For dVerse OLN I created a glosa (see Form for all last week). I made a half promise to use high-way to hell for a glosa, so here it is. I was partly inspired by the riots we’ve had in Stockholm suburbs last week. I’m not claiming to understand why it happens, but there is certainly a lot of anger in those areas.
Picture of burning cars in Husby from Wikimedia Commons
Living easy, living free
Season ticket on a one-way ride
Asking nothing, leave me be
Taking everything in my stride
(Highway to Hell – AC/DC)
I’m born without a silver spoon
I’m born alone to the estate
the colour of concrete is grey
I colour it with tangerine
by burning up my neighbours’ cars
I wonder if they now can see
how fucked up life I have
I blew my chances early on
but still despite their glee
(I’m) Living easy, living free
I hate police and firemen
I hate the schools I never took
the colour of concrete is grey
but colours swirls inside of me
in brilliant hues from glue
(a pity that my brother died)
but still I cannot pay my dues
in violence I gain respect
but I can no longer hide the
Season ticket on a one-way ride
my girl is nagging me to quit
my girl she claims the boy is mine
the colour of concrete is grey
but bruises on my girl are blue
she always want to see me leave
but then forgives me when I plea
she read in glossy magazines
of better places where to live
but from estate you cannot flee
(I’m) Asking nothing, leave me be
I have a gun to get respect
I have a gun to kill that dude
the colour of concrete is grey
I paint it crimson with his blood
the cops are out to get me now
I’m safe behind my girl who lied
the path is clear, to hell we go
drive the highway straight ahead
hold onto me, it’s a bumpy ride
Taking everything in my stride
__
May 28, 2013
Björn Rudbergs writings 
That song reminds me being 14.. Uff.
Hope not the text though 😉
Oh no no, the actual times when acdc was blaring loud at my parents house 😉
I love rock music, and you’ve done a great job in adding depth to those lyrics. I hope things are beginning to calm now.
As a matter of fact yes. (at least in Stockholm)
You definitely expanded the song text well. It seemed to me that you characterized the mindset of the violent protestors pretty well. They hate everything (police, firemen, schools), are not willing to work in positive way to accomplish change…instead use violence, drugs….and continue to blame. Impressive use of the glosa form.
There is a reason for anger, but it’s about focusing it constructively.. which it’s not.
jesus dude…the burning ears to color the concrete tangerine…so gritty…and you capture the emotion well as well…the feeling of helplessness or no hope in the situation…in that moment choosing to take the power back…and the anger…a gun to get respect…ugh…all too common man…and what….nice work on the form…glad you did the ACDC song…ha…you rocked it…
Thanks Brian, nice to be able to fit into something up to date 😉
Oh, if only all this energy could be turned to something constructive–that’s the sad thing about it. Well done, Bjorn.
That’s what rock-music is for, turning energy to something constructive.
Quite true.
Well, look at you…
Didn’t know you had it in you to be so cutting edge and sharp. Great descriptions of those inner feelings and you identify with them so brilliantly.
Chapeau!
Thank you.. I tried.. I’m sure that the anger is there….
I, too, often find my Muse in the headlines, fresh as a paper cut, or a bitch-slap. I really sweated over the Glosa last week; your use of it seems so very appropriate. Are there more riots, more dissent these days, or are we just reporting and recording it more accurately? In the 1950s the world seem so much more immense, the news less in your face, or sitting on your life like a school bully; thanks.
At least the riot spread like wildfire because of the reporting… it happened here spreading from on suburb to the next… Thank you for reading.
So creative and unique, Bjorn…
Thank you 🙂
I hesitate to click like on such a brutal poem, but my admiration for your poetic and language skill is unbounded. A very poignant glosa.
Thank you 🙂
Strong use of the glosa form; and powerful thoughts on the troubles you’ve had in Stockholm. I’ve still to attempt the glosa – I got side-tracked by some rare sunny weather in Scotland … smiles
Ha, yes finally we got some rain on sunday that quieted the riots.
oh wow–the colors – the brutality–this is a strong piece
Thank you.. 🙂
Excellent–the repetition of line 3 in each stanza is powerful. One Excellent work–the repeated line 3 in each stanza is powerful. One wonders how much of the highway is a given for some people, a matter of unavoidable fate due to environment, upbringing, etc., and how much is due to choice. Nicely done!
