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Punk Poet- John Cooper Clarke

 Dr John Cooper Clarke is an English poet who emerged from the punk era as a performance poet, actor writer,  renowned as having a sharp wit and a satirical style. He is known as 'The Emperor of Punk Poetry.'  John Cooper Clarke remains one of Britain's favourite poets and has been stirring poetic hearts and minds for decades.  

Clarke's performances are characterised by quick and lively renditions of his poems, usually performed a cappella. He is often referred to as 'the Bard of Salford,' his home town.

His quirkiness is reflected in his commitment to writing a poem about Elvis Presley every year. I enjoy his word play and use of rhyme. He has numerous books of poetry available. 

I am sharing one of  his more recent Elvis offerings from the book, 'The Luckiest Guy Alive.'












The Man Who Didn't Love Elvis

A sad sack sitting in a sickly groove
The band kicked- he couldn't move
What was he trying to prove
The man who didn't love Elvis

He didn't seem to have a heart
He was a man apart
I had him pegged right from the start
The man who didn't love Elvis

The man who didn't love Elvis
Is not as other men
Condemned to miss the point
Time and time and time again

From which benighted neighbourhood
Whose garden dream is the colour of mud
And what does he have instead of blood
The man who didn't love Elvis

When all his opinions fade to grey
Six feet under the frozen clay
We will forget what he had to say
The man who didn't love Elvis

John Cooper Clarke.






It is once again Poetry Friday and our host this time is Carol Labuzzetta at  The Apples In My Orchard. Carol's post focuses on transitions -seasonal and otherwise.

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Comments

  1. Sarah Grace Tuttle6 December 2024 at 18:53

    Thanks for this-- I'll definitely be sharing it with the Elvis fans in my life. Happy Poetry Friday!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright7 December 2024 at 10:33

      For you Sarah, Elvis is still in the building. Enjoy sharing.

      Delete
  2. jlcjbuzz7 December 2024 at 01:55

    Alan, This is a quirky poem. Thanks for sharing it and the author. I like the rhythm to it. Clarke is probably quite interesting to see perform. Has he got a You Tube channel? I wonder. I will look later today. It's always a good day when you can have a laugh! Thank you for that, too!

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    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright7 December 2024 at 10:35

      Thanks Carol. You can find plenty of John Cooper Clarke's performances on You Tube. Glad this brought a laugh.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous7 December 2024 at 01:57

    Elvis lives! in oh, so many ways, doesn't he? It's quite wonderful that there are engaging poets of all kinds in our world! Thanks for the intro!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7 December 2024 at 02:01

      Can't figure out why anonymous, this from Linda B

      Delete
    2. Alan j Wright7 December 2024 at 10:38

      Poets all over the world sourcing the life of Elvis as a source of inspiration. Like you write, Linda, he does live on in our various memory banks. Thank you very much...

      Delete
  4. Linda Mitchell7 December 2024 at 22:03

    As a middle school teacher, the phrase "who didn't love" tickles me. That's spot-on for life, isn't it? There's things we love, things we hate...but there's also those "don't love" conditions. I can see by the photos that this poet is a bit quirky --which is fantastic! I might need to find some more of his work. As I also, don't love Elvis. LOL. The other Linda...Linda M.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright8 December 2024 at 11:14

      A bit of phrase tickling never goes astray, Linda. Your thoughts are on the money. John Cooper Clarke is easy to find. Enjoy the quirkiness of his work.

      Delete
  5. Rose Cappelli7 December 2024 at 22:46

    Thanks for the smile this morning, Alan.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Marcie Flinchum Atkins8 December 2024 at 00:45

    What a fun poem--I love the refrain!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright8 December 2024 at 11:17

      A good refrain can draw the reader in. Thanks Marcie.

      Delete
  7. Carol Varsalona8 December 2024 at 01:34

    Alan, thanks for introducing me to a new poet. I really never was part of the punk era but enjoyed searching YouTube for Clarke's work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright8 December 2024 at 11:18

      Pleased to introduce a new poet, Carol. A search for John Cooper Clarke will yield quite a lot, I'm sure.

      Delete
  8. Heidi Mordhorst8 December 2024 at 05:54

    Thank you--thank you very much, Alan! I think I recall this guy from my 5 years in England 1991-1996.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alan j Wright8 December 2024 at 11:20

      John Cooper Clarke continues to have a presence on UK television shows, so he certainly has longevity, Heidi. Glad you enjoyed reconnecting.

      Delete

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