Brother Ramon awoke, his naked body aching and weak. His head pounding, swimming in a fog of confusion. Fragments of monochromatic light, blurry shades of gray and white filtering into the emptiness behind his eyes. This is what blindness must feel like, he thought. If only his nose was as impaired as his vision, the stench of this place was strong enough to fell an advancing army.
There was nothing before this moment. His mind blank like a book set to page 113, nothing but stark white emptiness filling the preceding pages. Who was he? Where was he?
Ramon rolled onto his side. Reaching out to feel his surrounding, the floor pushing back as he ran his hand across the cold stone. As he continued to probe his surroundings, the stone gave way to rough-hewn fabric. He gripped and pulled but something held it in place. Leveraging its weight, he dragged himself to the object anchoring the cloth.
There is nothing quite like a burlesque show circa 1924. We have all seen it romanticize on Broadway and in the movies. The experience seeming nothing like the seedy strip clubs of modern day. No doubt the shows of the roaring 20s and the Soprano style clubs of today are designed to sell sex but there was an art to burlesque that is lost in today’s striptease acts.
This week Jim at A Unique Title for Me set the theme for Song Lyric Sunday to clothing. Think suits, pants, shirts, dresses. Instantly classic tracks such as ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man” or Chris de Burgh’s “Lady in Red” come to mind.
“Patricia the Stripper” is the 4th track on the vinyl A-side of Chris de Burgh’s sophomore release “Spanish Train and Other Stories“. The album was released in 1975 and highlights de Burgh’s knack for storytelling. His lyrics come to life, drawing you in and making you feel as though you are in the scene. You will feel like your soul is truly on the line in “Spanish Train“, ‘La Bise‘ is swirling about your feet in “Lonely Sky“, and you are bearing witness to the return of Christ in “A Spaceman Came Travelling“.
This week’s selection “Patricia the Stripper” is no different. The story revolves around Patricia, or should I say Delicia, whose clothing ends up strewn across the stage floor. DeBurgh weaves the tale of the lovely Patricia so vividly that you can almost feel the ‘tremendous applause as she took off her drawers’ or the uproar in the riotous courtroom when the Judge decrees, ‘Case dismissed… this girl was in her working clothes!!’
The best I can tell the song never received wide release as a single although I did find a Canadian release from 1976 and a promo single from 2000 supporting the release of “The Ultimate Collection” greatest hits compilation. I highly recommend immersing yourself in de Burgh’s world. Patricia will have you captivated as will the other tracks on “Spanish Train and Other Stories“. Enjoy.
Patricia the Stripper Lyrics
Dennis is a menace with his "anyone for tennis?"
And beseeching me to come and keep the score...
And Maud saya "Oh Lord! I'm so terribly bored!"
I really can't stand it anymore...
I'm going out to dinner, with a gorgeous singer,
To a little place I've found down by the quay;
Her name is Patricia, she calls herself Delicia,
And the reason isn't very hard to see...
She says God made her a sinner just to keep fat men thinner,
As they tumble down in heaps before her feet.
They hang around in groups like battle-weary troops,
One can often see them queue right down the street...
You see Patricia, or Delicia, not only is a singer
She also removes all her clothing...
For Patricia is the best stripper in town.
And with a swing of her hips she started to strip,
To tremendous applause she took off her drawers,
And with a lick of her lips she undid all the clips,
Threw it all in the air, and everyone stared,
And as the last piece of clothing fell to the floor,
The police were banging on the door,
On a Saturday night, in nineteen twenty-four...
Take it away boys!
But poor Patricia was arrested and everyone detested,
The manner in which she was exposed,
And later on in court, well, everybody thought
A summer run in jail would be proposed,
But the judge said, "Patricia,
Or may I say, Delicia,
The facts of this case lie before me...
Case dismissed... this girl was in her working clothes!!"
And with a swing of her hips, she started to strip,
To tremendous applause she took off her drawers,
And with a lick of her lips she undid all her clips,
Threw it all in the air, and everyone stared,
And as the last piece of clothing fell to the floor,
The police were yelling out for more!!!
