last post on the bugle

That’s how the British call the sound the trumpet makes when it’s time for all lights to be turned off and all soldiers to be quiet and get some sleep. After that last post, there is nothing but silence – and some sleepless guards I guess…

That’s a also Libertines’ song. But it’s not just a song. It happens to be the best song of my enire life. At least for this month…

It begins with a plain drum rhythm for six seconds. Then a minimal garagesque riff begins. And, within four seconds, the second guitar starts making this amazing distorted reverb.

And then it steals your heart, because you can listen to a piece of paper being cut off a notebook. And, how I imagine it, our hero begins to write something [maybe a “post” in another idiom]. But he is not satisfied, because a couple of seconds later we hear sounds that tell us the paper is being torn to pieces…
Mind you, the whole feeling is kind of retro, with a touch of 60s naïve rebellion [Mick Jones, of Clash fame, who took over the production, has something to do with it, as, he, from all people, knows exactly how to capture a good moment when he spots one…].
Some handclaps are added somewhere at this point and… the voice enters, just half a minute after that first drumming beat.
And here is what he has to say…

If I have to go
I will be thinking of your love
Oh somehow you’ll know
You will know
Thinking of your love

And there comes that haunting, minimal riff again, but the singer goes on breathless…

Slyly they whispered away
As I played the last post on the bugle
I heard them say
Oh that boy’s no different today
Except in every single way

Now the melody starts all over again, but you are already heartbroken because of that boy being no different… except in every possible way!!!

If I have to go
I will be thinking of your love
Oh somehow you’ll know
Just know you’ll
Thinking of your love

Oh, I was carried away
Caught up in an affray
As they led him away, he sang
We’ll meet again some day
Oh my boy, there’s a price to pay

I guess there always is one, yes… Too high a price maybe…But never mind me. Please keep on singing there. Don’t let this song ever end!!!

If I have to go
I will be thinking of your love
Oh somehow you’ll know
I don’t know how but you’ll know
I’ll be thinking of your love

And the guitar breaks in a small solo just in time to be covered by the most popular and familiar lyric ever

La-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la

And then the bass sound stops and it’s just the guitar riff and the snare drum and your heart melts again… But it gets better, yes. Because although you think you have just experienced the absolute listening bliss, the guy starts talking in a low voice. He doesn’t sing. He just reads the following words…

Inside I felt
So, so alone
Locked in a room
Waiting till kingdom come
Although I felt elated
I felt like I was scum

But then our scum is carried away by his enthusiasm so he forgets that he’s supposed to continue whispering or something and lets his voice guide him through singing routes again. It couldn’t possibly get any better than this!!!

I was carried away
Caught up in an affray

As they led him away, he sang
We’ll meet again some day
Oh my boy, there’s a price to pay

Now he’s kind of tired, almost exhausted after all this sincere coming out but he's not about to give up. Not just yet...

Feels like I’ve never been away
Though it’s been longer than I could possibly say
I’ve been wandering the market
Carrying a sign, saying the end of…

That's it. The end is near, so he’s ready for his tour-de-force

The word is nigh
I’m glad to see we’re still tight
The bonds that tie a man are tight

There is no more singing now. Just a statement, whether you like it or not…

Yet we do what we do
With rituality
All through the night

And that’s about it, actually. 2 minutes and 32 seconds long. No string arrangements, no brass interludes, nothing. Just two guitars, one bass, a drum kit and a passionate voice. But it’s just perfect. Nothing’s missing.

It’s one of these songs that I would like to play to you. Sitting together by the cd player. Or bringing this song to bed one rainy morning. Or turning the volume up in the car while driving off. Or whatever. Whatever, as long as you let me play it to you. And see this excitement in my eyes. Not because I find this song to be thrilling and life affirming and all that but because I have the privilege to share it with YOU. Now that’s what I would say, if I had the chance.

But I guess we listened to the last sound on the bugle. So there is nothing but silence. Just a sleepless guard. But if I had to go…well you know what I would be thinking of…