By Larry Fyffe
Poet William Blake critiques organized religion for suppressing sex as a unifying fiery force within the physical world; he envisions sexual union as a holy spirit that ought to be enjoyed by humankind rather than the spiritual sexual urge being chained up and confused by the doctrine of death -‘original sin’ – as taught by black-robed priests:
Unless the heart catch fire The God will not be loved Unless the mind catch fire The God will not be known (William Blake: The Pentecost)
The preRomantic poet draws on metaphoric gnostic-like imagery of the Christian God found within the Holy Bible:
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow And his eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:14)
Blake’s sensual imagery is not lost on the rocknrollers of modern popular music.
With piano a-pounding: I laughed at love because I thought it funny You came along, and you moved me honey I've changed my mind, this love is fine Goodness gracious, great balls of fire (Jerry Lee Lewis: Great Balls Of Fire ~ Blackwell/Hammer)
With guitar a-blazing:
Say my arrows of are made of desire, desire From far away as Jupiter's sulphur mines Way down in the Methane Sea (Jimmy Hendrix: Voodoo Child/Slight Return)
Singer/songwriter/musician Bob Dylan grows up in an era when rocknroll music dominates the air waves emanating from popular music radio stations:
They killed him on the altar of the rising sun ... Play 'Lucille' (Bob Dylan: Murder Most Foul)
‘Lucille’ – piano a-pounding:
I woke up this morning, Lucille was not in sight I asked my friends about her, God, all they did was laugh Lucille, come home where you belong (Jerry Lee Lewis: Lucille ~ Collins, et.al.)
Likewise, an earlier rendition thereof:
I woke up this morning, Lucille was not in sight I asked my friends about her, but all their lips were tight Lucille, please come back where you belong (Little Richard: Lucille)
Quieted down is the guitar tempo in the gnostic-tinted song below:
Well, I went back to see about her once Went back to straighten it out Everybody that I talked to had seen us there Said they didn't know who I was talking about (Bob Dylan: Red River Shore)
The guitar subdued again in the song below:
They walked along by the old canal A little confused, I remember well They stopped into a strange hotel With the neon burning bright He felt the heat of the night (Bob Dylan: Simple Twist Of Fate)
Piano a-rolling in the following lament:
He had a lovely wife, and two children seldom seen But they shot him in the backseat of a Lincoln limousine (Jerry Lee Lewis: Lincoln Limousine)
Slowed down piano in the double-edged lament below with the alliterations still abounding; John Kennedy’s physical body is destroyed, but the memories of his lively spirit are not:
I'm riding in a long, black Lincoln limousine Riding in the backseat next to my wife Heading straight on in to the afterlife (Bob Dylan: Murder Most Foul)