image of ZZ Top
Jesus Just Left Chicago
“Ever since I was a little kid, the blues has been
in my blood.” --Billy Gibbons.
Jesus just left Chicago.
Great white Master just blinked red exiting from
the big-brown shouldered Burg.
And he’s bound for New Orleans.
Golden Hey-zinc Zeus strikes blue before empaling
Easy Navaho-white Nola.
Working from one end to the other.
Workin’ the quartz from emerald-end to orange
others.
Took a jump through Mississippi.
Jumped a turnip mid-mud-splattered Mississippi.
Well, muddy water turned to wine.
All that cinnamon drizzle transformed to Merlot.
Then on to California,
Flashing red-warp to golden El Dorado sands.
Through the forest and the pine.
Busting past raucous redwood and evergreen honey.
You might not see him in person,
Your deep lemon eyes probably can’t perceive his
piercing white majesty.
But he’ll see you just the same.
But that sapphire savior is cool to your pinkness
every tangerine tick.
You never have to worry,
Yankee-blue you don’t need no worry-wheat,
Cause takin’ care of business is his name.
Because the Mulberry Messiah digs each of us.
Glenn Buttkus
Song lyrics by ZZ Top, Waitin' for the Bus
Posted over at d'Verse Poet's Piub
12 comments:
Love the way you wove your verse with the Texas Trio’s lyrics Glenn — damned cool concept... and well executed brother!
Wow! The music (from youtube), the lyrics, insturments and your color interpretation kicks it.
Very creative! I enjoyed the lyrics paired with your verse. A fun read!
Love how you wove the song into a new poem: I felt like I was going with Jesus on his journey. 'Your deep lemon eyes probably can’t perceive his/piercing white majesty.' - wow. You really got the colours here!
Before he left London to join me in Norfolk, my husband mixed me some
Cassette tapes, which I played to death until some of them were stolen from my car. There was a ZZ Top track on most of them, including ‘Waiting for a Bus’ and ‘Jesus Just Left Chicago’. They remind me of that time. I love how you took that song and remastered it into your own poem, Glenn. Of the lines that jumped out at me, the most colourful are ‘Workin’ the quartz from emerald-end to orange’ and ‘that sapphire savior is cool to your pinkness / every tangerine tick’.
This is absolutely stunning in terms of imagery and language, Glenn!💝 The entire poem reads like a scene from a music video depicting the Wild West. Especially like; "Well, muddy water turned to wine.All that cinnamon drizzle transformed to Merlot." Kudos! 💝
Colorful call and response--how could it not be with such a source to inspire?
Wow, Glenn, this is like an acid trip in words- well done!
Well done, Glenn. Like a call and response.
Blending in the lyric itself is such a well-done idea... wonderful
Glenn...you've outdone yourself! This is fabulous! I had picked out some favorite words early on....but the more I read I realized I'd have to fill a page with my favorite sections. It is ALL quite wonderful! You've captured the challenge and taken me for a bluesy ride :)
I call that a smoldering jam session of earthy hues, my friend. Could there be anyone cooler than the Mulberry Messiah? I think not.
Post a Comment