Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 31-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.
“One thing remains unchanged: Mecca Normal rejects the status quo, even its own version.” – Lydia Anderson, Trouser Press
“Her Ambition”
She used to work days at the counter
he sunken cheeks
paint flecks on his clothes
rubbed the dust from his hair
and went down to meet her
together they drove home
Her ambition faded
Her ambition slipped away
After that she used to work part time in an office
he built things that other people wanted
he couldn’t keep them for himself
he paid exactly half their bills
She began to move like him
and picked up all his habits
He developed a fondness for rare wood from mainland China
any extra time he had he spent sharpening his tools
Her ambition faded
Her ambition slipped away
She can’t stop the dullness
something slowly rotting in her box of souvenirs
she finds a token of her ambition
and rolls it in her hands
she rolls it in her hands
and like her plans like her desire – it disappears
it disappears
Her ambition faded
Her ambition slipped away
“Her Ambition” from the album The Eagle And The Poodle (Matador, 1996) (download):
