Do Yourself a Favour

In a land so long ago
When wizard, prince and piper dared to roam
Every night, the sun retired. The villagers would turn their weary eyes
To a magic light, from a box inside…

As they watched and ate their tea
A learned scribe preached from Ripponlea
He spoke to them of charts and symbols
Proclaiming ‘bout each brand new single

“Do yourself a favour” the mystic would exclaim
“This song is on the rise, my child! Number 1 in a matter of days!
Open your ears and follow me
This band’s the greatest ever seen!”

So they gathered once a week
To heed the words their leader deigned to speak
Every seven days, a new sound
As the minstrels jostled up and down the mystery scale.
Some flew. Some failed...

They looked to him in awe
And cried aloud, “Please father, tell us more…
Show to us your double-A sides!
And your awkward interviews worldwide!!”
And the sage cried:

“Do yourself a favour - Get yourself a copy, stat”
How could they ignore a man who dared to wear such a hat?
Open your ears and follow him! He is the greatest ever seen!

“(Do yourself a favour) This song’s spectacular
There’s not enough hyperbole to describe the wonder I heard
If you all do as I command I’ll lead you to the promised land!”

[The Bearded Rock Prophet]
But one witching hour of a midwinter’s eve
The cowboy of rock declared he must leave:
“My time here is done. Your destiny waits
I must go from this earth before I fail to rate
Take care of the minstrels, spare ye no cost”.
But without him to guide them, the people were lost!
So the songmakers wandered, withered and rambling,
Broken by tithing, insurance and gambling,
They played tunes of sorrow in large, empty rooms
Fearful, without him, the music was doomed!

(Do yourself a favour) Still echoes through the mist
His passion shining through even when he was pissed
He’d rant and rave ‘bout everything he heard
With every kind of adjectival word
But without him here to recommend
Will our love affair with music end…?