“Touch and Go” is the tenth and last track from Love Is Magic. It is another kind of love story, centred around Chelsea Manning, the former US soldier turned WikiLeaks activist who transitioned to a woman while in prison.
“I was very intrigued by her incredible story,” says Grant. “What kind of str...
What have they been telling you
About the way things are?
Could you have foreseen back then
That you would come this far?
It was touch and go there for a while
Don’t you agree?
Did you play with Barbie dolls
When no one else was around?
Pardon me if I sound ignorant
But the change is so profound
What was going through your head
As they struck you down to the ground?
What they think is patriotic
Barely passes for robotic
And not one of them could last
Three minutes in your shoes
The darkness almost swallowed you up
That must have been quite a case of the blues
I know that I’m supposed to be
Incensed by what they say you’ve done
But I only feel compassion ‘cause
They’re liars, every one
You’ve been keeping secrets all your life
But now you are done
Chelsea is a butterfly, she metamorphisized
You can’t catch her with your net
‘Cause she is free inside
You can’t stop the progress of the truth
Try as you might
You can’t stop the progress of the truth
Try as you might
Touch and Go was written by John Grant.
Touch and Go was produced by Paul Alexander & John Grant & Benge.
John Grant released Touch and Go on Tue Aug 28 2018.
I read her story – “Chelsea Manning makes suicide attempt” – and thought: “Good lord.” I also saw a Vice documentary, Young and Gay: Jamaica’s Gully Queens, about trans kids and homosexuals in Kingston, Jamaica. They live in the drainage system for safety because it’s considered acceptable to slaugh...