The Cut Ups - Thomas Orchard Is No Longer Around

 

  "All coppers are bastards!"

  Well actually, they aren't but it makes a good slogan and it sounds good in a song that's railing against authority/brutality/corruption.... The truth is that it's a generalisation, in reality there's good cops and bad cops, just as there's good and bad in all walks of life. Today's song suggests that even though bad things happen and bad coppers need bringing to book, don't lump them all in together, there are good guys out there and we should be grateful for them. But yeah, some are definitely bastards.

  From Exeter, The Cut Ups have been playing music since 2004 and are comprised of Dan, Jack, Reza, Jon and Pippa. They released their first album in 2006 (Paris Street In Ruins) and have followed it up with The High And Mighty (2009), Burning Bridges Starting Here (2012) and brand new album, The Nerves. I've always had a soft spot for the band, A Song Of Regret And Lament & Let's Go Home both making it into end of year lists years before this blog brought recent lists to the attention of more than 2 men and a dog. There's also been a split ep with The Arteries (another great band). All the music is on Bandcamp : https://thecutups.bandcamp.com/

  The Nerves is more of the usual catchy and intelligent melodic punk that we've come to expect, I don't need to tell you it's good as I'm sure you know. The song I'm posting is about the tragic death of a schizophrenic man whilst in police custody, this is Thomas Orchard Is No Longer Around.....


Thank God for good coppers. 
I wish the rest of them would do their jobs first. 
Thank God for good coppers. 

I wish I’d say something that’s so profound, 
But that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 
And the paving stones know that there’s truth to be found, 
But that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 

He climbed the hill, now a journey profound, 
I heard the sirens like everyone else, 
The policemen came to lay the law down, 
Now that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 

Thank God for good coppers. 
I wish the rest of them would do their jobs first. 
Thank God for good coppers. 

Locked in a cell half a mile from the town, 
With a bruise on his head that hadn’t gone down. 
Pinned to the floor under two hundred pounds. 
Now that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 

The doctors and nurses could not understand 
As the ambulance sped, so as not to compound 
What they’d done to stop all his sounds, 
Now that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 

I wish I could say something so profound, 
But that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 
And the paving stones know that there’s truth to be found, 
But that lad Thomas Orchard’s no longer around. 

And the Minister prayed for a proper account, 
As they laid Thomas Orchard’s bones in the ground. 
Justice declared, but injustice abounds 
Now that lad Thomas Orchard is no longer around.