When I saw the book in my local bookshop on Christmas Eve, I grabbed it. Best line: The carpet was monotonous, its pattern gave the impression of small animal crapping at regular intervals.. He seems to be very happy. It's a terrific song. Leading line: People mention murder the moment you arrive. Media City ain't Ordsall any more than The Vatican City is Rome, he says, The modern priestly class of show-business is kept apart from the hoi polloi of Ordsall. Lifestyle. One of his more upbeat musical compositions accompany this one, the delivery of which veers startlingly close to a sung melody. I Don't Wanna Be Nice "One of the more upbeat compositions made to accompany Clarke's poetry, the delivery of the recorded version of "IDon't Wanna Be Nice' veers startlingly close to a sung melody. I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke is many things. Her run of success on the British TV show Opportunity Knocks led both Clarke and his mother to believe that he could make a living at poetry.[8]. What's the difference? I asked him what they were called, and he said The Arctic Monkeys, Clarke remembers. So in celebration of his birthday, we've delved into Clarkes archives and handpicked his top pieces of poetry. Was Jesus Christ a decent bloke?. So witty and clever, with an encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion, music and pop culture. TWAT."". Confidentials Manchester, Dublin weekend: history, seafood, literature and shiny chests. Leading line: If you like your coffee hot, let me be your coffee pot. I can see the worth of a Martin's meat and potato pie. It is essentially just one joke stretched across a poem, but it showcases Clarkes sense of humour perfectly. His book choice was Against Nature by Joris-Karl Huysmans, his luxury item was a boulder of opium twice the size of his head and his favourite track was "How Great Thou Art" by Elvis Presley. This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers. The memoir all obsessives of the self-professed Bargain Basement Baudilaire have been waiting for. To me, it depends on the artist. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. Leading line: Youre fucking lost and fucking found, stuck in fucking Chickentown. One of his more playful numbers, this tale of take away violence at the hands of an embryonic Bruce Lee was released as a b-side to single Post War Glamour Girls in 1978, and its light hearted nature echoes the nightclub circuit in which Clarke cut his teeth before the punk era. It draws on his childhood perceptions specifically, the poverty he came across on the streets of Salford while Britains backdrop was entirely Thatcherite. He shot to cultural prominence in the Seventies, producing and performing poetry that tackled real-life matters with zero fear and total vibrance. John Cooper Clarke (1983). In January 2018 Clarke appeared as a contestant on an academic version of BBC One's Pointless Celebrities partnered with historian Suzannah Lipscomb; they reached the head-to-head round. John Cooper Clarke (born 25 January 1949) is an English performance poet who first became famous during the punk rock era of the late 1970s when he became known as a "punk poet". The most striking thing about hearing this poem performed live is the staccato call-and-response nature of the delivery. [16][17], Clarke was the subject of a BBC Four documentary, Evidently John Cooper Clarke, in May 2012, screened as part of the BBC's Punk Britannia season. "Evidently Chickentown" (recited by Christopher Eccleston) is featured in the made-for-television film Strumpet. His only prose work is I Wanna Be Yours, a memoir. Well, I'm a fan so I found this autobiography super charming. Few artists could draw such vocal and heartfelt appreciation from a set as diverse and rich in talent as Steve Coogan, Alex Turner, Stewart Lee, Pete Shelley, Craig Charles and Wilko Johnson, the list goes on. But little do I care. Article What is Baroque? A newspaper is answerable to libel laws for a start.. He is considered a major figure in punk poetry and punk literature . [2][9] Clarke toured with Linton Kwesi Johnson, and has performed on the same bill as bands such as the Sex Pistols, the Fall, Joy Division, Buzzcocks, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Elvis Costello, Rockpile and New Order (including at their May 1984 Music for Miners benefit concert at London's Royal Festival Hall). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. I Wanna Be Yours (2020) Is the autobiography of erstwhile punk poet - now peoples poet Dr John Cooper Clarke - the book title itself taken from one of Clarkes most popular poems of the same name. Most of his poems are set to music and feel very contemporary. This Time It's Personal CD. He really wasn't limited to any sub-genre. Failure to hang yourself justified the axe.. There is the PE teacher Mr Durcan who arranged for arguing students to duke it out, Marquess of Queensbury style in the ring after school. But what they refuse to see is the absolute madness of it all. Salford poet John Cooper Clarke has certainly led a fascinating life and documents it in - a lot of - detail in this memoir. A master wordsmith, his love of language and humour leaps from every page. Much older than Johnny Rotten, Pete Shelley and co. (or at least the only one not lying about his age), he always loathed the hippies. John Otway is not exactly a household name. The band's Alex Turner has said he is very fond of Clarke's work and takes inspiration for lyrics from his poems. I am but I don't like to analyse it too much. Evidently Chickentown wouldnt have achieved its master status had it not been for Clarkes repetitive fucking (words only, dont worry). Show more