Shakespeare Challenge: (Mr) Majestic

Mr Majestic - The King (B.B)

The King is in his Counting House
but the band don’t play for money
it’s that shimmering vibrato
sweet and smooth as honey

I don’t like having to explain a photograph, but this time perhaps it’s necessary, because what I’m trying to do may not be obvious. (Probably not at all ..)

This is a photo of a young B.B.King. I ‘re-imagined’ it through the slats of a venetian blind to give the impression of a man in the shadows - not yet able to step into the limelight. When this photo was taken he was not allowed to play to unsegregated audiences. I then squirted it through a software effect called ‘cool tones’ - which I thought was rather appropriate given the subject.

As it’s also Poem-a-day challenge (thanks Scribbler) and I missed one yesterday (and will probably again tomorrow) I’ve managed two today with a music theme.

The other 5th Beatle

The Beatles were my favourite
When I was of that age
Each LP (that’s long player)
Cost half my weekly wage

Carefully on the Dansette
Anticipate the song
“And tonight on broomstick …”
Then I’d sing along

I always wanted to be John
Rarely one of the others
(and when I wasn’t being him
- I’d be the Ev’ley Brothers)

I found the broomstick easier
To play than my guitar
And ’cos I didn’t practice much
I didn’t get that far

I’d have a go at ‘Three Blind Mice’
But two chords weren’t enough
For ‘Lady Madonna’
And all their other stuff

It wasn’t till my Forties
I finally found a way
To buy myself a real guitar
Cost half my monthly pay

Months and months of practice
Anticipate the day
‘Hang on guys I’m coming’
But they’ve since gone away