Patrick Rabe

Corona Town, where I was born (Two more versions)

Corona Town, where I was born

 

Sweet William came from the west country,

to see his love, you know her,

he kept her name, so deep inside,

and all the things, he told her.

 

But there were soldiers on the way,

who did arrest sweet William,

they tried to get his fair maids name,

 he did tell them a zillion.

 

They hit him badly on the head,

and knocked him down, to lie there,

they laughed, when he crawled to the bed,

and forced him „Tie a tie there.“

 

Sweet William travelled many lands,

when finally they let him.

There still was Grunge beneath his nails,

from reaching down to get in.

 

For she was tortured a floor below,

and he could hear her crying,

his drugs told him, it was’nt so,

but she called loud: „I’m dying!“

 

He saw a petal on the floor

of a sweet red rose blossom,

so noble, precious and divine,

you love them, when you’ve lost one.

 

And he reached down, to get her up,

and put her to his briar,

but they again did beat him up,

and they turned up the fire.

 

And he went naked, as he left,

he knew, that he had saved her.

He ran in and he intervened,

right just before they shaved her.

 

And Barbara and William were

a red rose and a briar,

they grew and grew in the morning dew,

and they survived the fire.

 

 

©by Patrick Rabe, December, 5th 2020, Hamburg.

 

 

 

Corona Town, where I was born

 

Corona Town, where I was born,

there was a fair maid dwellin‘,

it was the merry month of may,

 and all the buds were swellin‘.

 

There was a war, that shook the land,

it was within, not showing,

and it deserted many a rose,

but deep inside was knowing.

 

Sweet William came from the west country,

to see his love, unfold her,

he kept her name, so deep inside,

and all the things, he told her.

 

But there were soldiers on the way,

who did arrest sweet William,

they tried to get his fair maids name,

 he did tell them a zillion.

 

They hit him badly on the head,

and knocked him down, to lie there,

they laughed, when he crawled to the bed,

and forced him „Tie a tie there.“

 

Sweet William travelled many lands,

when finally they let him.

There still was Grunge beneath his nails,

from reaching down to get in.

 

For she was tortured a floor below,

and he could hear her crying,

his drugs told him, it was’nt so,

but she called loud: „I’m dying!“

 

He saw a petal down on the floor

of a sweet red rose blossom,

so noble, precious and divine,

you love them, when you’ve lost one.

 

And he reached down, to get her up,

and put her to his briar,

but they again did beat him up,

and they turned up the fire.

 

And he went naked, as he left,

he knew, that he had saved her.

He ran in and he intervened,

just right before they shaved her.

 

And they returned to Scarlet Town,

where a disease was dwellin‘,

it was the merry month of may,

 and all the buds were swellin‘.

 

And they went left, and they went right,

and tried to find each other,

their fire was damned and denied,

sent downwards by a brother.

 

Some called it hate, some called it hell,

some called it firery oven,

but did’nt see the tears of both,

and did’nt see their lovin‘.

 

And Cities were deserted then,

all Angel‘s wings were burning,

and men and women ashen were,

and then began the learning.

 

He came and gave his love to lame,

and touched hearts, that were frozen,

he was himself, and knew her name,

and this is why she chose him.

 

And someone showed me a magazine,

and said: „Nice bitch here on the Cover.“

But I knew, I was down with her,

she is my rose, I love her.

 

And Barbara and William were

a red rose and a briar,

they grew and grew in the morning dew,

and they survived the fire.

 

 

© by Patrick Rabe, December, 5th, 6th and 7th, 2020, Hamburg.

 

This song goes along with the melody of „Barbara Allen“, as Pete Seeger sung it. It tells the story of an eternal love, like the original, and like the song „The briar and the rose“ by Tom Waits. Bob Dylan, too, did a song called „Scarlet Town“, that followed the narratives of „Barbara Allen“. Scarlet in german means aswell „Samtrot“ or „roter Samt“ (Scharlachrot) as „Scharlach“ (scarlet fever), too. In the original song, sweet William is dying, when he comes to his love Barbara. It is not exactly said, why. One reason could be, that he was returning from the war. Another reason could be, that the town, where she lived in, was suffering of a disease. Maybe the word „scarlet“ in this case has the double meaning of love and a disease, wich came out of the denial of this love.  It is the original love, turned to a disease. But if it would’nt be lived, the disease would grow much worse. So I decided to call my version of „Barbara Allen“, „Corona Town“. „Corona“ is latin for „crown“. My poem/song here is not only my version of „Barbara Allen“, but the story of eternal love, brought to the metaphors and pictures of today.  It is about this love and the two protagonist lovers, who go through different shapes and tasks, to find each other again, even through the firestorm of apocalyptic times. The setting of my song, nevertheless, is America at about 17th, 18th century. Only the used pictues differ from that. „Grunge“ in my song means the musical style and the filth beneath the fingernails, wich show, that the protagonist’s story of saving  his love, taking the risk of getting killed and  making himself  dirty for her, is true. The word „fair“ in the first verse of the second version doesn’t mean „blonde“ or „carny“, but „ beautiful“. In Verse 16 of the second version I change from third to first person. But the protagonist here ist still sweet William. It is a literary technique, I leared from Bob Dylan’s songs. The song also variates a few other things, that happened in my real past life. It goes out to my love and loved ones, and to the german Afghanistan Veterans, the refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Persia (Iran), and the victims of wars, civil wars , violance and sexual, psychical and spiritual abuse, I know personally. The melody of this song is a folksong, so there are no copyrights on it, I guess. You can find plenty of versions of  it on youtube easiliy, I think.  You are all allowed, to sing and cover it, and you are allowed to sing and cover my version/versions, too. When I will have found a possibility to perform and post it myself, I will do that. I’m anxiously looking forward to go to a studio again, and record. Thank you and have a good time, all of you.

 

© by Patrick Rabe, December 2020

 

 

 

 

Toutes les droites appartiennent à son auteur Il a été publié sur e-Stories.org par la demande de Patrick Rabe.
Publié sur e-Stories.org sur 07.12.2020.

 
 

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Livre de Patrick Rabe:

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Gottes Zelt: Glaubens- und Liebesgedichte von Patrick Rabe



Die Glaubens-und Liebesgedichte von Patrick Rabe sind mutig, innig, streitbar, vertrauens- und humorvoll, sie klammern auch Zweifel, Anfechtungen und Prüfungen nicht aus, stellen manchmal gewohnte Glaubensmuster auf den Kopf und eröffnen dem Leser den weiten Raum Gottes. Tief und kathartisch sind seine Gedichte von Tod und seelischer Wiederauferstehung, es finden sich Poeme der Suche, des Trostes, der Klage und der Freude. Abgerundet wird das Buch von einigen ungewöhnlichen theologischen Betrachtungen. Kein Happy-Clappy-Lobpreis, sondern ein Buch mit Ecken und Kanten, das einen Blick aufs Christentum eröffnet, der fern konservativer Traditionen liegt.

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