Never to Walk the Lonely Path

Sometimes I meet my own ghost. He sits staring blankly through frosted panes of glass that no longer exist. He has a cruel cold way about him that chills a man’s soul. He looks right through me, but he cannot see me with his unseeing eyes that have witnessed far too much.

He searches from a place deep within his own bones. He has blood on his shoes, and his heart wails without ever making a sound. He is dead to all but those who gather to join him in his quest for vengeance. He waits amongst those who followed such a deadly path.

The deceased tell their own stories. With missing limbs they clamber out fae beneath unwritten stone. They wait to greet upon the summit of the steps. The pathway halts when the emissary is dead. Screams fill empty mouths that can no longer cry.

He argues with the darkness, inside the many lions try to roar. He awaits once more my footsteps upon that ghostly pathway. He longs for my journey to become completed; he waits for the repatriation of a soul.

He waits to name his soulless children after saviours. He condemns them to the path before they are even born. He waits alone.

Fallen fruit lays rotting all around him. Poison apples shrivelled and dead like rodents caught in traps. The ticking of a clock remembering time. It is the dead that remind me of the living; it is the dead that keep me from following in his path.

I once lay my feet upon the walkway of his journey. I turned back and now look forward at my past.

Jimmy

Jimmy is a youthful sailor aboard the SS Venture.

He's the lookout of the Venture and a close friend with first mate Ben Hayes who he sees as a father figure. He is much younger and something of a kleptomaniac, introduced stealing Jack Driscoll's pen when he gets him his lunch. After making Jimmy return the pen and chasing him off, Hayes tells Driscoll that Jimmy doesn't mean any harm, and tells him that he found him hiding in a cage some years ago, with his arm broken in two places, and "wilder than half the animals in here." Hayes says, further, "He still won't tell me where he came from, but it wasn't any place good."

In the scene where Kong attempts to bring back Ann Darrow, Jimmy shoots at Kong with a Tommy gun but is wounded when Kong throws his boat against a boulder. He is seen conscious but being held above water by Jack Driscoll, who was also in the same boat thrown against the boulder. He emerges in the video game, but he is not able to use guns, in spite of using them in the movie, and is show using a pistol in a scene before becoming an ally.

Jimmy

Jimmy is a fictional character who appears in both the 1933 and 2005 versions of the movie King Kong, as well as the 2005 game.

In the 1933 film Jimmy is a sailor aboard the tramp steamer the S.S. Venture. In the 1933 film he is played by an unknown, uncredited actor, and is a relatively minor character that doesn't actually appear until after Ann Darrow's sacrifice to Kong by the natives of Skull Island. He is one of the crew members who volunteer to accompany Jack Driscoll and Carl Denham on their mission to rescue her, and is the man chosen to carry Denham's gas bombs. His name is only mentioned once. 

In the 2005 remake, Jimmy is played by Jamie Bell and the role is expanded. He is a lookout on the Venture and a protégé of first mate Ben Hayes whom he views as a father figure. He is much younger and something of a kleptomaniac, introduced stealing Jack Driscoll's pen when he brings him his lunch. After making Jimmy return the pen and chasing him off, Hayes tells Driscoll that Jimmy does not mean any harm, and informs him that he found Jimmy hiding in a cage some years ago, with his arm broken in two places, and "wilder than half the animals in here." Hayes says, further, "He still won't tell me where he came from, but it wasn't any place good." Later, Jimmy reveals that he taught himself how to read by reading Heart of Darkness, which he borrowed on a "long-term loan" - i.e. he probably stole it from a library. In the scene where Kong tries to recapture Ann, Jimmy shoots at Kong with a tommygun but is injured when Kong throws his boat against a boulder. He is seen being held above water by Jack Driscoll.

He also appears in the video game based on the 2005 film. Jimmy appears in the 1932 and 2005 novelizations of both films, by Delos W. Lovelace and Christopher Golden respectively, as well as the 1991 Monster Comics adaptation drawn by Don Simpson. Although Lovelace and Golden's novels have Jimmy relatively similar to his counterpart(s) in both films - that is, young and not very big - Simpson's comic portrays Jimmy as being middle-aged, and quite large and brawny.

