motorcycle story and song (in honor of Matthew Biberman)
Seeing the motorcycles on Matthew's Red Room page, I wrote him that the only motorcycle in my life is Richard Thompson 's Vincent Black Lightning. Here are a couple links to Thompson singing this truly great song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxKTzwaEa2o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azB7B8hrVZY
And the motorcycle story I sent Matthew is this: When my younger sister was about to leave for college my father told her, “You know we’ve never forbidden you to do anything, but I’m going to forbid you one thing now.” It was 1968 so there were quite a few things he might have forbidden. But it wasn’t any of the obvious ones. Instead he told her he forbade her to ride on a motorcycle. (The first death in his childhood, friends of his parents’, was a motorcycle death — so he did his best to scare us and mostly succeeded.)
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Matthew Biberman says:
Umm . . . This is a great blog ; -)
Thanks Judith for posting those clips.
There is a Box Hill Rd here in Louisville, though, of course, that is not the Box Hill in the song. I flew over a car near it, came right off my Vincent machine. I go by that spot often still on my Vincent and I always think of this song.
There is an amazing version of this song by Beth Wood on her CD Midnight Radio. My dad sent her a picture of his Vincent (its in a museum now) because she wanted to be able to visualize the bike she was singing about.
My friend Tigger when he died he died relieved that he had been on his Harley and his Vincent was home safe and sound. Everyone said he was going to die like young James and he did. But Tigger and I say, nothing beats the other end of the dial on a Vincent.
Thanks again
Judith Tannenbaum says:
Beth Wood, Tigger and Box Hill
Wow, that Beth Wood version is nice. Can play it here. She looks like a red headed girl herself (though I don't see black leather).
And that Tigger story is fantastic -- nothing like staying true to what you really love all the way to (and beyond) the end.
Glad that fly over the Louisville Box Hill wasn't your end, though.
Eric Nichols says:
I don't want a pickle Just
I don't want a pickle
Just wanna ride on my motor sickle
And I don't want a tickle
Just wanna ride on my motor sickle.
And I don't wanna die....
Just wanna ride on my mo-o-o-o-tor cy.....
:)
Eric
Judith Tannenbaum says:
Arlo
Couldn't find Arlo singing this on-line, but here are the lyrics And I see the song has a copyright date of 1968, the year my father forbade my sister from riding a motorcy -- which draws a nice circle from our stories.
Blair Kilpatrick says:
Thanks for posting the You
Thanks for posting the You Tube videos, Judith! I also posted about "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" on Matthew's blog. A haunting song--and the closest I ever plan to get to a motorcycle!
I've just the You Tube links to the guitarist in my Cajun band (who introduced me to the song--he likes to launch into it at odd moments!) and my guitarist son.
I like the female version too...but it's not quite the same, somehow!
Blair Kilpatrick says:
Thanks for posting the You
Thanks for posting the You Tube videos, Judith! I also posted about "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" on Matthew's blog. A haunting song--and the closest I ever plan to get to a motorcycle!
I've just passed along the You Tube links to the guitarist in my Cajun band (who introduced me to the song--he likes to launch into it at odd moments!) and to my guitarist son. Expect they'll appreciate it too.
I like the female version too...but it's not quite the same, somehow!
Judith Tannenbaum says:
Vincent
I'm with you -- about how great the Richard Thompson song is, and about how that's the closest to a motorcycle I plan to get.