Showing posts with label When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease. Show all posts
Showing posts with label When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease. Show all posts

Saturday, June 13, 2015

40 Year Itch : A Twelfth Man At Silly Mid-On


Roy Harper : When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease


Played on the BBC's Radio 1 as a tribute to John Peel on the day of his funeral, this Roy Harper tune from 1975's HQ has layers upon layers of melancholy and meaning.

When an old cricketer leaves the crease, you never know whether he's gone
 If sometimes you're catching a fleeting glimpse of a twelfth man at silly mid-on
And it could be Geoff, and it could be John, with a new ball sting in his tail
 And it could be me, and it could be thee, and it could be the sting in the ale




Harper would also sing lead vocals on Pink Floyd's "Have a Cigar", which was recorded at Abbey Road the same time Harper was making HQ.