Yes — I was the walrus
so too the fool on the hill
I was the nowhere man
sometime I feel nowhere still
but when the Fab4 took the stage
and raised their voice in song
they roused my golden slumber
my spirit sang along
I strolled to strawberry fields
along sweet penny lane
and when miss Rigby died
I felt McKenzie’s pain
stowed in the submarine
and sailed beneath the waves
down with the octopus
among the coral caves
and when the sergeant
struck up his lonely hearts club band
I fell in step by step
to march off to Pepperland
but before I’d hit the road
I ended up wounded in my bed
a delinquent name of Maxwell
took a hammer to my head
he’d come through the bathroom window
I forgot to shut it tight
I should have known better
but it’d been a hard day’s night
my friends had called for help
doctor Robert came in time
I’d said doc don’t let down
he did not — and I feel fine
cops searched helter skelter
looked here there and everywhere
but they found clues for no one
I said let it be I didn’t care
leaving home, you won’t see me
I said heading out the door
when I saw her standing there
my lover from the night before
oh darling let’s go day trippin’
I want to hold your hand
down this long and winding road
it won’t be long to Pepperland
now we’ve come together here
me and my sweet belle Michelle
she’s been writing paperback novels
the kind the drugstores sell
we have no plans to get back
we’re swept up in the allure
of Lucy and her diamond skies
on our magical mystery tour
even with George and Johnny dead
that old magic’s not yet slipped away
because old Paully‘s discovered AI
so a brand new tune is on the way
it will be so very cool
to hear them once again
to remember those wondrous days
get to relive them now and then
*
rob kistner © 4/5/11
expanded version: rob kistner © 6/13/23
Poetry at: dVerse
https://youtu.be/oz3JlMhgfq0
I can only follow Sgt Pepper with… Let It Be…
Great stuff!
OK Stan, yo dude — so nice to see you again, down this long and winding road…!!! 🙂
A clever poem.
Like this a lot Rob, all the memories and how the music streams through the mind of the reader.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Elizabeth
Fab.
I thought you might like When He’s Sixty-Four over at Eggs Over Tokyo. You’ll have to scroll down one poem.
Rock on, brother.
Really enjoyed “When He’s Sixty-Four” on a couple levels Ron, thanks for pointing the way… 🙂
A delightful trip down memory lane, Rob, for one of similar vintage
This is very fun and well crafted. You were very deliberate with your song quotes-not just sticking them anywhere.
I’ve done a very similar thing with a poem about Jimi Hendrix.
Great work.
a great tribute to one of the best bands of all time!
A great tribute to a great band. Even the equally great Stan Kenton agreed to listen to ‘Twist and Shout’ when he was in London once.
Clever stuff…I love it when music is mixed with poetry like this..I often use music as an influence myself but this is just great 🙂
Dead good Rob! I sang this one all the way through!! Funnily enough we went to the Beatles Museum in Liverpool a couple of weeks ago. FAB!
love all the beattles references…they were visionaries in music…and you in verse.
You have a genuine Ticket to Ride. Thanks for the lovely trip.
Beautiful…
Here is my One Shot:
gost of a rose
HERE COMES THE SUN…
So fun!
Oh dear Rob, now I have those songs in my head, Hahaha.
Wonderfully clever! Curiously, my TV is just this moment reporting on Paul’s AI plans. 😉
My Daughter-in-law yold me yesterday Susan… 🙂
Holy shit
Holy MopTops… 😉
Good Day Sunshine! I want to hold your hand and say thank you for your fab 4 stroll down abbey road <3 Strawberry Fields Forever!
You are most welcome Lisa… 🙂
I love the way you’ve incorporated the lyrics into your poem. Who can resist the Beatles?
Not me Kerfe… 🙂
“because old Paully‘s discovered AI
so a brand new tune is on the way”
Love it.
Thank you Melissa… 🙂
Beautifully crafted, Sir Rob! The Fab 4 ~~ forever.
Thank you Helen… 🙂
I knew you would love this prompt and you did not disappoint. You did a wonderful job on this one. So many great songs in every verse! You knocked it out of the park, my friend!
Thank you Dwight. The piece began in 2011, snd has been through iterations, this being the most recent. Glad you dug it my friend… 🙂
Yes, The fab 4 inspired us all with their musical abilities. Charmed and delighted us with each song. This was an enchanted read, Rob and now I have songs spinning in my head.
I always have songs running in my head True. 😉
lol – I spend my life spinning lyrics and poems. I see or hear something and there is that clicking of gears in my head. What can I create of that?
Just listen closely and carefully True — and think while you hear — it’s in there my friend… 🙂
I love your Pepper’d Memories, Rob! I’m dancing in my chair and singing along to songs I know so well. I’m amazed at the number of lyric references you wove in. The line ‘sometime I feel nowhere still’ resonates with me, and I smiled at the lines:
‘he’d come through the bathroom window
I forgot to shut it tight
I should have known better
but it’d been a hard day’s night’.
So very glad you enjoyed this Kim… 🙂
This is absolutely brilliant, Rob. Perfect rhyming as well.
Thank you Sara. 😉