The choice is always there… but the alternative would be a narrow road, that many follow too. Strangely enough they are often the first target in the riots.
Wow, that was weird–I commented on repetition, and somehow a deleted line came back from the dead and . . . I repeat myself!
Deeply powerful glosa form with strong images: painting the grey concrete crimson with his blood. Painful, Powerful, Hopeless, Awesome…
Thank you — yes I think there is pain and sorrow behind the anger.. but how to get inside is the real challenge.. Maybe they need poetry and rock — or rap music..
I love the contemporary vibe/mood and response to a current event, Bjorn ~ That last verse specially, excellent word choices ~ I also admire that you wrote this in glosa form ~ Cheers ~
A promise is a promise, but I really enjoyed writing this….
You’re becoming a master at glosa…and this particular piece…grates, assaults, effectively visually and with the added sound. That reptitiion of the gray concrete colored by orange fire and blood…very effective!
Thank you.. I had been thinking about that line
“the color of concrete is grey” for a week or so… and finally it came together.
Really well done, a color of concrete, fire and destruction and a cool attitude in glosa form..Thank you Bjorn
Thank you 🙂
And the much vaunted rule “if it involves ACDC it’s all good” still applies.
Really great work here. A masterful reworking.
Thank you… maybe a little iron maiden next time perhaps.
you certainly have hit the mark…
Thank you 🙂
That’s just creepy! I picture rough, mean criminals and prison, except I don’t know if they ever get caught and end up there.
also in the rough criminals in prison started out as little boys…
This was an emotion-packed piece that coincided nicely with your song selection. Nicely done.
Thank you Alex 🙂
Loved this man. Loved it
Thank you Amy 🙂
Highway to Hell indeed. Nice work Björn. -Mike
Thank you Mike… 🙂
That, sir, is very cool. Loved that you circled back to the glosa, as you promised – and with AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” at that! You rocked it, and with that steady rhythm and the regular rhymes, I could even imagine this piece as the lyrical backstop to a rock song. Modern, gritty, and yet respectful of the traditions, this is an amazing comment on contemporary themes, in the framework of a 14th-century poetic form.
In the back of my head I had the lyrics of a rock band called Glasvegas writing this kind of sad and gritty texts. An anger hiding sadness I think.
Powerful and visceral in its intensity. Great write.
Thank you .. a word were sorrow is masked in anger is indeed sad… What we need in this world is more tears.
A powerful write, based on a powerful song. Well done, Bjorn.
Thank you Charles.. really from the heart this time.
Rock-n-Roll is tiemless. You’ve painted a very vivid picture here.
Thank you 😉
You’ve really got inside the mind of the disaffected. I love the use of colour and the images you paint (I colour it with tangerine by burning up my neighbours’ cars). Your use of words and metaphor is wonderful. painting
Thank you – as a metaphor I wanted to use the coloring as a theme throughout the poem 😉
You brought the stark terror of mob violence right out in the open. For whatever valid grievances they have once mob mania takes form violence results.Great glosa take Bjorn!
Hank
This is a great capture within the realm of rock n’ roll. As music has a way of saying what needs to be said in a world gone amuck. I hope things settle down within the chaos may peace find a way.
It has from the riot point of view… but anger still linger I believe.
This is very powerful.
Nice on the form, Bjorn. Sorry to hear of these riots though, I didn’t know you lived close to that area. There is so much violence in the world.
Pamela
close but still very far… I work about 2 km away from were they started, but saw nothing.
Great choice of music to reflect the riots. Your lines blend well in your glosia. One never thinks of Sweden having awful things like riots…Sweden conjures up images of ABBA free love and naked blondes having saunas.:)
saunas:)
Very successful, Bjorn–full of emotion and understanding of your subject. A great use of the challenging glosa form which you have mastered.
Thank you 🙂 I really enjoyed that form