Red Rocks
Strange to me now are the forms I meet When I visit the dear old town; But the native air is pure and sweet, And the trees that o'ershadow each well-known street, As they balance up and down, Are singing the beautiful song, Are sighing and whispering still: "A boy's will is the wind's will, And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts
The Dude was a 'Lazy' Man?...yeah right
Travelling through bad weather in the back of a Parcel Van with no seats or windows and a bunch of Left Wing angry headed Scouse Kids for five hours is not an ideal scenario for most Writers, however I was one such guy.
Eventually the Van arrived at its destination London, 'the Big Smoke' or as We called it the 'Big Shithole', at Wembley Stadium Centre, the Venue for the annual Conference of the 'Workers Revolutionary Party' a Marxist inspired group of mostly idealistic anti-capitalists fronted by some well known figures from the entertainment industry most notably the Oscar Winning Actress Vanessa Redgrave who welcomed the late arrivals from Her onstage Podium as they found Their seats in the 'Gods' of the Auditorium.
After about ten minutes of listening to a 'rousing' repudiation of the 'Evils' of Big Business and Corporate control, I realised that Ms Redgrave was talking well meaning but utter bollocks and being in need of a Beer went out of the Auditorium in search of a Bar accompanied by My best mixed race friend Dave who like Me was disillusioned with the whole set up.
In the Bar across the Street the aptly named 'The Green Man' Pub, we discussed our predicament. Both of us were skint and belonged to that class of person who is neither oppressed worker or from a background of wealthy relatives-like the idealistic Ms Redgrave-We were just Unemployed Teenagers and the trip to London seemed like a way of escaping for even a short time the claustrophobic small town mentality We were forced through accident of birth to be part of.
If anyone not from Liverpool tried to understand the wanderlust inherent in its sons they would fail miserably We well understood why the Beatles went where they did..
In the Van I had to listen to others with major grudges and gripes against Their Parents, mostly Their Fathers- who I was told- would not 'tell Me what to do'. and other seemingly family based complaints that became a bit tedious as the Van bumped along for mile after uncomfortable mile, all seemed to think that the World was fucked up by these faceless Corporations and the angry conversational tone was directed towards these blameworthy parasitic demagogues.
I didn't know it then but the foundations for My subsequent study of Jungian Psychology were being laid in that oily compartment of farting and snarling. I knew nothing of mental illness.
Fast forward 40 years.
the 'Workers Revolutionary Party' [of which I was never a member] in its former existence is no more. It fell apart after 'in fighting' and Sexual abuse scandals levelled at its 'Leaders' some of whom went on to become very wealthy individuals-others founded radical new Political groups but the former impetus was never regained.
85 yr old Ms Redgrave [who once found Her Director Bi-Sexual Husband in bed with Her Bi- Sexual Actor Father] has been given a 'Damehood' by the British establishment and is reputedly worth 20 million. Her Father starred in many Movies including 'The Lady Vanishes' for Hitchcock etc and played the part of a Schizoid repressed Homosexual Ventriloquist in another Movie 'Dead of Night' 1945
She won a 'best supporting Actress 'Oscar' in 1978 for the Movie 'Julia' and the Redgrave family are well known in the world of Theatre. Michael Redgrave fathered four children and had a long Marriage before His death from 'Parkinson's' and is quoted in at least one Biography as being a regular user of Homosexual Prostitutes and feeling 'disgusted with Himself' after the liaisons.
The Public face of Actors is sometimes very misleading Their world is populated by some very dodgy and unbalanced individuals. We all gotta eat..
Dave got married at 18-did time in Jail for Drug dealing and years later like Me ended up driving a Cab.
Driving around and reading anything Jung related I could get My hands on was an education in itself about the nature of Liars and Low life scum, Actors etc. My luckiest break was meeting My Missus and getting married at 21 - for almost certainly I would have done Jailtime too- not for drugs but anything else illegal You can think of -including Bank robbery...Dude..
So what's 'RED ROCKS'?... its a place 6000 ft above sea level-where the Beatles played a Gig in 1964 in USA, They stayed in a local Hotel called 'THE ARGONAUT' and the Gig was a short one
McCartney is quoted as saying 'we couldn't breathe properly' because of the thin atmosphere.
[it is also a slang term for Heroin see
https://www.baxtercountysheriff.com/plugins/show_image.php?id=917 ]
In the woeful CGI HARRISON FORD remake of 'the Call of the Wild' there is also a Hotel called 'THE ARGONAUT' but despite extensive research on My part I can find no trace of any Hotel of this name in Dawson City or anyplace within 100 miles?
So why did the Directors insert this 'ARGONAUT' into the Alcoholic Laudanum [Cocaine] Addict Manic depressive
'Jack London's' [real name John 'Chaney']epic Adventure Novel?
.... of course it takes an Old Dog
to understand another...Jack London was one disturbed individual from a fatherless background who was arrested for Vagrancy etc
and led a quite adventurous life-once even posing as a Photographer whilst Spying for Roosevelt in Korea against Japan etc.
In some of His writings the description of Homosexuality amongst the 'Hobo's is given as a percentage number and London is unconcerned about what He sees as 'natural urges' needing fulfilment there is some speculation that He was writing to try and deal with His own confused sexuality.
Many took to 'the road' or 'went to sea' as a way of escaping suffocating peer pressure.
London gives some details about nicknames the Hobos used , 'Purushan' [Prussian] or 'Kid' were common names for Teenage Homosexuals and 'Hobo' 'Secret' Signs and markings used to indicate a meal or decent abode were largely unknown by the general population, despite being in full sight of everyone
Drug usage was part of the lifestyle and Cannabis was the easiest to obtain and trade. Famous Actor Hobo's include Robert Mitchum who was also arrested for Vagrancy in Savannah Georgia.
Mitchum smoked Marijuana and was well known for 'Film Noir' Movies such as 'The Big Steal' 1949 and Cowboy Movies such as 'The Red Pony' [based on a Steinbeck Short Story]and famously played 'GI Joe' alongside Burgess Meredith in War Movies
-but it is lesser known that He was also a Poet and 'Ghostwriter' .
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/last-great-american-hobos-180971913/
[above Site describes the difference between a 'Hobo' and a 'Bum']
American Classic Literature is more than just words.. it's a Soul thing..
read this from Steinbeck at the height of His 'Vagabond period'
'Fucking 'A'..
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