Shine on shine my little star

“Shine on shine my little star
Up above the world honey that you are
Shine on now you don’t give me no love
Hit me like a death ray baby from above”

Chiron Stencil by Hudley / 96

Recently I received a review on Amazon calling my Punkalullaby memoir as being “Trite and Boring.” I thought of many ways to respond to the criticism, but I did not. It was a long process for me creating and then sharing my story.

I think that review is more about the reviewer than my story. If that person took the time to read it. He would have found a woman’s psyche addressing the world with her wild woman ways. It is about characters, music, and the growth of the punk scene. Punks who grew up together.

Some say that punk has been around a long time. It has in one form or another. Yet the flavor I am referring to is a unique form, known as Punk Rock, that formed around the cusp, a little before and after 1977. The median of young punks at that time being the age of 19. As most born in the year 1958.

The small solar system body discovered at the time is Chiron known in mythology as “the wounded healer.” Los Angeles Flipside Fanzine was formed at that time. Punk bands with this flavor formed too. The Saints, The Dammed and The Ramones. Sex Pistols etc. Around the time of 1977 to 1987 is the decade of the creation of this unique flavor of punk that continues today.

Now (charged) GBH, the Circle Jerks and Social Distortion are celebrating their 40-year anniversaries around that time median. The current 40-year celebration is based on the beginning close to the cusp of 1977. The originators and wild ones who moved with this flavor of punk rock.

“Chiron teaches us the philosophical perspective, and the perspective that our wildness, which may put us outside the status quo, may be our wisdom.” ~ Tim Lyons

Back then, these days were not only our glory days, our youthful rebellion days, but more the beginning. We all anachronistically created our hubs, bands, media, promotions, record labels, and fanzines.

We were isolated and dependent on each other, which was the key to our survival. How we synchronized together is a marvel to think about. The news did not mention us unless cops showed up and closed down our shows. Our ways were strange and unique. We did it all ourselves. Dark rooms and silk screens in our garages is where we did it. Our glorious garages. Flyers are how we communicated.

1977 was a unique time that brought a lot of misfits tighter together. This is all about our experiences and friendships, which both need to be held up high and respected.

It can be lost, I find myself lost, in the big promoters and festivals happening currently. Great for the bands yet in general undesirable to me, a longtime fan. Yet not to worry, we know those small shows that hold the original punk magic, can still be found!

This is the key to our punk scene. Its foundation and flavor of punk rock, music wise that is. Chiron is an embellishment, a signature in the heavens that once announced our coming. That it all is valid and has deep meaning. So do our lives.

Recovering from cancer surgery, it was difficult not to go see GBH as they entered my hometown. A sad time. As they surely drove by where I live on HWY 101. I dreamed that they might stop by or want to see how I was doing. Yet it will never be how it once was. Those dancing days, backstage days with punk bands, are most likely long gone.

GBH did not come to my rescue, put me in a wheelchair and roll me backstage to see them play live. Words they said to me once are now only a happy memory. Maybe next time. (May -2023)

click on image to order.

The Saints lyrics below, Nights in Venice:

It’s so black as I crash into the backroom

I feel so sick honey listen to the girls moan

My eyes they water and my knees is a-weak

And I fall down every time that you speaks

Shine on shine my little star

Up above the world honey that you are

Shine on now you don’t give me no love

Hit me like a deathray baby from above

Come on!

Speeding down the highway you got no time to waste

Brain all used up just like the human race

Head spinning around from the 39th highball

And your sultan owns a queen who ain’t nothing but a screwball

Shine on shine my little star

Up above the world honey that you are

Shine on now you don’t give me no love

Hit me like a deathray baby from above

24 hours till the end of the show, boy

If you are looking for love that don’t give you much time, boy

If your baby’s by your side you are gonna see her cry, boy

And when you look into her eyes it just won’t bring you no joy

Oh no!

Shine on shine my little star

Up above the world honey that you are

Shine on now you don’t give me no love

Hit me like a deathray baby from above

WOW!

Come on!

I said take it

Take it down

Listen

(ten seconds of muttering)

I said it keep comin’ down, need to calm down need you to calm down. Sink it. A bit out of time. Shake it. Take it. Come on, won’t you take me for a ride. Won’t you shake me, out of time? Won’t you take me, for a ride? Take me down. Shake me. Little baby shake it. Little baby shake it. Take me down. Are you there? Take me down, down the ground. Yeah down. Yeah, drunk. Down down down down…

YEAH! Ah come on sugar! Gonna take a ride, where the girls don’t come. I wanna take your hand, go across the sand. When the girls don’t come. Come one sure, I gotta take a run where the girls don’t come. Well I take your hand, get across the sand. Where the girls don’t come, yeah walk to run. Gotta have some, yeah I gotta be a son/sun, ah come on! I said people come on, I can’t come no more.

East side west side it all looks the same now

Don’t need nobody but you don’t care nohow

Don’t need no love, don’t need no hate

You were screaming so loud but it was much too late

Oh no!

Shine on shine my little star

Up above the world honey that you are

Shine on now you don’t give me no love

Hit me like a deathray baby from above

WOW!

Come on baby

Make it bad