Myself and a few fellow
songwriters meet together every now and we will give each other an
excercise. My most recent was this sentence. I was to write a song using this as a
springboard either in the
chorus or a verse. And here the story unfolds:
There is a British television mystery which airs on PBS called Inspector Morse - the titles of some the cases are used in the body of the song - and the White Horse is the name of the pub they frequent. Much of the song is based on this character and the fact that he likes his pint and doing crossword puzzles ----names of landmarks are also part of the story - the town where he lives, the streets, the bookstores next to the pub etc. as well as titles of the shows which aired.
Inspector Morse - A Case Study
As he set out that fateful day from Oxford in the rain
Broad Street seemed as Silent as the World of Nicholas Quinn
A little quick to anger a little slow to mirth
With Absolute Conviction he would never show the hurt
It seemed the pints he had last night had all gone to his head
Cherubim and Seraphim danced a Service of all the Dead
He feared his fascination that he kept with words in squares
Had finally got the best of him and left him, unaware
Driven to distraction by the mystery of those hours
Jostled by Greeks bearing gifts who claimed The jewel that was ours
Last Bus to Woodstock weighed down with Masonic mysteries
Sins of the father, Daughters of Cain and the Ghost in the machine
Fat chance they’ll make the Promised land the Second time around
Deceived by flight and the Twilight of the Gods so moribund
Still Who killed Harry Field at the Settling of the sun
Deadly slumber confessed with The last enemy's Wolvercote tongue
Between these Blackwell bookshops what should we make of this
(a quite different kettle of fish)
If you see a white horse cross your fingers and make a wish
Inspector Morse loves the classics as much as he loves his pint
And He and Sergeant Lewis are down at the White Horse Pub tonight
- getting to the bottom of the case at the White Horse Pub tonight