May the road rise with you – Traditional Irish Blessing

Last week, Jim (NewEpicAuthor, A Unique Title For Me) set the subject of directions (my attempt). This week he gives us the subject of modal verbs – shoult / would / could / might.

I had several candidates this week but settled on a song from my youth. Public Image Limited (PIL), and their predecessors the Sex Pistols, were bands we laughed at as youngsters – plastic punks – and they make me smile with nostalgia now. But lead singer in both bands, John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) certainly knew how to mix the non-conformity of punk with the commercial world. The Pistols themselves had commercial successes, and this song, released a few years later, also achieved chart success in the UK, Europe and Ireland. The song was writen by John Lydon and Bill Laswell, who also produced the band.

So I could be choosing their song Rise, or it could be something else!

I could be wrong, I could be right
could be wrong

I could be wrong, I could be right
I could be black, I could be white
I could be right, I could be wrong
I could be white I could be black
Your time has come your second skin
The cost so high the gain so low
Walk through the valley
The written word is a lie

May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

Could be wrong I could be right
Could be wrong I could be right

I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white
They put a hot wire to my head
’cause of the thing I did and said
And made these feelings go away
Model citizen in every way

May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy

May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy
Anger is an energy

Could be wrong I could be right
Could be wrong I could be right
I could be wrong I could be right
I could be black I could be white
I could be right I could be wrong
I could be black I could be white
Your time has come your second skin
The cost so high the gain so low
Walk through the valley
The written word is a lie

May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

Could be wrong I could be right
Could be wrong
They put a hot wire to my head
‘Cause of the things I did and said
They made these feelings go away
A model citizen in every way
Your time has come your second skin
The cost so high the gain so low

May the road rise with you (Hey)
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you
May the road rise with you

Anger is an energy
…

John Lydon, Bill Laswell