I’m Goin’ To My Hometown
And I’ll Go With You Any Day, Rory
Battered and banged into a shape of shelter Like the roof of the coal shop on old Barrack’s street I pull up my coat collar to isolate the bitter breeze — A waft of cigarette smoke lingers past Light enough to thrill a memory of lighting up Bare-chested after some pleasured heat
A call from a doorway across the street “Tanks, when did you do dat?” Sings one Cork lilt to another I smile at my homecoming To an old stomping ground As many did before me, and later I sit down to recall and put to paper The resilience of life’s quirks — so charming
On with the radio and my heart skips a beat To the lead-in chords as I anticipate A favourite old song, long time not heard And so it is — by Mr Rory Gallagher — Claimed to be — by Mr Jimi H* — The best guitarist ever With his foot thumping voice, he strums Triple stomping to the ukulele Or is it the mandolin? Doesn’t really matter, as he rears up to sing
“I’m gettin’ lonesome, I’m gettin’ blue — I need someone to talk to I’m gettin’ lonesome, I’m gettin’ blue — A ticking bomb pause followed by the grit “Now let me tell you where I’m goin’ to ” Enter the explosive stomping bit “Yes, I’m goin’ to my hometown” — stomp “Sorry baby but I can’t take you” — stomp stomp stomp’
No holding back on this my favourite track As my head takes off and we sing in unison “I have shoes upon my feet“ — stomp I’m goin’ to my hometown” — stomp stomp “And I don’t care if I have to walk” Stomp stomp stomp — he croons on and on And I love it, love it, love it— the piano Stomp stomp stomping, “Do you wanna go?” Yeh, yeh, yeh, my moment of pleasure A classic rock song and the boy from Cork
*There’s a story, apparently a true one, that Jimi Hendrix was asked at the legendary Woodstock festival, what it was like to be the greatest guitar player in the world. “I don’t know,” he answered. “Ask Rory Gallagher.”
To appreciate the stomping, just listen to some of this:
More Rory info: