The characters in most of my novels are often at odds with society. This is because I've often found myself at odds with what I see as a culture dominated by greed, selfishness, blame, and general inconsideration. I've never understood the American suburban dream of sheltered isolated lives that ignore the problems of the world as long as they have their homes, money, and safe cars. Perfect World was all about that and several months after completing that book, while finishing work on its companion Dirty Liar (also very much about the same themes), I encountered the Manic Street Preachers landmark 1994 album The Holy Bible.
Little people in little houses
Like maggots small blind and worthless
The massacred innocent blood stains us all
Who's responsible - you fucking are.
from Of Walking Abortions
These lines expressed exactly what I was feeling at the time during the who War on Terror hey day. A profound statement full of rage, meaning, and lyrically beautiful. A wonderful piece of writing.
Richey Edwards mysteriously disappeared not too long after this album. If the lyrics on this album, along with the lyrics used for Journal for the Plague Lovers written around the same time, are his final send-off then they stand as some of the best poetry written in the last 30 years.
Great words - you are right to be angry.
ReplyDeleteFree speech, the truth and the right to be different are the first victims of any organised Society.