I woke up this mornin'.

 

B. B. King. A music hero.

In 1977/1978 I was living in Taumarunui and I wrote a blues called The Taumarunui Blues.

The first few lines went like this:

I woke up this mornin' to the sound of a train, I said

I woke up this mornin' to the sound of a train.

My alarm clock was working but I couldn't hear it for the rain.

This song uses two things that are often heard in traditional 12 bar blues songs:

1. The first lyric line is repeated and
2. The first five words are I woke up this mornin'.

These days I quite often hear people using the word 'woke' in a different context and I'm never too sure whether it is a put down or a complement.

I looked it up on Google.

Sorry, that magnifying glass got in the way.

So, I imagine that being 'woke' is a good thing, but I feel aware that it is also used as a put down - to say that someone is maybe too sensitive or maybe even looking for marginal issues to support for the heck of it. I read some things on Facebook that are well supported by right wing people or Christians - there is a lot of agreement in the comments section. People who express a different opinion are often thoroughly jumped on and often the word 'woke' pops up in an uncomplimentary way. 

I watched a video by a guy the other day. He was comparing the Pride flag to the Confederate flag.

HERE

Worth a watch. It appears that he doesn't like the sodomy bit, or what he calls 'counterfeit marrages',* that the Pride flag represents, among other things.

"The Pride flag basically says that the Catholic Church is wrong on sexuality." he tells us.

Whoops, Pride flag!

Anyway, maybe next time I'll get a few thoughts from that exemplary Catholic, Brother Benedict.

He's in Heaven now and I don't think he followed the Catholic church's rules about sexuality.

Should be an interesting discussion.

* * *

Just for the record, the last verse in my song was:

Well Taumarunui ain't a one horse town, I said

Taumarunui ain't a one horse town.

Them horses got more sense, ain't a single horse for miles around.

* gay marriages