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Brilliant Blues/After The Fire




>Is Pete talking about the Who's "maximum rhythm and blues" as the
>"brilliant blues"?

Phil:

Or just Brilliant Blues as "something really great which made me blue."

>>Columbia today (and the Tommy DVD if I can find it).

Derick:

I didn't find it, BTW. Apparently it's not yet in print, although I'd swear
I saw it around the Web somewhere.

A Whofest update: I'm still checking on the hotel situation.

>I doubt it.  This song was written specifically to be performed by the Who
>at Live Aid, but I don't think the lyrics are actually about the Who.

Bill:

All the points you make are true, but we also know how accurate Pete is
when he does interviews.

>When Pete introduces it during the Deep End concert that was commercially
>released, he says it's about "what was happening in Ethiopia and Africa
>being like a fire

That's why he mentions "the sound of a Brixton gun," and Brixton is no
where near Africa.

>I heard a voice askin' "What happens after the fire?"

What happens after the band breaks up? I believe you'll grant me that The
Who was easily likened to a fire. A brightly burning fire, no less.

>And the sound of a breaking window and the scream of a tire.

Background noises, color to the song.

>And then the sound of a Brixton gun and the scream of a child.

Ditto. That's "hungry child," I think. Or at least as Daltrey sings it;
it's also "distant gun." However, I know it was written as Brixton gun.

>The night is hot and nothing's gonna stop this gang runnin' wild.

This gang might be Pete sprinting away from the band. "Free at last, free
at last..."

Let's go further:

"After the fire, the fire still burns..."

After the band breaks up, it still exists. THAT is true enough! I'd bet
they're more popular now than they were in 1982.

"The heart grows older but never ever learns..."

Very "WBN," isn't it? However Much I Booze.

"The memories smolder and the soul always yearns..."

Well, obviously he DID miss the band...and a part of him yearns for it.
Good thing for us, too!

I'll grant the next verse doesn't seem to have anything to do with the
band, except perhaps for the last line: "I've got to stop drinking etc."

>say it's about the breakup, and I doubt that was his intention.

At least his conscious intention.

>with "memories" just may get my vote for all-time worst Townshend lyric.

What about "There's a stone in my shoe/So I can't catch you up/My head's in
a lion's mouth/Wants to eat me up..."

I cringe even writing it.


                       Cheers                                           ML

The stupid lyric series continues:

"There's a stone in my shoe/So I can't catch you up/My head's in a lion's
mouth/Wants to eat me up..."
                                                                           
                                                 Peter Townshend