The Time Being | Steve Kilbey

pessimystic cloak round my shoulders
dark days drugged stupor
sleep through meeting
ears ring on in an envelope of limitation
everything makes me angry
nothing gets done im just mucking around
fear fear fear
premonitions threaten out of earshot eyeshot
alienhand
car chugs down rainy lanes
people argue in the driveways
hopeless look in your eyes
becalmed in 2008
the earth and everything on it seems doomed
insects multiply everywhere
the stars shift
the moon comes closer
evil omen : black cat catches white dove
gifts are lost
wounds remembered
age of squabbles
age of small print disclaimers
time is revealed as a mirage
there never was any time
or time beings
time is gone
time is up
time is not on time
go ask alice
go ask kafka
go ask your mother
time
cant get around it or under it
it aint there
you cant stop it
hang on to it
appreciate it
whatever
it dont matter
time is not matter
in the time it takes
to read this blog
something significant probably happened
somewhere…..

guiding me
guarding me
slowly assuming a form
coincidences cluster around events
i pierce the veneer of everyday
its all they see
never now
never here
irritants become pearls
morning becomes tonight
who is merging into another morning
flowers open n close
cities wither or flourish
countries go up to the top of the heap
go egypt
go babylon
go persia
go greece
go rome
go england
go usa
go utopia
its never long enough
the contenders fall wearily away
the top dog gets sick of getting bitten
the puppies dont ever learn
the revolution is inside
determination
discipline
resilience
luck
cultivate satisfaction
rise early
sleep deep
move like a cat
eat like a bird
talk like a man
open like a child
find the in
be prepared for no results
dont even know what it is yet
hour after hour after hour
turn the corner
take the high road
journeying alone
chapel perilous etc
new improved you no one notices
matter falls away
spirit adheres
life into life
obvious and upfront
all around invisibly
music for example
why create it at all
if i had the answer
any answer
is a mistake to look for an answer
nature has no answer
the beasts come and go
do animals have souls
do souls go round and round
do hells exist in our heads
i keep fighting for the revolution in my heart
we gain an inch
we lose an inch
the old ways roots go deep
its a struggle like being born
every thing you got to fight for
movement speech individuality
each day a battle
grace or disgrace
mercy or scorn
good or evil
look up the game and players changed again
its seeming like a dream to me
whose dream though
who dreams of me and my life
god is this
god is that
god is great
but we hardly ever see him round here
philosophy science evolution
yeah yeah yeah
new haircuts long short medium
actors and actresses
children want their turn
whats for tea, darling
im off then
now

the city is a jungle
the couriers run like rats
cars steam and push against the lights
angry faces desperate faces cruel faces
train tracks and oily patches
meters tick away and lifts hiss
robots empty the trash
crushing the neo-soda cans
and Big-Chok wrappers
and used up reddy-fones
into a miasma of radioactive sludge
with a half-life of 1 million years
and a half-brother in strontio-cadmium ice
drones n clones sweep the streets like grey zombies
dressed in their uni-forms and hooked on Fog
the bridges sag under their burdens
as the dead river rises and rises up from its awful bed
the weather is gloomy amongst the scrapers and towered communities
winds whistle eerily through the cables and wires
machines chatter and boil in rusting rooms full of engine
childrens faces peer from windows and are whisked away
the throb of music or the hammer of industry…who can tell?
oh my head aches with each thought
oh my nose burns with each breath
old posters flap on the walls
the black ryder playing at the melan-colisseum
carol l haslem sold another tower in district 7
a talk on astral pollution at the erskine institute
the druglords new album ” leaf, bark or crystal”
recorded live in nicaragua
Happytime lite anti-deps and now in cherry flavor!
comedy nite at slaughters
grace bros tours of the necropolis
dudes of neptunes new mindload “blip”
there were also smaller pictures of naked girls
and messages like “spirit escorts…here or there….”
or
“Queenies Ghoulfriends New Full Ectoplasmic Slide”
i was wondering if Queenies was still open out there
and if you needed an appointment
when a door opened in a wall of apartments
and a geezer in a para-suit came out
brandishing the picture of a female woman
and an envelope containing one thousand new euro-dollars
“Are you from the Time Being private investigations” he asked
i nodded and pocketed the dough
i checked out the photo of the chick
hmmm…angelface implants
new teeth new nose new hair
modulating lenses on her eyes
just like every other woman
in BoomBoomtown
“yeah…i’ll find her .”.i said
muttering “somehow ” under my breath
“you better not balls this up” said the geezer
he grabbed my arm and squeezed hard
“ok ok ” i said pushing him away from me
” shes as good as found ”
i turned to leave
he tapped me lightly on the shoulder
i turned my head to look at him
“the boss said either way..you know…whatever it takes..”
yeah i know i thought
as i trudged back up to my office
in the olde theatre district
either way
you know
whatever it takes…..

