I occasionally alter the words to his "Put the Message in a Box" to instead say "put the box onto your bike, ride your bike around the world" rather than using the original "car" and "drive." It communicates the song's positive message better for modern times.
Karl Wallinger, frontman of World Party and an early member of the Waterboys, died yesterday at age 66, his publicist says. The Welsh multi-instrumentalist also contributed to Sinéad O'Connor's debut album, "The Lion and the Cobra," was musical director for the 1994 movie "Reality Bites," and contributed to Peter Gabriel's "Big Blue Ball" album. Here's more from Variety.
#GreatAlbums1980s - #WorldParty – Private Revolution (1987). Karl Wallinger wasn't quite anonymous in the Waterboys, but his talents were sorely underused. Turned out he had a voice and songwriting skill comparable to Mike Scott's – even if blue-eyed R&B and wry, observational pop were more his thing. 1990's Goodbye Jumbo is the one you'll really want (Go get it!). But this one has "Ship of Fools," which manages to sound anthemic and apocalyptic all at once. A fine debut.
A lot of the songs on #WorldParty's 1986 album, "Private Revolution" hint at the coming rise of the radical right ("The Ballad of the Little Man") -- that sort of hatred was not a new thing, but songwriter Karl Wallinger warned us that it could get worse.
"Private Revolution" has always been one of my favorite albums. #ShuhadaSadaqat's vocals on this album are especially haunting, particularly on the song "Hawaiian Island World." And the lyrics... Well, unfortunately, we're seeing this happen all too often these days...
Hawaiian Island World
"The shopkeeper from Illinois came round
A freshly fired gun in his hand
He said he'd just shot a young poet
For writing something he didn't understand
Gone were the lines that he loved to forget
Safe were the folk words of truth would upset
With God right behind him
His gun by his side
There was nowhere for these weirdos
To run or to hide
The day of their judgement
It was due to arrive
Get them on the record
Make sure they don't survive
And we can all sit watching
Our Hawaiian island world
Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming
Of my Hawaiian island world"