On a Saturday night in nineteen twenty-four...
On a Saturday night in nineteen twenty-four...
Songwriter: Chris de Burgh
Photos: 1. Unknown | 2. Mary Pickford | 3. Theda Bara | 4. Louise Brooks | 5. Clara Bow Images 2-5 from burlexe.com | Album Art: discogs.com Copyright 2022 Greg Glazebrook, All Rights Reserved.
Today was difficult. I was completely blindsided by what was to come. If I’d known I’d have stayed in bed.
The day unfolded in layers like a sad country song. I’m sure the dog would have run away if I had one.
My heart pounded, sweat beaded on my forehead. I cried and screamed and sobbed in anger and anguish.
As I sit here alone, the sun long set, I put all of it into a bubble and blow it up and away. As I watch it drift upwards I feel my body relax. Tomorrow is a new day.
Content Warning: Contains violence, sexually explicit themes and course language.
Atlantis Part One: Disaster
She remained calm even as her colleagues spawned a storm of nervous energy that bristled all around her.
Amaya stood five foot seven, her jet-black hair contrasting with her white jumpsuit as it fell over her shoulders. As a young child and long before her family moved to England, she remembers standing along the Bay of Bengal imagining what lay beyond the blue. Her father sparking her curiosity with stories of mermaids and monsters filling the deep.
While her peers turned toward the stars Amaya looked to Earth’s oceans. Fueled by her memories the Indian born, Oxford educated graduate, dove into her studies, becoming the rockstar of her chosen field. Her caché landed her a prestigious position on the Atlantis project. As member of the CoreOne team, the cutting-edge oceanic engineer was part of the deep-sea colony from its initial submergence.
That was 17 years ago and Atlantis had grown from a modest research station to an underwater city. Consisting of four cores supporting 17 modules. The colony was home to over 11,000 permanent residences. Its massive entertainment districts supporting 5,500 hotel rooms, three casinos, several restaurant, entertainment and shopping districts, and the state-of-the-art Marine Discovery Center was a bustling vacation destination for many surface dwellers.
Sadie rushed out to the barn, A whip with her cowgirl charm, The animals arranged, An ending deranged, Now Sadie’s done bought the farm.
Fad Diet
Fat Larry began a fad diet, With an eye for sweet apple pies, He followed the plan to the letter, And promptly when up one size. Undeterred he continued to eat, For the losses he’d soon realize, Until a peek in the mirror did show, The pie had gone straight to his thighs.
Quietly he laughs and shaking his head, Creeps closer now, closer to the foot of the bed…
Step Into My Parlour…
For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Jim at A Unique Title for Me is asking that we highlight a song with emotions as the central theme. The song I have chosen is filled with anxiety and fear. The tension builds as the lyrics progress and is augmented by the creeping arrangement of the song’s instrumentation.
Robert Smith and The Cure were one of the most influential bands of the 1980s. From early Goth culture, along with other bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, to superstar status as the decade wore on. Smith was known for his lush lyrics, cutting-edge experimentation and trend-setting styling.
In 1989, The Cure released their eighth studio album, “Disintegration“. The album would become the band’s biggest commercial success charting at number three in the UK and 12 in the US. The album would include the hits Pictures of You, Lovesong, Fascination Street and the anxiety-filled track I will be highlighting today, Lullaby.
Violence against women is all too prevalent in society today. It is not acceptable that many women still live with that reality every day and we must all work together to eliminate it. Unfortunately, scenarios like the one in my #weekendwritingprompt are all too common.
Content Warning: Strong sexual and violent themes implied, including violence against women. Content could elicit strong emotional reactions, reader beware.
Blind Rage
The room stopped momentarily as the exquisitely dressed Ella made her provocative entrance. Not 48 hours earlier she had dumped me insisting I was a small spiteful man and now this, as if to mock me.
“Who’s the vindictive one,” he thought, his blood boiling as he slipped into the restroom behind her. “Let’s see how that dress looks coloured in red…”
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