the intensity of the undergrowth
in its mauves and purples
running through the sandbanks giggling
me and russell
smoking roaches from the “bag of butts”
my choicest collection of fine pot dog ends
rivers wind to the sea and salt flies in the breeze
i cant get a fix on this
are we olde guys or youngmen
are we kidsagain?
wheres john? russell bursts out laughing
wheres dad?
silence
a seagull in the mournful sky
its early morning
raining ever so slightly
i stifle a shudder
and i shiver
some reason we must be here
time follows its meandering course
mornings boil away
afternoons fade
nights lose their darkness
in this hinterland
a delta
forests threaten in the green distance
in the other direction the sea pounds the shore
remember those kids in lyneham? russell says
the ones with the rundown house and all the pets?
yeah….i say unenthusiastically
what about em?
he begins recounting a tale
there was gengey n bengey n simmo n the abbot twins
there was an air rifle n fireworks
there was bikes and chucking rocks
there was yabbies and someones dad
there was a copper and a broken window
there was catholic kids from st johns
there was those 2 sisters live opposite the school
there was a headmaster and a caning
“lift your hand up boy!”
swoosh
whack!
pain in your arm
down your spine
even
in your balls
pain travelling all over body
try not to cry russell
try not to cry steven
hours later your hand still glowing
the dogs were chasing us, sir
simmo chucked his ice cream at me, sir
i went home to get changed , sir
my mothers gonna wrote a note for me tomorrow, sir
outside the school the bullies are waiting
punch punch in face
fight back
god it tires you out so fast
run then
kids chasing me all the way home
baying for our blood russell
quickly in the door
the sounds of the other kids fade
mums cooking dinner
johns watching tv
what you boys up to? says mum
nothing mum we said
the tale ends
the overcast sky still looms large
the dunes
the vegetation
the undergrowths lovely colours
is this heaven ? i wonder
i turn around and russell is gone too
only me and some seagulls
eternal day
detached from my loneliness
wandering along alone

sky bleeds from its wound
night aches like a whore
me im hiding in my hide
me im just behind the door
the secret life of the time beings wife
in midnights forgiving arms
wednesday gropes for morning groggy and lightfingered
i plunge into it headlong unaided n unabetted
loverman loverboy loverlover loverlife
everybody gotta love everybody
now go go go
ah you never get it
its so easy
its so easy baby
like e=mc hammer squared
like hammer on n hammer off
slur and slide
drop tuning
ease it off
walking bassline
let your fingers do the walking
through pages of music
baby says she love music man
baby says oh how can i repay you for this music?
baby says oh i feel like i already know you
baby says oh i knew itd be like this
baby say no daddy yes daddy nice daddy
baby said daddy can you gimme a ride home
wednesday shes a coming
wednesday reaching up to swallow tuesday night
baby says oh the time doth verily fly
baby says daddy dont be bad
cos everything is in motion
cos the thing cannot be stopped
cos its a destroyer
not a cruiser
cos of his heart seeking missiles
cos of his angles
cos of his energy and ardour
and im flying forgetful
dont wanna know my name anymore
sometimes i blow a little cool
sometimes flames lick me
sometimes i lock on and i punish
sometimes i have to bail out
and i freefalling through enemysky
they capture me goddamm it
i am private john smith
they engulf me in subtle torture
i am subjected to feelings of unnaturalness
i tried to fight it sir
i tried to resist em sir…but dontcha see?
they were you
and i was just me
escaping was easy
i found a wormhole to 1975
there you were baby
waiting around for me
everywhere i went
the americans werent our allies then
i co operated in their rituals
i pretended to understand them
i was brainwashed sir
i was spinwashed and dried out like a prune
my childhood course in tv and playboys
had given me a smattering of american
but i was not fluent
president robert kennedy in 1969
asked me to sing a song at his coronation
but you were there
you said baby you will not find me in this future
baby you called daddy baby now
everyone all confused honey this honey that
learn to take it like a man
im sorry sir i cant remember what thats like
the americans got to me sir
im sorry sir
i am no longer private john smith
i am now the time being
being in love and space
being of spirit and matter
and mattering much
i solemnly bind australia england n america together
in bed together
trustworthy
keeping all that good love to themselves
never flagging never wimping
just hammering away
just hammering away

