THE FIVE SONGS: THE FIRST INSTANCE. As you no doubt already know, Weaverman has suggested the theme of "necrophilia" (and now perhaps we know why Jolly Old England is so jolly)!

1. I WANT MY BABY BACK by Jimmy Cross. I mean really, what song would pop into my mind MORE about necrophilia. This is probably my favourite parody of all those "Teen Angel/Leader of the Pack" type songs in which our hero and his baby are returning from a Beatles concert only to crash into "some mushhead on a motorcycle". The truly priceless description the singer gives when he sees his baby lying dead still makes me laugh: "And over there was my baby. And over THERE was my baby. And WAY OVER THERE was my baby". Naturally, the singer misses his baby so much that he eventually digs her up and climbs in the coffin with her.

2. THE LEADER OF THE PACK by The Shangri-Las. Well, after it was mentioned in the last song's description, how could I not?!? There was something really scrappy about The Shangri-Las; those tough girls in school you didn't want to mess with or else they'd tune you up. That's why I kinda like them. Although this is not my favourite song of theirs (that would be OUT IN THE STREETS), it's just so melodramatic. "As he drove away on that rainy night I begged him to go slow but whether he heard I'll never know. Look out! Look out! Look out!!!" Now there's no overt necrophilia going on here but I just can't help but feel that, once Jimmy's been planted, our singer is gonna pop some wheelies right on over to the cemetery and. . .

3. ANNABEL LEE by Marianne Faithful. This may seem like something of a cheat because it's actually Marianne Faithful reciting the Edgar Allan Poe poem to music. But it's still a song because I say so! This is from the CLOSED ON ACCOUNT OF RABIES double CD. Faithful gives one of the best readings of the poem this side of George Segal in LOST AND FOUND (which, if you've seen that movie, is pretty damn effective). Again, the history of pop music doesn't feature actual necrophiliac lyrics all that often but this song (or poem) sure gives me that impression. Marianne Faithful gives the narrator such a feeling of earnest obsession that one is merely waiting for the moment when he flips the lid and climbs into Annabel's crypt. That's probably the "unsung" action which happens after the song has ended; because I just know that Poe's protagonist is not gonna give up THAT easily.

4. WHERE THE WILD ROSES GROW by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds featuring Kylie Minogue. OK, now this song is a slap-bang traditional murder ballad (fitting since it appears on Nick Cave's album entitled MURDER BALLADS). However, once again the lyrics are extremely suggestive to me in that things ain't gonna stop with simple murder. Not with ole Nick. "On the third day he took me to the river/He showed me the roses and we kissed/And the last thing I heard was a muttered wordAs he knelt above me with a rock in his fist" sings Kylie. "On the last day I took her where the wild roses grow/And she lay on the bank, the wind light as a thief/And I kissed her goodbye, said, "All beauty must die"/And lent down and planted a rose between her teeth." You old homicidal romantic, you!

5. DEAD BODY MAN by Insane Clown Posse. OK, no more foolin' around. Not only does this song feature actually necrophilia but also cannibalism and assorted other goodies. All this and a head-nodding groove. Actually one of my favourite songs on RIDDLE BOX; probably second only to a Lil Somthin' Somthin'. The Juggalos know how to do necrophilia right! "Dead bodies, dead bodies all over the street/Fifty-five, sixty-five bodies at least/I hang with the stiffs till the break of dawn/I'm always finding bodies when I'm mowing the lawn/Drag 'em in the house/ throw 'em in the oven/Wicked clown lovin' that dead body gloven." I mean, that's what necrophilia means to me!!! And what a perfect way to bring this installment of the five songs to a close.

Thanks to Weaverman for suggesting the topic (and here's hoping you live it down). Join me again the next time I present the five songs.