Jimmy

"Jimmy" is a song recorded by British artist M.I.A. for her second studio album, Kala (2007). The song was written by Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam, Dave "Switch" Taylor and Bappi Lahiri and produced by Switch and M.I.A.. A cover of "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" from the film Disco Dancer (1982), the song was re-arranged as an uptempo pop-electro tune with disco influences by modifying the orchestration, instrumentation and beats and the addition of original English lyrics for the single. During the recording and production sessions, M.I.A. and Switch wanted to create a dance-pop disco record using a song that the singer was familiar with from her childhood; the song's lyrics portray M.I.A. being invited by British journalist Ben Anderson on a date while covering a genocide tour across nations in Africa, and both eventually pursuing a romantic relationship. "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" was itself inspired by "T'es OK" (1980) from French Euro disco group Ottawan.

Following the moderate chart performance of "Boyz", "Jimmy" was released in Japan in July 2007 as the album's lead single, and the second single in other countries. XL Recordings distributed "Jimmy" in CD single, 7" and 12" formats in the UK on November 10, 2007, however the song leaked in the country prior to release while the singer was on tour. Despite this, the song topped the UK Indie Chart and charted in Greece and Japan where it was a major commercial success. The single began to gain traction on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number twenty eight following nine weeks on the chart. "Jimmy" was well received by contemporary music critics, who cited its distinct 1970s style pop sound compared with most songs featured on the album, and complimented its hook and lyrical themes.

Stylus magazine placed "Jimmy" at number 5 on their list of the "Top 50 Songs of 2007".

The Colour of Lead

I broke the unwritten rules of Glasgow one time. It was to be the first and last time that I made such a mistake. The guy they put in front of me made me look small. He was a freak of nature, an aphorism of terror, and a clear case of psychotic medical experiments gone badly wrang.

My one eye moved rapidly over the pulsing veins in his neck, and the sticky sharp chib he held between his lips.

Institutionalised for most of his years, this barbaric looking divil was wheeled out purely to turn a mans bowels to warm running water. I’m not ashamed to say that it worked on me as I lay before him, staring up at him with the one good eye that hadn’t been closed during the doing I had received at the haunds of his pals up the stairs.

Joseph Fahey lay on the floor some thirty feet away fae me.

I could see right off that he was near to death just by the amount of blood still oozing out from the place where his shiny black quiff used to be.

Oul razor boy had already had his hors d'oeuvres with Joseph, and it was looking all the more likely that I was going to be cut, sliced and chewed until his taste for flesh had been slaked of blood by way of my own.

Strange things happen in a man’s mind when he is faced with imminent death. For some reason my attention was taken by a single protruding lead nail, which had once been a slate layer’s coat hook on top of a roof so high that it could almost reach out and grasp the freedom that was on offer to all but masel.

I remember thinking that it would leave a nasty gouge in my chest if they dragged me by my feet towards the divil’s own who was sobbing with the effect of the drugs under his skin, and the taste of Joe’s blood upon his tongue. My rapidly closing eye remained transfixed on the many sudden interesting colours of the lead.

I could almost hear my eldest brother calling me to come out of the kitchen, and be quick about it if I was to escape the beating of my life that awaited his rage. He had in his haund the remains of the last bottle of ginger that I had swallied after my first real drink with the shipyard men in the bar.

I was eleven going on nineteen, and my head pounded far worse than if it had already been tanned by Christie and his fury over the missing juice.

I would have given anything to have been stood before him again on that Sunday morning back in the safety of oul Drumchapel. Head still banging from the previous nights diligence over three pints of porter and the strains of a vigorous chorus with their own rendition of ‘Sean South’ and his heroic exploits in a far off place called Garyowen.

For the life of me... I could no see the creature salivating over my unbroken bones, bursting into song as he linked arms and danced to the tune of many a rebel song with the unsmiling faces before me.

