Abie Budgen

Once upon a time ago
a little way from Brum,
where the M42 sleepily hums
+ the magic monkey birds sit + strum
+ the wood pigeons conservatively moan
like native suburban nokia phones
+ a lonesome radio blankly croons
another politely plastic tune,
Abie sat under a heap of forgotten vinyl
in her front room,
+ drowned out the pigeons....
.......with wild scratchy twist + rattle your jewellery pop go the Beatles
+ ole dusty rambling ancient moaning blind bluesmen + subterranean
homesick bob n screechy howling guitar fuzz + roll me a
stoney mick n keef n madcap syd crazy
diamond kid......
+ she found an anonymous old hermit guitar
in her gran's nextdoor neighbour's attic
+ tried to sing along......
........and so friends, the story has begun......
Abie travelled out of town
in search of new sounds
and the bus at last did stop
outside a towering block
with a sign that read: 'KIDDY COLLEGE –
HOPING TO EXPAND YOUR MUSICAL KNOWLEDGE'
So she stayed a little while.....
always taking up the chance
to try out as many instruments
as she could possibly play at once
ravanhatta, recorder, gongs + drums
kora + kazoo
and a trumpet made with paper and glue!
And as summer came around
a festival rolled into town
(the town of Gloucester may I add)
you see
Abie had heard the news
of two great masters of the blues:
'Mr Wiggins and Mr Roach will demonstrate the art
of country blues harp and guitar'
So Abie went along
and they asked
'would you play us a song?'
Abie reached for her guitar
and with hands and voice a-quiver
a sad but beautiful song she did deliver
and the blues guys
(to her surprise)
could not believe their ears and eyes
saying
'come to Exeter with us
an you can learn some mo' o this crazy ole blue stuff'
and Abie
(to her surprise)
could not believe her ears and eyes
So she listened and learned and played and sang
one crazy rolling flowing jam!
And so she left with ears and head and hands and heart a-singing
a multitude of tunes a-ringing
and she went + wrote a bunch of songs
and before long……….
Michael Roach called Abie up
saying, 'girl we should record this stuff!'
So Abie + Michael + Johnny and John +
Wayne and Dave and Andrew +
Dan the kora man
all went to Stroud and made a record
Hope you like it!