Ratings Friends & Following Not all of his groups were such a shambles, however. John Cooper Clarke has always been adjacent to musicians, but in I Wanna Be Yours he recounts his many attempts at forming bands of his own. The only person that I could ever point at that ever made a living out of poetry was Charles Baudelaire. This developed from him stealing prescription amphetamines at school in the 50s and robbing pharmacies for opiates as an adolescent to eventually succumbing to heroin addiction under the pressures of celebrity, a habit that would eventually have a crippling effect on his work. He enjoys cooking at home too, although hes a one pan guy. 14.00 GBP. Best line: The fucking scene is fucking sad, the fucking news is fucking bad, the fucking weed is fucking turf, the fucking speed is fucking surf. He reckons the parts of Salford he grew up in havent changed and he doesnt think MediaCity counts. Ellie-Jo meets Heather Linnitt in Chorlton to check out the modern vintage marvel that is Jonathan Schofield and the epic tale of Manchester architecture, Jonathan Schofield gazes down from an impossible angle at the 'old city', 5. Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt John's 2018 poetry collection The Luckiest Guy Alive. ", John famously set his poetry to music when he signed to Rabid Records - not my favourite way to consume his poetry, I have to tell him and he agrees, saying he just couldn't think of a good argument against it. It is through you visiting Poem Analysis that we are able to contribute to charity. Beasley Street is one of John Cooper Clarkes darker poems. Hailed as Manchester's 'punk poet', he is a key figure of the punk rock era in the UK, from his biting prose to his famously Messy Hair. But Clarke is one of a kind, and with this piece he redefined traditional ideas of poetry altogether. When will Manchester City achieve European Champions League glory? With kind-of-terrible, kind-of-hysterical comments Like a nightclub in the morning, youre the bitter end every claim is unleashed like a bomb. John Cooper Clarke rose to fame as a 'people's poet' in the 1970s, and is one of Britains best known spoken word artists (Photo: Paul Wolfgang Webster) By Louise Rhind-Tutt October 13, 2017. "Finding your perfect reading is like finding the most comfortable but beautiful pair of shoes you have ever worn. Time for an eyebrow raise Clarkes language rage is in full force here. Perhaps the reason why people hold this particular poem in such affection is because of the Beasley Streets that we all know, the fully furnished dustbins that lurk in provincial Northern towns or London outskirts. Unfortunately, the latter half is a repetitive and often boring account of all the numerous ways of taking heroin at various times and locations. I Wanna Be Yours by John Cooper Clarke 2nd May 2020. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. John Cooper Clarke Wiki & Bio Home Activity About Blog IQ Token FAQ I saw people like John Lee Hooker, The Animals, The Who. Even his shambolic attempts to form a Beatles-inspired band in the 60s meant we were punk rockers before that became a good thing.. Few and far between, we say. The constant use of the word fucking functions as a hammer, used to drive the points home. Running parallel with Clarkes rise to fame is a descent into serious drug addiction. Of all the artists who appear in the book, The Fall, Clarke says, were the best of the best. He was later blown away when his adopted nephew grew into one of rocks all-time greats. [18], In July 2013, Clarke was awarded an honorary doctorate of arts by the University of Salford in "acknowledgement of a career which has spanned five decades, bringing poetry to non-traditional audiences and influencing musicians and comedians." I didn't want to work for a living when I was a teenager. With more and more millennials beginning to search for political clarity through poetry, sales of Clarkes work are currently soaring high. Take a tip from John Cooper Clarke 4. Cooper Clarke spent some time in the 80s sharing an apartment in Brixton with notorious femme fatale Nico - famous for singing in The Velvet Underground with rock legend Lou Reed. I thought he had a lovely voice, you know? John Cooper Clarke, punk poet and the Bard of Salford is in danger of becoming a national treasure. Toppermost of the poppermost. He might consider himself relegated to the realm of the old fashioned but at 73, John Cooper Clarke is as relevant and influential as ever. You can't see the joints. Fortunately, Clarke did. He eats out a lot more these days than in the throes of his well-documented drug addiction where he survived on sugary cakes and pastries. Authors; . My late great friend Barry Cryer used to say, Analysing humour is like dissecting a frog. I do recognise that there's a lot of the hack in the way I write poetry. Another speciality is clothing and fashion, something he takes very seriously. (I Married A) Monster From Outer Space (I've Got A Brand New) Track Suit 23rd 36 hours A Distant Relation Action Man Apart From The Revolution Are You The Business Arts N' Crafts Beasley Street Belladonna Bronze Adonis Bunch Of Twigs Burnley Concussion Conditional Discharge Cycle Accident Day My Pad Went Mad Day . I don't think that songs are poetry but I think that a good song has something poetic about it. