Written in the Wimpey Sales Office at Eleanor Park, Bidston,Wirral, whilst working as a Sales Negotiator selling houses.16th of December 1980.
'Second Thoughts' as you've guessed was written 'tongue in cheek'. Of course our great hero and brother Geoffrey Chaucer wasn't a hack - it was just Juddy Boy being playful and provocative as usual! At the time I was sitting in the Eleanor Park Sales Office selling houses for Wimpey Homes valued at $450.000 to people who had not even heard of Chaucer.
After my divorce and then recent marriage to my second wife Sue, I was short of money. There I was - sitting there being nice to half - ignorant oafs who had lots more money than me, yet who had never appreciated the sublime Homer. They'd never heard of El Greco, or the divine Berlioz, or for that matter the 'Joy of Life', the 'Lust for Life' the 'Hunger' that you and I feel for culture.
But it's true that the same thoughts: "Is it worth all this studying? " must have occurred to every student at one time or another - specially when they see crooks and politicians, and lawyers earning such wonderful salaries for doing practicallynothing, other than rip off the poor citizen!
Second Thoughts Say if learning's just not on?
What if culture's just a con?
Is the 'Culture Vulture' wrong?
Chasing 'concepts' all day long?
Do you really get a kick?
Spooning knowledge till your sick?
Maybe pigs are better off,
Fighting and farting at their trough?
Do you just enjoy the fun?
Of naming writers one by one?
Quoting Chaucer and other hacks,
Sporting your knowledge of 'The Facts'?
What if learning's purely crap,
A waste of energy and sap?
And wisdom's worth has always been
Just a self-deluding dream?
Or should we just read Marx and Lenin,
And march with banners dressed in denim?
Mix with workers and their drones,
Putting up with moans and groans?
Jeeze! Strike out on a different tack!
Let's have some bloody action back!
Don't let's waste the time that's left,
Fooling around with weave and weft!
Concentrate on things that count!
To hell with wisdom's poisonous font!
Avail yourself of all the perks,
And make sure that the telly works!
The bird of time is on the wing,
And in this world the man is king,
Who boasts material things of life,
A house - a telly - and a wife!
Jud Evans 1980
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