Young Fathers – ‘Shame’
Young Fathers released another preview from their forthcoming album White Men Are Black Men Too, out on April 3rd. Hear also ‘Rain Or Shine’. The song is accompanied with this piece of writing.
Yes, you are on your way to work. Yes, you are late but you don’t give a fuck. That’s not why you’re flat-footing it up the concrete steps, feeling that rough corner burn on the palm of your hand. That’s not why you’re sweating (on the inside! The inside!) or why tendons are twitching and flicking the ends of your toes while you wait, tapping, for the gap in the revolving door to swing too slowly your way.
It’s not because you did something wrong and now there are people, the police, sending sirens, howling like dogs after your heels. They won’t catch you, not worried. Fuck ‘em.
It’s not because you’re running from school, from the sight of your face in the steamy glass as you arrive for another day of drear, running towards unknown fields.
It’s because… this prodding, insistent (move it! Pick up! Come on!) this audio whip, this escalator gone mad in your ears and then that slow down and the choir (The Leith Congregational Choir no less) and what does it take to feel better? When will you be happy again? Who cares. Keep moving and then, a moment and you realise, hey I’m happy, just now, right now and it comes home and you feel no shame. No. Shame.
Take a breath.
(Perfectly audio-tuned for tinny ear phones).
https://soundcloud.com/youngfathers/shame-yf
The band play The Academy on Thursday March 26th.
