Re: Spike Milligan

Posted by Barney on February 28, 2002

In Reply to: Re: Spike Milligan posted by Gary on February 28, 2002

: : : : Spike Milligan, the British comic genius, author, poet, wordsmith and rebel died today.

: : : : Maybe that's why the forum is so quiet.

: : : : He wrote doggerel doggedly. This is a not untypical example:

: : : : There are holes in the sky.
: : : : Where the rain gets in.
: : : : But they're ever so small.
: : : : That's why the rain is thin.
: : : :
: : : : Spike Milligan

: : : : And a quote...
: : : : The best joke I did with Eccles [A clueless character from The Goon Show. TU] was he was in class, they were trying to teach the Theory of Relativity to this idiot. "Now look, Eccles, jump up in the air. You see what happened then? You had to come back down to earth again." "Yeah, I had to come back down to earth." "Yes, why?" "Well, I live there!"

: : : : [From an interview with Van Morrison http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/reviews/1989august.html]

: : : Yes, a sad day. Genius is a rather over-used appellation these days, but Spike was truly a comic genius. I never met him but sometimes when people who have been influential my life die I realise just what a big hole they leave behind. I feel that today about Spike - bless him.

: : Wasn't it Spike that had that wonderful moment in Monty Python's Life of Brian where he played a loony heretic that kept saying "Jehova, Jehova" while dancing around in the dust? Great moments. The Goon Show is timeless.

: Yes. The Pythons made the film in Tunisia and wrote a cameo for their hero Spike, who happenned to be on holiday there. The film was financed by George Harrison, another recent sad loss.

I'm moved to write a few lines of verse in honour of Spike who peopled my childhood and adolescence with a whole army of crazy people with whom I identified absolutely.

Spike
With Spike now dead
It's all been said
There's nothing more to see
The mould is broke, no one to poke
The pompous eulogy.

In the words of the immortal bard "Goodnight sweet prince and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"