Songs: Carol And The Mandolin

notes / gigs / releases

Carol came from Northern Ireland she played the mandolin
We became friends from the day she decided she'd teach it to me
Playing Brown Eyed Girl in the kitchen while watching her children play
Sat in her house in that summer I learnt something new every day

One night we went to a club playing indie and Northern Soul
She met a man in the corner and later she took him home
We didn't see her for weeks after that, she had disappeared
Till i went with my mandolin round to her house, where i found her in tears

Because he'd sucked her and fucked her and come in her mouth
Slapped her and kicked her and punched her about
Beat her and beat till the whole house was red
Stabbed her with a screwdriver and left her for dead

She begged me to leave saying he'd be back soon
She stopped me from seeing the state of the room
Refusing to show me the bruises he's made
She said that he loved her or so he had claimed

Because he'd sucked her and fucked her and come in her mouth
Slapped her and kicked her and punched her about
Beat her and beat till the whole house was red
Stabbed her with a screwdriver and left her for dead

All of her friends told her she had to leave
It took two more beatings before she agreed
She needed something to take her away
So it was my turn to teach her to play on the mandolin

Published by Wipe Out Music Publishing

This one's based on a true story, but thankfully not one that I was involved in at the time - it was co-written with Jimmy from The Bobby McGees years ago when we were in the Fabians. He told me the story pretty much as it's sung here, and gave me the chorus - HE WROTE THE CHORUS! NOT ME!

I used to really enjoy playing this song, as it was so different from the others we did - I particularly remember playing it at the Bull & Gate the first time The Validators played there with Neil and Mileage were doing the Durham Ox singing (though not on this song, obviously). At the end I looked into the audience to see people being gobsmacked, then looked round to see Neil and Milage HIDING behind an amp.

The song nearly didn't make it onto Say It With Words as lots of people in the Focus Group HATED it, but The Validators really liked how it'd turned out, so on it went. I like the SOUND i must say, especially the way the synth oozes and whizzes around, but it's not one I'd pick now for a re-recording!