Рет қаралды 184,433
Blow up The Pokies released 1999, from the album Love This City.
Remixed 2017, for the 'Best of' album Truth Beauty and a Picture of You.
It's a strange fact that our only commercial hit is essentially a protest song. It was played all
around the country in 2000, and one regional network would back announce its title as 'I
Wish I' so as not to offend local sponsors.
After watching the local live music scene contract in the mid 90s due to poker machines,
and then seeing our founding member Andy Lewis succumb to their allure, I penned this
story of a musician playing the pokies where a few years before, at the same spot, he was
playing his instrument.
I had gambling on my mind because Andy, who didn't play in the band anymore, had just
made me a bookcase and delivered it to my house by bus. The pokies had
managed to make everything hard work for him.
After this album was released Andy ended his life after putting a week’s wages in the pokies.
I was in Canada on my way to remix this very song in Los Angeles. When I got to the studio
on Sunset Blvd I decided to sing it again as well as re-record the piano, to improve on the
album version. The next day when it was being mixed I sat in the piano room and wrote
“The Curse Stops Here”.
Words and music by Tim Freedman, Greta Gertler Gold
Produced and engineered by Daniel Denholm at Festival and 301 Studios, Sydney.
Mixed by Jack Joseph Puig at Oceanway Studio, L.A.
Vocal, piano - Tim Freedman
Guitar - Mark Punch
Chorus guitar - Ben Fink
Backing vocals - Lara Goodridge
Bass - Alex Hewitson
Drums - Terepai Richmond
Strings arranged and conducted by Daniel Denholm
Follow The Whitlams
Tour Dates - www.bandsintown.com/a/36685
Website - thewhitlams.com/
Facebook - / thewhitlamsofficial
Instagram - / thewhitlams.official
Spotify - open.spotify.com/artist/2fczA...
Tour dates - thewhitlams.com/tour/
Official merchandise - merchfan.co/collections/the-w...
#thewhitlams #whitlams #blowupthepokies #pokies
LYRICS
There was the stage, two red lights and a dodgy P.A.
You trod the planks way back then
And it's strange that you're here again, here again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
Don't, don't explain
Lots of little victories take on the pain
It takes so long to earn
You can double up or you can burn, you can burn
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Flashing lights, it's a real show
And your wife? I wouldn't go home
The little bundles need care
And you can't be a father there, father there
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To make you feel better, walk out of this place
Defeat them in your secret battle
Show them you can be your own man again
And I wish I, wish I knew the right words
To blow up the pokies and drag them away
'Cause they're taking the food off your table
So they can say that the trains run on time
Another man there was made the trains run on time