Memphis Black

from Wave by The Revenants

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about

For Richard Fariña

lyrics

Memphis Black was a hot shot
The kind the ladies liked
Whenever he blew into town
Man, the ladies were psyched
Memphis liked to dress the part
He knew his way around a suit
His shirts were starched and pressed
And he wore an Italian boot

Old Black, sad sack
And all his mysteries
This is the story of
Old Blacky, lip smacky
Noblesse oblige
This is the story of
Memphis Black

Memphis Black went to Cornell U
Way, way back in '59
He partook of the ol' paregoric
Made him feel more than fine
Memphis lived life on the outside
He called himself exempt
He looked like no one you knew
His hair a perfect unkempt

Memphis was an anarchist
And he played that part with glee
He liked to swill his Red Cap ale
And stroke his hip goatee
Memphis dabbled in hallucinogens
He only ate eggs from a quail
He played piano like Lennie Tristano
Man, could that cat wail

Memphis Black was the coolest of cool
And other epitomes
We all looked up to him as God
As if God was the bee's knees
But one day took his motorcycle
Out to Carmel by the Sea
He flew off and struck a fence
And the rest is history

credits

from Wave, released September 29, 2023

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The Revenants Boston, Massachusetts

"It was hell," recalls former child.

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