Bananaz Page #8

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I was just told

to show up at three o'clock

with some kids that could sing.

And I did. When I heard the words,

which was my first time,

I was shocked.

I was like, "Wait. Am I hearing this?"

So I asked if I could see the words

and I was about to bring them out

and I was told, "Let me explain."

So could you help me understand why

does it have African-American males

in the context of New York,

at the Apollo, no doubt,

singing, "I need a gun

to keep me from harm"?

No, it's "to keep myself among."

"To keep myself among

the poor people

who are burning in the sun."

- That says harm.

- No, that's not the lyric.

See, then, that's something different.

That's not the lyric at all.

It's says, "I need a gun to keep myself

among the poor people

who are burning in the sun."

- Say the last word again. "The mong"?

- It's among.

Among!

- A-M-O-N-G.

- Among.

That one word

makes a major difference.

Well, it's not harm.

That's bureaucracy going...

- That's what the kids are singing.

- They're singing the wrong...

And I don't know why...

Wayne, he's done it in England

with kids of similar ethnic backgrounds

and it was recorded in Atlanta

with purely...

- African-Americans.

- Exactly.

So its origins are already amongst...

But when you say that word...

Just for you to change

this word from harm to among...

- Why have you got "harm" on there?

- He didn't write these lyrics!

I know, but...

That's never... That's not.

It's "I need a gun

to keep myself among."

It's a kind of rhetorical thing.

It's an anti-war song.

If you look at Bootie Brown's,

the lyrics...

It's utterly and totally anti that. It's pacifist.

The whole record is a pacifist record.

What's the gun here?

The gun... The gun is...

I suppose I see the gun

and I use it throughout the record

as a strong kind of...

It's such a...

It is such a negative image

that it has to be

somehow sort of destroyed

and turned into something else.

Do you know what I mean?

And that's all

I'm trying to do in the record.

That's why I'm being

very, very upfront

and, yes, using a kids' choir

on the record, it is...

But, you know, to be honest with you,

you're the first people

who have actually,

who have even

really thought about it...

- I find that very shocking.

- But, well...

My mother finds it shocking

that I make these records

and no one seems to kind of

understand that there's this.

And I'm...

I'm sure if I lived in the UK,

I could get more

of an understanding of it.

But I wrote this song...

The situations that happen here

and the way that the kids

use weapons here...

Yeah, but we have it in Britain.

Yeah, I don't know.

I don't watch the BBC News too much.

We have it in Britain.

We have kids in schools with guns.

It's exactly the same. Really.

You know, there's no difference.

Yeah, I think what I hear you saying

is that it's almost the dichotomy

between dark and light.

Exactly.

The album is called Demon Days.

These words! OK, I get you.

I know but you've got to understand I...

- I'm not...

- I do.

I want a hug! Thank you.

Thank you for your work.

Where's Damon?

I've been stressed out, man!

I mean, really, seriously.

I mean, I've never gone on... I'm never...

I love music but, man, I've never...

Except for this one thing

when I played Sinatra,

have I ever even thought

about performing a song.

Much less, you know,

I can't sing a note.

But this is like,

you know, it's just a, yeah...

- Do you want to work out that tune?

- Sure. Let's try it one more.

Look at that hawk.

Just look, just look, just look.

Just look at it.

Oh, great!

- Looking for a meal, are you?

- Yeah!

So that should do it, man.

I don't think you need to devote

any more of your stress to this, OK?

Really, it's gonna be great.

It is, it is.

And I hope you have a fantastic

night tonight and really enjoy it.

Hopefully, you'll be itching

to get on that stage and do it.

Damn right!

I'm in the Apollo Theater, man!

It's like every-f***ing-body

who was ever anybody!

And they've got this lucky tree stump

which they kind of carry around.

It's wonderful. You just touch...

You can stick your head in it

and it's just...

There's a sound in there

that's a very unique sound.

It's a beautiful place. I love Harlem.

I love the feel of Harlem.

I lived there for...

I lived there for almost a year.

A dancer

that I knew in the early '50s...

A very quiet reflection!

A very good stay!

- Oh, no!

- Yes!

Oi, there's f***ing kids in the car!

I was wrong about that.

That's actually a brilliant T-shirt.

It says everything

you need to know instantly.

You've won it!

- Stop.

- F*** that off, Chris.

Ceri, you really

should wear some clothes.

I keep telling you this

when we're filming.

Yeah, we've put up with it

for a long time.

You f***ing stinky c*nt!

Why did you do that in our one?

Where shall I do it? The girls'?

We've got to go on stage!

F***ing two pounds of ginger turd!

Ginger turd!

No, 'cause I'm gonna be sick

and if I'm sick,

then it ruins my vocal cords!

In Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em...

It's show time!

It's f***ing...

That's not me, that's him there!

Oh, f*** off! You just

literally crapped your pants

in front of everyone

and go "That's not me!"

I can't take it, so it's not my smell!

It's natural!

I can't take it!

Great singing.

We'll come down

to where she was standing, OK.

- Thank you.

- OK.

- Thank you, Ceri.

- Thank you.

- What's up?

- What?

Something I've been working on

for the last six years.

What, smoking?

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Originally published 18/03/2014

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