Arctic Monkeys in Audlem?
“Watching his exit, was like falling off the ferry in the night”.
It could be argued that Audlem is the very epitome of the Shropshire Union Canal: the “cut” of the canal runs through the very heart of this sleepy Cheshire village dominated by a magnificent church high atop a hill. The 15 (count them!) 15 canal locks that pockmark their way through the village and beyond are a picture of co-operation, ingenuity, smiles, laughter and old fashioned chaos in the summer months and two public houses hug the canal side with one appropriately named “The Shroppie Fly” for the fly boats that travelled the locally known “Shroppie”. There are the black and white mileage stones that are so evocative of a bygone age and so in keeping with the reverence afforded the history of the canal with the brilliantly detailed information boards. There’s a canal shop in a building that time has long since forgotten, lock upon lock of winding canal surrounded by magnificent English countryside. Suffice to say I adore this tiny piece of historical heaven, and I hope you enjoy the “pictorial stroll” that follows.
Arctic Monkeys? I was listening to their 2009 album “Humbug” as I criss-crossed the borders of Shropshire and Cheshire and any excuse to extol the virtues of their magnificent song “The Jeweller’s Hands” will be exploited without apology. I joined the Monkeys bandwagon in the early 2000’s almost immediately, have and cherish every album of theirs and should you wonder what the fuss is all about regarding these rocking renegades from Sheffield then play “I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor” and forget yourself and the world for 2 minutes and 54 seconds.
You’ll never feel more alive.
“Fiendish wonder in the carnival’s wake
Dull caresses once again irritate
Tread softly, stranger
Move over toward the danger that you seek
You think excitement has receded then the mirror distracts
The logic of the trance quickly reaches and grasps
Handsome and faceless
And weightless, your imagination runs
And now it’s no one’s fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you’d never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you’re a sinking stone
But you know what it’s like to hold the jeweler’s hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned”
“In the moonlight they’re more thrilling
Those things that he knows
As he leads you through the grinning
Bubble blowers in the snow
Watching his exit
Was like falling off the ferry in the night
The inevitables gather to push you around
Any other voice makes such a punishing sound
He became laughter’s assassin
Shortly after he showed you what it was
And now it’s no one’s fault but yours
At the foot of the house of cards
You thought you’d never get obsessed
You thought the wolves would be impressed
And you’re a sinking stone
But you know what it’s like to hold the jeweler’s hands
That procession of pioneers all drowned”
“If you’ve a lesson to teach me
I’m listening, ready to learn
There’s no one here to police me
I’m sinking in until you return
If you’ve a lesson to teach
Please don’t deviate, don’t be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can’t calibrate
Let’s get it ingrained
If you’ve a lesson to teach me
I’m listening, ready to learn
There’s no one here to police me
I’m sinking in until you return”
“If you’ve a lesson to teach
Please don’t deviate, don’t be afraid
Without the last corner piece, I can’t calibrate
Let’s get it ingrained
If you’ve a lesson to teach me
I’m listening, ready to learn
There’s no one here to police me
I’m sinking in until you return
If you’ve a lesson to teach
Please don’t deviate, don’t be afraid”
"The Jeweller's Hands" by the Arctic Monkeys