It was a half choke that escaped fae somewhere inside of my throat when the first hammer blow made contact with my knee. It was a cross between a tentative sob, and the croak of a man about to accept his final fate with the indignity with that of a noose already about his neck.

I still realised however, a certain irony before me as I lay there in agony.

Jimmy (song)

"Jimmy" is the second single from experimental electronica rap artist M.I.A.'s second album Kala (2007), and her first single from the album in Japan. The song was written and produced by Maya Arulpragasam and Switch and released in late July, 2007.

"Jimmy" is a cover of "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja," a Hindi song, from the 1982 Bollywood movie Disco Dancer, performed by Parvati Khan, written by Bappi Lahiri and influenced by Nazia Hassan's (Pakistani) album Disco Deewane (1981). M.I.A.'s cover features different orchestration and beats from the previous version, and original English lyrics written by Arulpragasam. "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" itself sampled the French pop song "T'es OK!" (English version "You're OK") by Ottawan.
M.I.A. performed the track on BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2007.

The single was released in the UK on November 10 in CD single, 7" and 12" formats. In February 2008 the single began to gain traction on the US dance charts, peaking at #28 after five weeks on the chart.

Glasgow Men

McDonough was his name, but he also masqueraded under the name of Flanagan to be associated with the heroes of an earlier time. A big man he was, both in name and of stature. He had the most determined of walks, and would make a show of the defiance by way of his stride.

No working man on the docks of Glasgow had time for Flanagan. Not even when he was in the company of money, and the drink was abound.

A Catholic man he was, and loud with it. His chest bore no symbols of Ulster or the red hand. When he took to striding down the dock at the back of two, many a man would tremble behind his piece and tremble the jar of the warm Barry tea.

“Move that feckin jay-ket, can you’se no see that ah’m an important man in need of a seat?” he would cry.

If the owner of the coat was slow to move, Flanagan would reach down and toss it into the waters murky depths out of sheer spite.

“You’ll no need to be telt the twice again!” he would proclaim to all those before him.

Many eyes would flash with the anger of it all, but Flanagan was a union man and no to be crossed by those who relied on the Friday shilling to keep their families warm.

It was the Saturday after the funeral of the first born son, which saw my faither sitting alone on the bitterly cold dock with his auld mash of tea by his side. A small space had been cleared by the men, who although they could not utter the soft words of comfort to a bereaved man of Glasgow, could muster a show of respect by leaving him be.

It was then that Flanagan chose to make his imposing entrance.

He stood in front of the faither and pointed at the small brown keepsake of a shoe fae the boy who had been lost to the terrible cough. It was his only remembrance of a life taken so young.

“Move that, or fish it back oot” came Flanagan’s harrying cry. “Whit is it, a wee dolly shoe?” said the man who had little thought for anyone but his self.

The faither rose, and stood before the great bull of a man. The look of the divil came about his face, but he stood square before him, and looked into his eyes as he reached out and took the big man firmly by his haund.

“I pity you Flanagan” said my faither. The very inside of you is cold, and you will never feel the love or the warmth of a child. My first born is only just laid to rest, and yet the love he leaves inside of my soul will always stay with me."

"You have no one, and will always remain an empty shell of a man to the end. Turn away and be gone, take this heed and wear it well, for I cannae guarantee what the rage will do to a dog such as you.”

But McDonough who was also Flanagan, did not heed the warning of my faither, and was brutally pitched over the side by the very same men who could no find the words for a bereaved man of the docks.

Let no talk of religion, nor the softness of words stand between men born of poverty, and Glasgow’s proud men of the shipyards.
No a word was said between the two for more than the passing of ten years, until the morning Flanagan was cold and present at his own wake.

It was a sparse congregation that stood and watched my faither enter the chapel and approach the man who could find no happiness even under two names.

“Now I can finally forgive you” said my faither, as he placed a blackened welder’s glove atop the casket lid.

“Now you fully understand the pain of loss, but sadly it is your own. Pray that no man will ever ask you to move this glove.”

His words were vague to those who stood about the casket, but some eyes smiled. There were those in attendance who remembered back to that bitterly cold day on the dock.