the killer in me
make no mistake
under this thin veneer…..
underlip cut from spitting out words
dmt thumb
i swim like snake
i wriggle like eel
at home on dry land
exploding into ironic paradox
anchorage winter
i single out my adversary
and i destroy with intent
apparently stupid
i am always watching
seemingly awkward
my speed is sudden n omni-directional
no movement now
this head is bursting with bad ideas
in sin you ate
a nile late
i deal the deadmans hand
king jacks queens ace
i’s tale-mate in perpetual cheque
dont bother trying to work it out
im already ahead of you
my telephony enables me to zeitjump
my sympagraph is switched on
oh i dont miss a trick
double disjointed i am the interpreter
ancient meets modern
negative across positive
black in white
on becomes off
death follows life follows death
no future from the past
krypto night prints
sero-tone sweetened
receptor site occupier
i hit the thrillseeker
i emerge from pleasure
i undermine the overfond
i breathe the axis divine
i hope the ever obscured
i form the formless in form
i jumble the forever over
i greet you when all is done
i run offtrack
i bend rivers
i mount exhibitions
i crush sea salt
sprinkled in blue roman afternoons
i have broken through memorys barriers
i am angry with jealousy and ignorance
i persue those things through these pages
i am given words by the angel called tieramiah
i am protected by sheer good luck
i prevail in this vale
april fools
day
too
thousand ann ate

anyway that was the gist
pumpkin soup
mmm
been listening to humphreys n keens “the overflow”
a lot
nz guys huh?!
you dont hear this kinda thing in rock often
a lot of ya know bout aunty may who raised me on the showtunes
yeah you know
from south pacific
west side story
carousel
porgy n bess
etc
the characteristics of these songs were
romantic
meticulous attention to orchestral arrangements
often piano driven
tuneful singing
a warm fuzzy oldtime feeling
these were beautiful classic classic songs
i mean the ramones are great too
but these showtunes were oilpaintings
compared to rocks coloured pencils
anyway
humphreys n keen
not the greatest name i guess
anyway
this record has some stunningly beautiful songs
you know with major 7th chords n lovely melodies
the druid on the piano who i assume writes the music
knows his art n craft
the piano is just gorgeous
sad and romantic
jazzy sometiimes
the strings n things are lovingly done
this aint a record for guys who love metallica or something
this is old fashioned stuff
some of it could have been written in the 1920s
the words are tender and often almost naive
but not in a bad way
i dont want gimme danger little stranger every night
i got to like the guys voice n his take on things more n more
nk likes this record
i reckon my mum would like it
and i reckon a grand daughter in 2020 could like it too
track 2 is such a corker
i played it about 5 times in a row the other night
and no one here objected
downers: the inexplicable silent gaps in the middle of 2 songs
the occaisional twee bit (not that many really)
i know cd baby have this in stock at least
if you like that show tuney pianoey thing
warning :this record contains medium level violins
this record does not contain
feedback
space noises
swearwords
pounding drums/throbbing bass
screaming and shouting
its a very nice record
but sometimes nice is really ….er…nice
some of you may check it out n say
no thanks that dont rock
others will say
thank you being
thats one of the loveliest records i ever heard
think maybe blue nile without the electronics n trauma
but the same honest romantic leanings maybe without their weariness
anyway
i love track 2
which reminds me of a missing track from west side story
and that aint a bad thing
as far as billy corgi goes
i love his soft n delicate numbers
i love disarm oh what a fucking corker of a song
jesus im gonna play it in melbourne
i love tonight tonight
and all those strange songs on mel n collie
machina too
jesus he can write a good song
oh yeah i rate our billy highly
pleased to hear he gave rep-tile a good kicking

