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Wannabe John

Live Home Studio Demo

Recorded live in one take with 'The SubTles' featuring, in addition to my Vocal & Rhythm Acoustic Guitar...

Subtles recording

Cliff Coates (right) on Bass & Dirk Forsdyke (centre) on drums

  

Also Available on 'The SubTles' SoundCloud page here

  

   

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(Chords and Lyrics)

     

   

Lyrics

© Project Freeman Music

(5/1/2008 Gregorian from an idea on 29/11/2007 Gregorian)

Get PDF of the Lyrics

  

It was a Thursday night, I was with me mate Huw in Manchester after a gig

Went to a bar, it wasn’t a re-ale one I 'recon it was plated with gold

Why’s that you ask? Well it was Seven Pound Forty for two pints of “lagery” beer

And there he was, he was sitting right in front of the duo from the musical school

  

“Hey I could sing a song” he bragged

“My mates will sing along” he nagged

  

I asked the guys if they could do some 'Crowdies', we'd just seen 'em at the M.E.N

“Let me oblige” says John, “My bands been playing Crowded House covers for eleven years”

He took me aside and said “I'd better get up there 'cause they’re dyin’ and they’re losin’ the crowd”

“But it’s their 1st gig” I said “They’re students from the music school, the girl works here behind the bar

  

“But I could show them how, it’s done” says John

“My mates are looking now ‘n I’m the one”

   

“Because I’m Wannabe John, I’m sitting here waiting so I can show off, did I say?

That I’m in a band, you must have heard of us, we’re really big round your way”

  

I snuck away, and rejoined the conversation with a couple and me mate at the bar

But over he came and he rudely interrupted us to boast about his band to my mate

“We’ve played near you” he says,

“You must have heard about that night down at the Working Men's club”

“Can’t say I have” says Huw

And 'Wannabe'’s face fell and off he went to try someone else

   

He says “I’m Wannabe John, I’m sitting here waiting so I can show off, did I say?

That I’m in a band, you must have heard of us 'cause we’re really big round your way”

   

He says “I’m Wannabe John, and I love to have everyone’s attention on me

What this really hides, actually, is my deeper insecurity”

He said “I’m Wannabe John, nobody’s heard of me but that doesn’t matter to me

'Cause 'yer in my 'ead, I’m a big star and one day I’ll be on T.V.

Oh I seem to need the love and adulation from people that are strangers to me

Because I’m trying to fill the hole in my soul from the lack of love parentally

love of the parental variety

Maybe I should get some therapy...

  

  

The Story of 'Wannabe John'

wannabe john

Me and "...me mate Huw in Manchester..." on the night in question

I went to see Crowded House in Manchester with me mate Huw and after the gig we went for a few more beers, having had good well priced ale at a 'proper' pub beforehand. Sadly, Huw dragged me to one of those bloody 'Slug & Lettuce' type places full of posers and overpriced "lagery beer". However it was worth it in the end to get this tune out of the experience...

The lyrics are pretty much exactly what happened when we got there and met 'Wannabe John' himself. And of course there's a certain amount of self parody having been just like 'Wannabe' myself in the past

Having 'The SubTles' around was great as it meant that this song must have experienced the shortest time between writing and recording of any of my songs ever, just a few days

   

- o X o -

    

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© Project Freeman Music (2008 Gregorian)