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. I was in it to win it so I always wrote with a kind of loosely specified audience. About John Cooper Clarke. . When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Are we still asking if you can wear black with blue? The frog dies and nobody laughs. I couldn't put it better than the late Baz.. They're already selling a range of poisons. Credit: Getty. It's 'mom' upside down. Clarke was born in Salford, Lancashire, in 1949. Click the button below to see the extras you get! Theres a reason why John Cooper Clarke was dubbed the first punk poet: his words have long delivered an honest exposure of urban Britain. If youre wondering how to deal with someone elses problems, the solution is right in this piece of poetry. His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls.Seminal tracks such as Beasley St and Evidently Chickentown featured on the album Snap Crackle and Bop, one of 4 hit 70/80s album releases. Clarke is unashamed to tell it like it was (for him), to drop names, to joke and tease, and even to give some clever and interesting social perspective to the post war years in terms of style and the way his generation and mine (boom and Blank--he's got about 12 years on me) absorbed and carried on our culture through film, TV, music, and then style and books. Leading line: Its a sociologists paradise. Rhythm machines at the ready, his cultural performance is about to kick off Theres a real sense of artistic perception when Cooper Clarke is on stage, because he doesnt just stand there and read lines of words. He completely dismantles it sometimes and puts it back together. It is an immensely engaging memoir that fizzes with wit, and it is simultaneously a chronicle of a lifetimes worth of extraordinary culture. I've never heard anybody with an Ordsall accent in employment in MediaCity.". I love a miserable comedian. This poem may be tailored towards a past decade, but its atmospheric despair still rings today. Each performance seemed unique., Clarke got to know Arctic Monkeys in their early days at the Boardwalk in Sheffield. Even his musical tastes were mine in those early days; Dylan and Captain Beefheart. Putting a punk spin on simple matters has given the northern man a master status: purveyor of subcultural shock. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem. Pest But I don't want to overanalyse what I do. His set is characterised by lively rapid-fire renditions of his poems, usually performed a cappella. But unlike any other art forms, everybody gives it a go. [21] In October 2020 Clarke published an autobiography which took its title from his poem I Wanna Be Yours. His unique poetry and delivery style was recorded and put to music by legendary producer Martin Hannett. I cant prove this, because sadly there is no recorded evidence, but youve gotta believe me.. He still performs, and appeared on AM on "I Wanna Be Yours." His only prose work is I Wanna Be Yours, a memoir. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. Four of Clarke's five lots made a loss, giving a total loss of 233.54. In Johns fantastic memoir,I Wanna Be Yours, he talks a lot about his friend, the lateMark E Smith. John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original 'people's poet'. Felt wrong listening to it at my usual 1.5 speed so I set it at normal pace and 15 hours in John's company later I'm going to start again at the beginning. was John Cooper Clarke, a skinny punk from up north, from whose mouth down south this poem poured forth. John reckons literacy has always been important in Manchester, the birthplace of The Manchester Guardian. Nico and Clarke famously lived in south London together in the 80s. It was hand to mouth. ", I'm seeing the value of pubs now because they've been banned. Who would have voted for anybody who said, I'm going to abolish pubs? A light hearted look at songs that could have been famous, this is Clarke at his most whimsical as he lists songs with titles that are almost familiar, such as Some Enchanted Afternoon and Greasy Kind Of Love. (Play Loud)". All the things that didn't use to be crimes. In addition, he published two poetry collections, Ten Years in an Open Necked Shirt and The Luckiest Guy Alive. There is Bill Man Mountain Benny, a local gangster and nightclub owner with his own theme tune. The photographs of David Bailey, are quite rightly seen as a poetic take on the 60s. Sort of rave kids. Best line: Poverty and pollution have all swept away. addiction and then the massive comeback as major poet he enjoys today. His unique poetry was put to music by producer Martin Hannett and a band of Mancunians The Invisible Girls. Dr John Cooper Clarke's 2019 autobiography, named after his most famous poem I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. 10.00 GBP. He kicked me in the balls and said something profound. He might consider himself relegated to the realm of the old fashioned but at 73, John Cooper Clarke is as relevant and influential as ever. I Wanna Be Yours, (Macmillan), is a groundbreaking piece of literature. The gutturally nasal Northern machine gun verse of John Cooper Clarke, as full of vitriol as it is humour and irony, is as inimitably his own as the black hairspray explosion and 28 inch waist black drainpipes still omnipresent in his 70s (70s!). Series 15: Episode 1", "Pointless Celebrities Next on BBC One", "BBC Radio 4 Desert Island Discs, John Cooper Clarke, poet", "BBC Two Celebrity Antiques Road Trip, Series 9, Episode 7", "John Cooper Clarke: The punk poet whose time has come again", "John Cooper Clarke Post-War Glamour Girl / Kung Fu International CBS UK S CBS 6541", "Movie Highlights | Interviews, Quizzes & More", "Various Short Circuit Live At The Electric Circus (Vinyl) at Discogs", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Cooper_Clarke&oldid=1142709900, People associated with the University of Salford, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "Pity the Plight" (2012 Ill manors album Plan B), This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 23:42.