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
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
Thanks for this-- I'll definitely be sharing it with the Elvis fans in my life. Happy Poetry Friday!
ReplyDeleteFor you Sarah, Elvis is still in the building. Enjoy sharing.
DeleteAlan, 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!
ReplyDeleteThanks Carol. You can find plenty of John Cooper Clarke's performances on You Tube. Glad this brought a laugh.
DeleteElvis 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!
ReplyDeleteCan't figure out why anonymous, this from Linda B
DeletePoets 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...
DeleteThanks for the smile this morning, Alan.
ReplyDeleteSmiles are always welcome, Rose.
DeleteWhat a fun poem--I love the refrain!
ReplyDeleteA good refrain can draw the reader in. Thanks Marcie.
DeleteAlan, 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.
ReplyDeletePleased to introduce a new poet, Carol. A search for John Cooper Clarke will yield quite a lot, I'm sure.
DeleteThank you--thank you very much, Alan! I think I recall this guy from my 5 years in England 1991-1996.
ReplyDeleteJohn Cooper Clarke continues to have a presence on UK television shows, so he certainly has longevity, Heidi. Glad you enjoyed reconnecting.
DeleteA 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.
ReplyDelete