This slim volume of the, at the time, relatively revolutionary poetry of the Liverpudlian poet, Roger McGough, I discovered on the bookshelves at my brother’s home when visiting recently. This edition was published by Jonothan Cape in 1972, though the title poem was first published in 1969.
I picked it up to read while waiting for the rest of the household to wake from a night of convivial chat fortified by wine.
The style of poetry has been built on, modified, and copied over the intervening years – a compliment to the author. There is a certain rawness, some wonderful light bawdiness, humour of course, and much insight. The content reflects the time in which the verse was written; a period of social upheaval, much change in attitudes, disruption of established generational relationships, and, especially, a fertile alteration in gender roles and the way we all viewed sex.
For me, there are echoes of my teens, reminders of unusual and disturbing events and outlooks that time had rendered almost ordinary with its passing. The volume encapsulates those years of change and promise and reminds me of the period in terms personally significant.
That I’m currently writing a novel set partly during those years was a factor in my asking to borrow the book; it will work as a reminder, a prompt, when I reach that stage in editing the developing story.
If you can find a copy, and wonder about what life was about in the 1960s and early 70s this volume will serve you well in that search.
[Any review is a personal opinion. No reviewer can represent the view of anyone else. The best we can manage is an honest reaction to any given book.]
Stuart Aken 
I love this description: while waiting for the rest of the household to wake from a night of convivial chat fortified by wine. We just had one of those nights too while visiting with an old friend who was passing through.
I’m not familiar with this poet but I think I understand the poetry of that particular era. It reflects the upheaval around a major reordering of thinking about so many, many aspects of life. It’s amazing to me that that reordering is now under threat from all these authoritarian “leaders” from Trump to Farage (who apparently idolises one of our homegrown nutjobs – Preston Manning – whom we sidelined 30 years ago) who keep popping up and gaining traction all over the world. We’re repeating. Sigh.
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Aye, Lynette, such nights are precious.
As for history – well, it’s known for repeating itself. Humans, as a species, are so capable of learning and adapting, yet we seem to resist the lessons of history so often. The current batch of supreme idiots in charge of various corporations, organisations and countries are utterly self-obsessed. But without their sycophantic hangers-on they would be nothing. Such groups seem to seek out a suitable target for his superficial appeal to a certain level of intelligence and inexperience among the public and then encourage him toward excess in the hope this will increase their own power, influence and, most of all, wealth. And these enablers then become alarmed when their ‘victim’ realises the power he holds, forcing the often cowardly originators to become helpless servants to the ‘god’ they have created.
We can but hope the current set are exposed for what they are and defeated by the power of rational people combining in a world where such unity has been made much more possible.
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I totally agree. A look through any of the historical despots shows that they’re basically all the same and get to the top using very similar methods. The similarities between Trump and Hitler’s rise to power is as frightening as it is astonishing. One of the problems is that we don’t often learn history, particularly world history. And now of course, there are all these accusations of fakery and conspiracies vigorously manufactured by the despots’ followers and spread online where the difference between truth and fiction becomes completely muddied.
We’re presently in the middle of another one of Trump’s tantrums where accusations of lying fly thickly through the air. The liar, of course, is Trump himself. Here’s a piece about it if you’re interested.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-trade-negotiations-tariffs-ontario-ad-9.6951469
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I totally agree. A look through the pantheon of historical despots shows that they’re basically all the same and get to the top using very similar methods. The similarities between Trump and Hitler’s rise to power is as astonishing as it is frightening. One of the problems is that we don’t often learn history, particularly world history. And now of course, there are all these accusations of fakery and conspiracies vigorously manufactured by the despots’ followers and spread online where the difference between truth and fiction becomes completely muddied.
We’re presently in the middle of another one of Trump’s tantrums where accusations of lying fly thickly through the air. The liar, of course, is Trump himself. Here’s a piece about it if you’re interested.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/trump-trade-negotiations-tariffs-ontario-ad-9.6951469
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How the electorate were dumb enough to believe a word Trump says is a mystery. And, yes, the echoes of Hitler’s approach are too similar to ignore.
As for history, we are mostly taught the history of leaders, whether they be kings, presidents, popes, or tycoons, and these are the people who often control what is published about themselves. Only if we’re willing to research a little deeper do we recognise the realities.
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I understand that a large proportion – about 90 million – of eligible voters didn’t exercise their franchise because many of them assumed that Trump didn’t have a chance at re-election! They would have made a difference since he won by 5 million votes (out of 152+ million cast) or 1.5%. Quite a small margin. However, that doesn’t explain the 77+ million who thought he should be leader. Ugh.
School history classes here do some of the kings/queens/ presidents, etc. but also focusses a lot on “social studies” which is an amalgamation of history, geography and current events. The problem is that often, the history background isn’t strong enough – or deep enough – to provide a solid foundation for such a blending.
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It’s so sad in a democracy when those who have the luxury of a vote don’t use it. Laziness, ignorance, and a sometimes understandable lack of trust in the presented candidates can explain some of it, I suppose. But these are generally the same people who then complain that the elected leader/party doesn’t represent their views!
History here is still very ‘leader’ biased. And our news so often presents a biased (pro) view of royalty and the serving PM. I do, however, love the fact we have rebellious programmes like ‘The Last Leg’, and ‘Have I Got News For You’ to mock the pretentious, incompetent, and corrupt in our leadership!
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I agree that it’s often those who complain the most who also do the least. We have shows like that, too. Our politicians are regularly skewered; sometimes I think it can even go too far but I would rather have that than what’s happening in the U.S. Trump definitely took control of the media and after making an example of one of those TV political comedians (Jimmy Kimmel), there’s been a lot of roaring silence since his re-hire. Freedom of speech doesn’t exist in the U.S. any more, not really, and that could have been prevented if more people had stirred themselves to vote.
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I agree. Trump is behaving in every way like a dictator. He’s a reason I wouldn’t travel to the USA; I’d be too tempted to speak my mind and would probably be arrested and sent to Venezuela!
I doubt he knows, or even cares, his legacy will be that of all those who wish to be in total authority in a land where freedom has been uppermost for so long – he’ll be pilloried, condemned, and consigned to the annals of history as a totally unsuitable man to lead anything at all.
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Definitely. Even going through U.S. border control is fraught. They will check your phone looking for anti-Trump information and in some cases will hold and/or detain people without explanation. That has happened to a number of Canadians including one who had a green card (official and legal resident status), was picked off a street in Los Angeles and then spent six weeks in a detention camp in Texas. Our government had put out a warning about travelling there. Visa approvals are for the most part now being confined to whites only, as well. We decided to avoid U.S. travel during Trump’s first term.
Many of us here think that there’s more than an even chance that the U.S. won’t as a unified country survive him; it will split into probably three or four pieces. He’s frequently being compared to Idi Amin and certainly the similarities are there.
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Agreed on the comparison with Amin, and it’s disturbing to hear the rest of the things going on in what was once promoted as the world’s Free Country’. Not any more it isn’t. The sooner he goes, the better for the USA and the world as a whole.
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Agreed, Stuart. But the problem is with the people who elected him in the first place. They haven’t gone anywhere …
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