By Madeline Bocaro 

© Madeline Bocaro, 2020. No part of this site may be reproduced or re-blogged in whole or in part in any manner without permission of the copyright owner.

Whenever I play a T. Rex song, I escape to Marc Bolan’s shimmering world of unicorns and wizards, Cadillacs and glitter – and I refuse to leave for months. No other music is important for a while, and no other world feels more like home.

 

Marc had a halo – a shining light that he emitted which followed him everywhere.

See how the sun shines like an arc, where you walk…

Some say he was self-absorbed and pompous but they are just jealous. He disappeared so suddenly, a cruel death in a car crash at the height of his beauty at age 29 in 1977. Marc and Elvis Presley died within a month of each other. This was at the time of Punk Rock’s onslaught onslaught,  which Marc embraced, and whose denizens worshipped him.

Bolan, along with his dear friend David Bowie colored our dreary teenage lives.

Bowie wrote the song ‘Lady Stardust’ about Marc…

People stared at the makeup on his face 
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace 
The boy in the bright blue jeans 
Jumped up on the stage 
And lady stardust sang his songs 
Of darkness and disgrace 

And he was alright, the band was altogether 
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever And he was awful nice 
Really quite out of sight 

And he sang all night long Femme fatales emerged from shadows 
To watch this creature fair 
Boys stood upon their chairs 
To make their point of view 

I smiled sadly for a love 
I could not obey 
Lady stardust sang his songs 
Of darkness and dismay 

And he was alright, the band was altogether 
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever And he was awful nice 
Really quite paradise

And he sang all night long 
All night longOh how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name 

And he was alright, the band was altogether 
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever 
And he was awful nice 
Really quite out of sight

He sang all night long

Although Bowie and Bolan are both now departed, they have never really left us in spirit, nor in song. 

Light all the fires –

it’s the king, and he’s coming home!

When I get to heaven, I’m going to visit Marc’s castle. I’ll bring along John Lennon to sing ‘Spaceball Ricochet’, Johnny Thunders on ‘Baby Strange’, Mick Ronson can sprinkle his angel dust on the ‘Monolith’ solo, and the Ramones can rock out ‘Debora’. I don’t know if this is Marc’s idea of heaven, but it most certainly is mine!

Monolith

The throne of time
Is a kingly thing
From whence you know
We all do begin
And dressed as you are girl
In your fashions of fate
Baby it’s too late

Shallow are the actions
Of the children of men
Fogged was their vision
Since the ages began
And lost like a lion
In the canyons of smoke
Girl it’s no joke

 

 

© Madeline Bocaro 2020. No part of these materials may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, re-blogged or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable form, in whole or in part, without the  prior written consent of Madeline Bocaro. Any other reproduction in any form without the permission of Madeline Bocaro is prohibited. All materials contained on this site are protected by United States copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast without prior written permission of Madeline Bocaro.

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