Lhasa de Sela, Tramcar 41

I have been listening to Lhasa for inspiration, and have been learning La Maree Haute. Tremendous. I can't believe she's gone.

The passion and mood in her songs is legendary. From her I am discovering how to do more by slowing the song down. I have flirted with the slow, sparse song in country style in 'The Grim Reaper'; now 'Tramcar 41' joins that part of my repertoire, adding a Spanish / reggae hint.

This new song so far reminds me, very faintly, of 'Ghost Town' by the Specials which was such a massive hit in Thatcher's Britain. I don't have Rico's trombone so I'm forming my instrumental pieces by humming very low in my register and swooping. I get my mouth close to the neck and move up and down, pretending to myself that I am a cello bow.

Tramcar 41 (full lyrics)

First draft of the full lyrics - I was going to go deeper, but when I sung it, it didn't seem necessary. I will see how it feels in rehearsal with Andy G on Thursday.

I've been listening to Lhasa de Sela and now the song has slowed down and is rather influenced by her delivery.



Tramcar 41

Peer through the railings
at a strip of cobbles
leading into the dark
of a square-mouthed tunnel

Can you see, can you hear,
can you feel it come,

electrified along the track,
tram 41?

Clicks and murmurs echo
off cold stone in the dank.
The scent of an incident
lingers down the track.

Can you smell it, like thunder,
hearts that race as one,

electrified in unison
on tram 41?

A woman holds her purse tight,
staring into space
ignoring flirty chit chat
from an alcoholic face.

An orange drops from a bag
and rolls along the deck.
A boy kicks the fruit,
it bounces down the steps.

Where are they going,
where were they from,

the passengers who rattle by
on tramcar 41?