Steve Wallis’ musical poem:
Too Good To Be Forgotten
Inspired by Too Good To Be Forgotten – Amazulu, Don't Pay The Ferryman – Chris de Burgh, I Predict A Riot – Kaiser Chiefs, Where Is The Love? – Black Eyed Peas, Put Him Out – Ms Dynamite, Great Balls Of Fire – Jerry Lee Lewis, Ain’t No Doubt – Jimmy Nail, What Can I Do? – The Corrs and It Must Have Been Love – Roxette/Journey South
Written by Steve Wallis, Version 3, 6/3/2007
Dedicated to Cath Bann
CHORUS:
Cath was a woman I met in Manchester one day.
When they said I’d lost my marbles, she had an ace card to play!
She was too good to be forgotten – I’d have loved her by my side today!
Too good to be forgotten – It’s a shame I had to let her get away!
She was too good to be forgotten – What more can I say?
SPOKEN: Quite a lot more actually! Here goes…
I first met Cath through her job with CND.
I think it was love at first sight – she was very pretty!
During the 1991 Gulf War, CND said that sanctions should be applied,
But when the West imposed them on Iraq, about a million people died!
After the war, the West set up no-fly zones and later resumed air attacks.
In Greater Manchester, several organisations united in a coalition against war on Iraq.
When the air strikes ended, the SWP said that the coalition should disband
But I argued that sanctions were now a big issue and against them we should make a stand.
People crying, people dying!
The West attacked the weak!
We wouldn’t turn the other cheek!
The resulting Coalition Against Sanctions and War on Iraq included the North West branch of CARDRI (the Campaign Against Repression and for Democratic Rights in Iraq),
Militant, the Iraqi Communist Party, other peace activists and Cath representing CND.
I ensured that we also opposed Saddam Hussein and his Ba’athist regime.
Cath was very good politically – together we were a great team!
She had vaguely anarchist views being into direct action,
But she was very peaceful unlike the Red Army Faction.
Cath helped organise meetings in Hulme called the “Riotous Assembly”
But “riotous” was a joke; most of us were very friendly!
CHORUS
With her boyfriend Nathan, Cath set up a group called Defy-ID;
I think Nathan entered politics to avoid losing Cath to me!
Nathan was someone I quite liked at first but grew to hate.
Defy-ID was a great organisation, against ID cards and the surveillance state.
It is an issue I care strongly about having often been harassed
By the police and MI5; the ID cards central database would be vast.
Information currently scattered on many different computer systems would all be in one place
And conspiratorial organisations on the side of big business could use it to maintain their dictatorship over the human race.
Unfortunately, Nathan ran the Defy-ID website and failed to keep it up-to-date.
I want Cath to put Nathan out but for that I’ll have to wait!
RAP:
Yes, Cath should put him out!
He’s a bad influence, there’s no doubt!
There’s no doubt, it’s plain to see –
I love Cath and Cath loves me!
What’s she doing with such a lout?
It’s obvious – she should put him out!
CHORUS
I invited Cath to hear me at karaoke.
She ended up bringing along her blokey!
They ignored each other all night;
It was obvious who set Cath’s heart alight!
I did a song guaranteed to inspire.
It was Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Great Balls Of Fire”!
They rattle my nerves and try to shatter my brain
Too much love could drive a man or woman insane
They tried to break my will –
Oh, What a thrill!
Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!
I laughed at love ’cos I thought it was funny!
Cath, you came along and moved me honey!
Kiss me baby, oooh, it’d feel good!
Let me love you like a lover should!
You’re fine, so kind and I wanted to tell the world that you were mine, mine, mine, mine…
I chewed my nails and I twiddled my thumbs;
I was real nervous but singing for Cath sure was fun!
CHORUS
Before the 2003 war on Iraq, there was a conference in Manchester of the CBI.
The war was for oil and BP’s policies in Colombia had caused many to die.
Many anti-war protestors demonstrated outside –
We didn’t want the British people to be taken for a ride!
With another anarchist, Cath sneaked into the hall
And they poured paint over the BP stall!
Big business didn’t want the trial going ahead before the war;
It would have been a useful event for us to mobilise for
So on the flimsiest of grounds
BP estimated the damage at over 5000 pounds!
This postponed the trial but also ensured there was a jury.
In the end, Cath defended herself and got off scot free!
CHORUS
Cath had an earlier court appearance on Valentine’s Day.
