Spring, 1985. An uncharacteristically warm day at lunch. Students are spread around the field in groups. The boomboxes are out. To the left, I hear Eyes without a Face. To the right Eruption. Then songs by Duran Duran and Ratt. The "wavers" and the "rockers" don't hate each other per se but they don't see the need to hang out, either.
Spontaneous Combustionwould have fit right in. Well, maybe. It's a bit too specific and grim.
Regardless, I'm a sucker for 80s nostalgia. Beats hearing Hotel California for the millionth time.
The verses refer to specific alleged incidents:
Back in 1951
In a state where there is lots of sun
A woman sitting resolute
They just found ashes and her foot
...
This London story's really sad
A woman sitting with her dad
Her dad said would you like some tea
And she combusted spontaneously
...
In 2010 in old Galway
A gentleman was ashed, one day
The papers asked why he was dead
Can you guess what the coroner said?
Should it ever happen to me, I hope to have the state of mind to shout "Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!"
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