bought myself an eye in the pyramid shirt
i should have sent it to mem or mhs
but i greedily kept it for myself
muse : you couldnt bear to part with it
i got it on now as i type
oooh big brudder watching me
gonna be a revolution of the heart
soon
make it happen bruvvers n sistahs
lets make it happen
c’mon were taking over
the peaceniks
the psychedelic warlords
the animal lovers
the magicians n yogis
the singers
the sculptors
the myst-icks
the witches n whats
the surfers
the roadies
the rabid record collectors
the aesthetes n intellectuals
the bleeding heart idiots
who wouldnt know how to throw a decent invasion
the scientists who dont invent new kindsa bombs
the vegetarians
the ladies n real gentlemen
the vegetalistas
the healers n wisemen
the spiritual masters n mistresses
the good samaritans
the brave and patient
the generous and compassionate gang
the ones who turn people on
yeah
cmon
youre in there somewhere

ps btw
hump n keen do have some feedback…whooops!
but its very tasteful…
and davem
im saying it for you now
OOOOH MR HUMPHREYS…..!! YOU AINT ‘ALF KEEN…!

things expand as they get warmer
matter compressed until it moves inward
the stones talk to me
down by the seashore
when vishnu says everything is connected
he means everything
he doesnt mean except the rocks
or except the cows and pigs and sheep
or except these guys n those guys
so i say again
the stones i hold in my hand
a whole beach of stones
clean mineral spirit
it vibrates so slowly
so heavy it has no consciousness our “science” can measure
two heart shape stones
carrying in the weird night
night of screams
night of probes
night of disappearance
night of sickness and anxiety
night catches me out running
lost lost lost
i am erskine again
that poor old magician
with his cloak and his wand
crying out to the unfamiliar stars
stones comfort me i command them
time being stilled
a hush upon both worlds
the waves congealed as they crashed
the moon waxed green and seasick
the clouds crashed into each other with audible screams
the treespirits huddled deep in the wood
down in the tangled bramble
moving along the vines like telegraph lines
like music gushing from a trumpet
like messages from the front
i duck and fight my invisible assailants
the stones in my hands guide my fists in the darkness
a crows horrible groan
something sinks its filthy teeth into me
you fucking bastard i say as bring the largest stone down
on its hideous head
its blood stinks to high heaving
the evil rotten thing
the moon shines for a second
i see with horror i have bashed my doppelganger senseless
erskine has bashed me senseless
i am bitten as i lash out wildly
the plants swim around me like eels
i know i am awake this can be no dream
i walk towards the nearest light
i limp like a dog licking my wounds
i am the animal i fear most
the stones pulse in my clawed hands
the humans hunt me down
the aliens chase me down
the lions and tigers eat me up
the cute fishies nibble at my gills
i dont want to end up in this tank
my filter has clogged up
nothing getting through
the stones talk with each other
they speak slow
a hundred years per word
my impatience is inflamed
infrared stones
see everything
do nothing
at all

light burning my back
wolf with one thousand eyes
director of soul
pineal young
its midnight!
im a joker im a midnite toker
acacia smoker
i am the rider with tongue
i am the ancient idiot set free
oh i rock i roll and more…
the fruit of the sun and air and soil
i peruse the pseudo-holy
neon golden mage
i ride down midnights back laughing
on holiday in a room on my own
call me bark-ah
call me nature boy
call me the sigmund fiend
call me the groover baby cos i move rite in
highway dancer
at the intersection of worlds
yeah baby thats right
open up cos this is where it all comes together
you asked for a wordslinger with arcana amore
you said make mine panther
you said bring stevie back to being
you said type type type
you said dear mr kilbey
i am an alien spirit
and you gotta help reform this world
i said thats bullshit youre just my own mind
coming up with vainglorious egotistical twaddle
the muse said youre both wright
you said mr kilbey help me save the world
you said dear time man give me some time
you said holiday man this aint workin’
you said dear sk youre ok
you wrote in with your cards and letters
my 800 readers a day
yeah count em n weep
800 readers i love you all
thanks for your beautiful vibrations
that is so far out it makes me trip
far out where you said
oh man i said
is this some groovy lil happening or what?
just like in block you said
yes sk said this is block now
wrighters block? you said
suddenly the thread snaps
everything is vibration remember that
an alliance with a bad angel….ooooohh!
kilbey admitted to rozelle asylum
hes perfectly madly sane
no no sanely mad
he shouldnt write all that poetry
said dr benbow
its aggravating his arithmaticks
jesus kilbey youre bonkers
dad said slim dont go mad
mum said son youre acting like a lunatick
my abductors said fasten your seatbelt firmly
the captain said no smoking without me
the captain said i am in trans-mission
i said captain
he said what?
you wrote in and asked for more songs
i give these words to you
the music may appear in your head
may the music appear in your head