I had so much to tell her, so what did I say
In my e-Valentine’s Card that I sent to inspire her?
As well as talking politics, I let her know that I desired her!
She kept insisting that she did not love me;
I did not believe her but playing along with that was not above me!
I dedicated to her some karaoke songs that I knew –
Top of the list was the Corrs’ “What Can I Do?”
What could I do to make her love me?
What could I do to make her care?
What could I do to win her heart completely?
What could I do to take her there?
CHORUS
Cath was my greatest collaborator from 1998 to 2003
That was after I left Militant, by now renamed the Socialist Party.
In the run-up to the 2003 war, I saw the need for a new revolutionary socialist organisation.
For the launch meeting, I naturally invited the woman who had been my inspiration.
Despite her anarchist background, Cath was by far the closest person to me politically
As well as by far the closest person to me romantically!
I phoned her up to ask her to speak at the meeting and we chatted for about an hour
By talking politics as well as my love for her, I thought I managed to wow her!
She told me that she would be away for the weekend
And on her telling the truth, I could usually depend,
But she actually went away for a whole week!
I had to print some leaflets then and assumed that she would speak.
Then at an anti-war meeting and huge Manchester demo
She shouted her head off – at me she had a go!
For putting her name on the leaflets without her permission.
I realise now that they were deliberate rows to frustrate agents of big business, and that Cath was a sort of magician!
Cath was trying to pretend that she had finally lost her virginity;
She seemed to have changed so much from hating him to hating me!
She seemed to have switched sides in the struggle between GOOD and BAD.
When I heard Cath was pregnant, I refused to believe that Nathan was the dad!
Having met
“their” child, it is obvious he is because he looks just like Nathan.
But is Cath the mother? He looks nothing like her and calls her
“Cath” not
“mum”!
When I first met the toddler, someone asked if he was my son.
When I was with Cath and Nathan later that day I had a bit of fun!
I told her in his presence about this person’s suspicion;
The only person who knew we never had sex with each other apart from me was the magician!
I wanted to increase Nathan’s jealousy
And Cath’s love towards me!
When I emailed Cath later, I experienced a form of cyber-sex;
Expressing how I felt about Cath gave me big kicks!
CHORUS
I had three huge boxes of leaflets on either side of a path.
Two boxes were taken away and put in a van by Cath,
But she left one box for me to distribute on the other side!
The path wasn’t even very wide!
Later on, at the CND stall, I came across Cath again;
She was still unpleasant, in the presence of Nathan,
But under the stall, there were some leaflets of mine in a pile!
What more proof did I need that Cath was not really hostile?
I made up with Cath on the phone just before they moved away
To Cornwall. In Manchester, I no longer had a reason to stay
We chatted like lovers; it was obvious she still loved me so
She was very pleased when I said I was planning to move to Glasgow
She realised I would be more effective but it took me three years to come here
It was very sad; wherever I lived I would hardly ever see her
When I did, there was still passion in the air
We really were and are a pair
Of star-crossed lovers
Who still haven’t been below the covers!
Soon after, I heard that Cath was in Paris,
A city where there is often a romantic kiss,
Also the city where the first socialist revolution occurred.
My passion still stirred!
I thought of a sad romantic song for us; I was very much alone
And experienced deep emotion when hearing or singing the Les Miserables song
“On my own”
CHORUS
Being my strongest collaborator, Cath was someone who set my heart alight!
I even expressed my love for her on the internet with a message entitled “Dynamite!”
I wrote a leaflet based on it called “The Socialist Revolution and the Police State”.
I later invited her to see a musical – that could have been our first date!
Cath said she wasn’t well when I phoned her the day before but I bought tickets anyway;
She was very hoarse when she phoned to cancel on the day of that musical play.
If she hadn’t had that cold, the world could now be a very different place;
It could have been the start of a wonderful relationship with a woman with a beautiful face!
She could have cooperated with me in letting me speak at the Manchester demo
And getting her to speak too – I even thought that it could have dealt capitalism a fatal blow!
I now realise that the struggle is much harder to win
And our politics were not good enough then.
I suspect she turned me down because she thought the revolution shouldn’t be led by two people who are both English
Although actually I’m part Welsh, Scottish, Cornish and Jewish!
Oh, it must have been love!
But it seemed over then!
The love we shared
Had been shattered somehow!
Will she come back into my life?
I desire her now!
I have recorded this musical poem, available as a Windows Media Audio (WMA) file or in MP3 format.