City Ghosts

Two main versions, and also appears live on Terminal Kaleidoscope.

* "Buzzy Version" (1981) - Chemical Playschool 2 (4:20)

Fades in, almost cutting off the first vocals. Lots of screaming after the first bridge and before the song ends. Cuts off suddenly after Ka-Spel's ending screams.

Unavailable elsewhere.

Instruments: Single drum machine pattern; keyboard bassline; acoustic guitar, with a second guitar during the middle portion; high-pitched buzzy synth keys playing melody; vocal track, sometimes accented with second vocal track.

* "Full Band Version" (1982) - Brigher Now (5:43)

Starts with just the bassline, a much quieter and slightly slower approach to the song. There is a nice silent bridge in the middle, before the song resumes with enhanced percussion. The single scream during the percussive breakdown is either female or a sped-up sample of a Ka-Spel scream from the Buzzy Version. Ends with the bass and percussion crossfading into "Hanging Gardens."

Instruments: Bass guitar; acoustic drums with heavy reverb and echo; vocal track; acoustic guitar; warm synth chords; quick arpeggiated synth during the middle portion; additional percussion after the silent break; single high-pitched scream.

What It's About:

A mix of fairytale paganism combining druids, insanity, love, and "Alice in Wonderland" in worship to the old gods -- city ghosts and neon gladiators -- which still hold sway over modern cities. Their worshipers include a pair of idyllic lovers and a mysterious tramp-murdering character. The narrator frequently wonders if he should forsake the city ghosts (associated with insanity by those who don't believe) and instead join the "real world."

Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):

There was a time, a time for secrets.
We'd walk together in the forest, hand in hand.
We'd look uneasy, cold and pallid.
Then we'd find some magic mushrooms and we'd skip across the clouds.

We danced for the old gods, danced for the new gods,
danced for the ones we'd never heard about.
Danced for the old days, danced for the new ways,
Danced for the phase that no-one talks about.

Tonight I feel nostalgic, feeling happy.
And the powder in my pocket's crying "Eat me! Eat me! Eat me!''
Could be my age, I could be going crazy.
But I know you feel the same way, I can see it in your eyes.


I've got my crown and I've got my scepter.
Letters on my passport spell "Napoleon."
I'll give you money, give you power,
I'll give you a palace in the Amazon.

Do you think that they'll lock us away?
Padded cells, packet soup on alternate days?
Maybe we should behave in a normal way?
Face facts...face the real world.

A shadow rests, suggests no entry.
A tramp complains, collapses, weeping gently.
A figure smiles and shines a blade discretely.
And the drains ad-libbed a soundtrack as he picked his victim out.

He sang in the rain, he danced in the thunder,
bowed as we bellowed from the balcony.
Stepped on a hand, set fire to a handbag,
slipped as the sparks skipped across his knees.

The songs decayed in suits of amber.
Coughing as they burned like glowing embers.
A priest held up his hands and said "It's over.''
We nodded wisely, scooped the ash, and cast it to the wind.

We played in the neon, bade out the paeons,
slobbering in tongues to the subway gods.
Just like the old times, rituals and red wine.
Hair all tangled and covered in blood.

Do you think that they'll lock us away?

Why You Should Care:

The backing tracks for the Full Band Version, slowed down drastically, are the basis for "Close Your Eyes, You Can Be a Space Captain."

City ghosts are also mentioned in "Down From the Country," and it could be argued that the characters from "Neon Gladiators" are also related.

Another Kind of Violence

Two main versions:

* "Pulsing Keyboard Version" (1981) - Traumstadt II (3:56), Four in One (4:02)

Called "Violence."

After a quick vocoder count-down ("one...two...one, two, three") the song begins. Everything degenerates during the last minute, slowly fading out.

It actually starts with the second verse ("Well-respected in the shed"), possibly an early demo version before the additional lyrics were written.

Instruments: Pulsing bass synth; pulsing white-noise synth; two incomprehensible vocoder voice tracks panned around, sometimes laughing; single vocal track.

* "Lurky Version" (1981) - Only Dreaming (6:19), Chemical Playschool 2 (6:06), Ancient Daze (6:04), Ancient Daze CD-R (6:18)

Contains the full lyrics, and is in a different key.

All mixes start with a backwards segment of "Amphitheatre," into which the drum pattern gradually fades up, though both Chemical Playschool and Ancient Daze (CD) mixes cut out fifteen seconds of it. The effect on the evil drone switches suddenly after about five minutes. All versions end with a sudden synth chord, followed by a brief fadeout of the drums and melody keyboard, though the Only Dreaming fadeout is about ten seconds longer

Instruments: Evil keyboard drone with varying modulation; high-pitched keyboard melody which sometimes becomes wind/crash/beep effects; single drum machine pattern; single vocal track; backwards vocal/keyboard source that comes and goes.

Sounds a Lot Like:

"Waiting for the Call" and "Sex," because it's the same tune. It can't be a coincidence that "Sex and Violence" is a common phrase used to describe the ills of the entertainment industry (often "gratuitous sex and senseless violence").

What It's About:

A study of three characters involved in various forms of violence: a bored guy who has decided to visit his girlfriend for a night of sex; a sadistic religious hypocrite; and the victim of some sort of attack. No moral statement seems to be made, it's just a series of evocative, gritty scenes.

Lyrics (adapted from the Cloud-Zero archive):

Ahhhh, I'm feeling low, that pansy's on the radio,
should be at work, but sod 'em 'til tomorrow.

Think I'll nip round to the bird's house 'cos I've heard that her mum's away.
I'll raid the neighbour's garden, present her with a nice bouquet.
She'll be so pleased, we'll go upstairs and up and down on the eiderdown.

'Til six. 'Til the night time. The right time.
Night time's the best time.

Well-respected in the shed, got "B.M." tattooed on his head.
They call him Flash, his real name's Fred, he's listening.

But the girls, they desire him as he rips at their barricades;
and boys, they admire him as he skips with his razor blade.
Carves the bible on your eyeball, takes your money, leaves you crumpled on the floor.

It's his hobby. He's having fun.
His hobby, having fun. Fun fun fun.
'Til daddy takes the T-Bird away.

In a place where no one goes, a sparkling crimson channel flows.
A victim lies with all his clothes disheveled.

Tries to rest on an elbow, grits his teeth as he feels the pain.
Reflection in a puddle winces "cheese!" from its inner drain.
And shadows gather round him, feel his pulse, give him blankets for the night.

He'll be alright. Through the night.
Sleep with the shadows. Shadows.

Trivia:

There are many possible organizations that "B.M." could stand for, among them "Baader-meinhof" and "boatswain's mate." I'd hate to cast a vote, myself.

Why You Should Care:

Maybe those shadows in the last verse are the "City Ghosts?"