THE SONG OF THE BLUEGREEN FLARE
nasty little down load there
the light burning my back
alone in this midnite blue
i dont have to burn black
black as an absence
black as a void
avoiding the excess nothingness
avoiding the cold
i am burning colder than kings starrs
i imitate the traveller in the strange
i am uninsured unsure and unreassurable
i am kilbey kilbey kilbey
no youre not no no no
who are you i scream in my cell
yes i write from within the loony bin
is this the song
that all went wrong
is this still that song you ask
hey sk behind your mask
a song for the ass king
hey sk hey hey hey
hey day after day after day
kilbey son of mortal man
kilbey with green short steved shirt
kilbey with power nap
kilbey with glass dont keep out alien sex fiendss
kilbey under earths skies
kilbey a native of earth
wrong
what?
call in your outside help
gabriel in front
michael behind me
uriel to my right
hang on
do you believe in angels, dr benbow
benbow smiles
you know roy schieders died he says
and all that jazz
its showtime
ka-ching
energy drink joint codeine
ka-ching
energy drink joint codeine
ka-ching
energy drink joint codeine
its showtime
ka ching
i ching
the hierophant for hire
priest = cura not aura
theres been a miss print
fingerprince
kilbey you are fucking nuts says doc benbow
im actually sitting in ward 13
according to latest university tests
steve kilbey is quite a looney
scientists say kilbey has amotivational syndrome
science now tells us kilbey is 2 billion years old
we have carbon dated his ego and boy its a lulu
says prof benbow
and admiral benbow
malcolm fraser says im joan
kilbey says im jonesing for jazz
dr benbow is making me right this
hes got a syringe of amnesia aim at my jugular
my jugular and my clowns
my dentine is shot
my ability to timetravel is deteriorating
corroded by space
eaten up by matter
dissolved in a cloud of electa-rons
make sense damn you cries irate reader
angel appears says man have you got the wrong blog
st peter says man have you got the wrong gate
baby-lonian high priestesses:
i read about you girls last night
hey nudge nudge wink wink
say no more
kilbey you history sleaze
pornographic priestess
baby-lonian babes
yeah man whats the hurry
linger in sumer where its always summer
44 minutes gone
things slow down
kilbeys mind turns towards sleep
sleep rushes down from olympus at zeus’ bidding
sleep brother of dream
he and sleep were brothers
kilbey warm and warmer
get red hot soon
the moon will swallow you
the ocean will have us all
its 1974
before i went mad
mad as a fucking hatter
mad as a march hare
deluded
besotted
obsessed
aggravated
chronick
nun of the above
dont drive now being
look out being
snakes biting you
fleas biting you
moths biting you
time itself biting you
the time biting
in batemans bay the poppies grow
in batemens bay in a caravan drinking beer
no benbow says
kilbey you are here in ward 13
rozelle mental hospital
balmain road, rozelle
your visiting hours are between 3 and 5 pm tuesday
you were born in 1954 your blood group is oh!
how come im on the fucking internet kilbey asks
triumphantly
the internet as you call it is in your mind
said benbow
an alien is talking
you are onboard our ship
now we gonna test you boyo
the witches n hobgoblins are at the door
ghastlies n shrieks
imps of evil intention n unknown origin
youre killing me killer screams
oh no oh no oh no
get me out
he sobs
get me out
blue his mind out in a car
notes alien/benbow
implosion of stars
complete blackness
extending in all directions
at once

