Where Charlie Once Stood
The "place" in question is the New Palace Theatre in Plymouth. The "New" bit is a little misleading as it was opened in 1898 and is now, unfortunately a decaying shell. But once it was magnificent and hosted the greatest star s of the day, Lily Langtry, Houdini and, one magical evening, the Little Tramp himself. This song was used to raise money to try and bring the theatre back to life but, unfortunately, the story doesn´t have a happy ending.
Hi Andy, As a fan of music hall I’m loving this. The music perfectly captures the mood, and the lyrics are apt. I just read the Wikipedia entry – sorry to hear that things didn’t go well. A sign of the times, sadly.
All the best.
Great song. It does the subject justice and the visuals really enhance its message and sentiments. A sad reflection of our changing times and well expressed through your song.
A really lovely tribute song Andy. Lily Langtree is quite a name to fit into a lyric. Very nice!
Thanks all. Catherine – if you think Lily Langtry is hard to fit into a lyric just think how easy “Houdini” is! (Which is why I buried both names in the middle of a line)
Phil – Yes, the recue mission started out with high hopes but politics got in the way. Glad you enjoyed the song
Louise – Thanks for your kind remarks. Yes, we are careless with our history, aren´t we?
That’s a great and original take on the challenge Andy.
amazing images as well!
It’s so sad when buildings that carry wonderful memories are lost. You’ve captured the excitement of its heyday and the ruins that remain. Nice one.
Great song Andy – love the arrangement, melody and performance which fit perfectly with the sentiment of the words. Love the way you link the decline of the theatre to a plea for people to look after their history and memories in their own lives.
An enchanting piece of nostalgia set to a lilting music hall melody. Great name dropping creates a sense of melancholy for people and places lost. Well done!