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The Protection of the King

from The Book of Absolution (2022) by Anthony Toner

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about

Inspired by a looming life size poster of Elvis my parents had up on the wall of their otherwise kind of nondescript bedroom for some years during my childhood... Ciaran Lavery on backing vocals at the end.

lyrics

The Protection of the King

In the 70s, in Harpur’s Hill, when I was still quite small,
this big poster of Elvis Presley went up on my parents’ bedroom wall.
He was large as life, in a turquoise jumpsuit and Aviator shades
- a Las Vegas Tutankhamun, before the shine began to fade.

He walked towards the camera like he had some place to go,
You’d swear he was walking past their chest of drawers on his way to do a show.
I hadn’t been in many grown-up bedrooms, but I sensed that on the wall
there should have been… wedding groups and landscapes
- not the King of Rock & Roll.

I’ve no idea how it got there, how that decision had been made.
Maybe a gift from some family member, and so it had to be displayed.
My mum and dad were both big Elvis fans, although she much more than he –
he preferred the edges rougher: like Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee.

These days I wonder how he must have felt as each morning came around,
to wake up there in Harpur’s Hill - and find Elvis looking down.

Above us were the heavens, the moon and stars and everything,
and we slept all night like babies,
under the protection of the King,
...the protection of the King.

credits

from The Book of Absolution (2022), released November 14, 2022
Anthony Toner: Vocals and Guitars
Matt Weir: Drums
John McCullough: Hammond Organ
Clive Culbertson: Bass
Ciaran Lavery: Harmony Vocals

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Anthony Toner Belfast, UK

An independent singer songwriter and guitarist, based in Belfast.

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