finely wrought
tailor of real spirit garment
special flames licking
our energy is unbounded
the music comes from here
not there or there
music is its own end
its end comes and goes leaving soft silence
music is a cake in sound
it is sonic sculpture
music wanders in dazed
music drinks down the pub
music frozen in arctic air
as titanic plummets through the sea
music hey i know you
explicit details not forthcoming
music versus argy bargy
musics dulcet fingers stroke my wrist
music brassy tramp
music virgin king
music swimming in blood and tears
quavers and semi-tones
strum n pluck
music going out with my sister
feel the beat from the tambourine
music arrives n departs
dishes out a sym-phony
music infests hotels
music having a little rest
you can count music
you can read music
you can listen to music
you can feel music
you can play music
you can ruin music
you can sell n buy music
record n reproduce it
music looks great naked or all dressed up
a sudden interrupture
an overturist pumping the cello
food of savage beasts
the birds sing
the bells ring
the spheres call out to each other in some freak-quency
god gives man yoga
then music
then it rained for a while
rome falls apart but they keep on dancing
attila the honey hun a rock n roll wrecker
on tour in europe
hannibal crosses the alps;
can you imagine the music that cat was listening to?
history lessen
an vanguarded moment
written by music
steve kilbey former public serpent
washed out pscho-delphic and clairvoyeur
singer singer a song then
oh great hes mixlequetl
songs soundalike nude current
kilbey hes old but hes olde
kilbey says something
sayer and singer
singer poor eyes
no hear anymore
something is discordant
f#minor and oh no
the centipede fingers of song
panther like hell
what does it all meanwhile
lithe awkward confused lucid in the sky
is it a saint or sinner
is it a geniass or a bum note
is it spontaneity or spondulicks
is it love that makes us rock
is it any wonder i reject you first
is it my name is it my name
is it nice in your snowstorm freezing your brain
is kilbey any good be
the answer is a simple yes and no
he is imtermittently god n bad
they clapped n laughed n drunk n barfed
people shook hands with elegaic n operatic gravity
notes dripped from their cred-it cards
kilbey sang about another song
embedded within a single locus
unclustered by its sheer individuality
yet embracing an ironic gregariousness
not a chant not a shopping liszt
not a rubberplant cheque
no led zip
no peep durple
no angus n the silly codger in the ‘at
no denniss leigh or howie trafford
no feld or jones
no bulsara nor jeff beak
no beatles stones or elvis in 77
no joe in 08 neither
sydney calling
but its such nice weather here
we take a short break
a word from our sponsors
new music downloads
internet games porno gambling extortion
illegal drugs
hey kids
wanna earn money at home
JUST BY PLAYING THE BASS GUITAR!!!???
thats right!
you
YES YOU!
you may already be earning a fortune
just by being a talentless dork
plucking a bass in a stupid group
you maybe olde n still dieing your hareblonde
you may wonder why the girls all pass you by
you may wonder if a fourth planet existed
between mars and earth
you may wonder if that stuff your friend gave you
has unleashed some angel upon you
you may wonder why youre so angry
you may wonder why you still sit around wondering
no matter laughing
no point beyond this alcohol
my aunt went to bondi
and all i got was lousy blogge
shuttup
music is tricky
music is bisexual
music can see in the dark
or here in the light
kilbey must be jokingman
kilbey you flipped yer wiggy
kilbey should be a shame of himself
a wolfe in a lambs clothing
kilbey should move diagonally on black squares
hey baby bishop equals handjob remember
hey the church of manloves such a holy place toby
no pride of lions
this mangey panther got english teeth
he likes the laughing gas and the chamber of caresses
he digs the little flowers and he such a poppy starr
he do the inversions and the perversions and the conversions
man this killer is something else
he maps the inner realms but smudged the ink
he sings the body electric and the childe-mind
he wispyhair whisperer now hoarse
he back off boogaloo he back off slowly
no mere singer?
no singer at all?
what is it, kilbey, good for?
absolutely nothing
but nothing is better than complete happiness
not now
not like this
just like that
crescendo
return to main theme
short alphonzo
mezzi pasto allegretto vinna gretto
muted palm tree austinato
spellman and gaze
the nightfriends
the timps come in
rolling n booming
symbols crash
drummrole
curtains curtis
bomp diddy bom
titty bum titty bum bum bum
wallop woof warp wham
its over folks
see you necks time