Weird but brief one here, love it!
Song: Terry Waite Sez
Album: Bend Sinister
Year: 1986
So I ought to explain to those who don't follow world affairs or were too young to remember this instance, I certainly was, Terry Waite was a Christian hostage negotiator who was held captive for around four years by an Islamic Jihad Organisation. Quite why MES felt he needed to immortalise him in post punk song is anyone's guess, but it is quite amusing.
The lyrics seem to show hope for his release, there is a line that mentions 'Mr Big' whether this is a reference to Waite's portly stature or something you find in hostage negotiation it is unclear, the imagery of trees and a dove seem to suggest the Bible, maybe Smith is suggesting Waite is a Noah-like figure or he can rely on his religion to get him out of the situation. Seeing as this was recorded in 1986 and Waite was taken hostage in 87, maybe this is just poking fun at Mr Waite, a tad unfair, he seems to have been a very caring man in his time and must have been bemused by this odd few minutes of song.
The line 'let the real reverend walk/he plans but they won't let him in' seems to be about Waite's desires to wade into situations to try and solve them and authorities blocking him. Quite understandable, I like it when MES documents the things around him, be it books, other musicians, current affairs or otherwise. To do it for so long has created a patchwork history of strange events, which I have to say is massively enjoyable to look back through, cheers Mr S.
Think this was written before he was taken hostage? More of a comment on the way TW used to butt in on the moral dimension of anything and everything in a supremely pompous and irritating way I think. Couldn't agree more about the documenting of things around him aspect of the Fall A Fall album often feels like reading a sort of psychic newspaper.
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