' sleeve design by Dom Pates.
Torch Song Singer
I'll be your torch song singer,
With the itchy trigger finger,
And I'll take you on a white knuckle ride.
With your alligator shoes and your rhythm and your blues,
I'm holding up the bank where you're paying all your dues.
I'll be your touchstone sinner,
With a point to my finger,
To take the arguement outside.
Follow your caterpillar tracks,
And your trail of greenbacks,
You'd better learn to run before we make contact.
I'll be your revolutionary,
With my heart sown on my sleeve,
And trigger a reaction, bring the system to it's knees.
I'll look right through your public eye,
Find another alibi,
And check out that I haven't caught your last disease.
Take a look outside,
As the battle lines are drawn.
And we line them up against the wall.
Watch your back,
For the corporate apologists,
As they lose teeth to our fists.
Torch song singer with the itchy trigger finger,
And I'll take you on a white knuckle ride.
I'll be your torch song singer,
With the itchy trigger finger,
And I'll take you on a white knuckle ride.
With your alligator shoes and your rhythm and your blues,
I'm holding up the bank where you're paying all your dues.
I'll be your touchstone sinner,
With a point to my finger,
To take the arguement outside.
Follow your caterpillar tracks,
And your trail of greenbacks,
You'd better learn to run before we make contact.
I'll be your revolutionary,
With my heart sown on my sleeve,
And trigger a reaction, bring the system to it's knees.
I'll look right through your public eye,
Find another alibi,
And check out that I haven't caught your last disease.
Take a look outside,
As the battle lines are drawn.
And we line them up against the wall.
Watch your back,
For the corporate apologists,
As they lose teeth to our fists.
Torch song singer with the itchy trigger finger,
And I'll take you on a white knuckle ride.
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