Horseman, Pass By

[saltpoint]

George W. Bush reminded me, almost from the beginning of his first term, of Hud, the character in Larry McMurtry's novel, first entitled HORSEMAN, PASS BY, later reprinted as HUD.

Paul Newman's best role, IMO, was as Hud in the flm version.

In that novel / film, the Melvyn Douglas character, a rock-of-the-village type, tries to inspire a sense of accountability in Hud. Hud wants nothing of it.

"I just don't give a damn," Hud tells him.

And the Douglas character says back: "That's your whole problem, Hud. You just don't give a damn."

There's a compelling argument that the caption beneath Dubya's picture should be "He just didn't give a damn."

Horseman, pass by.

[dweller]

1. from Under Ben Bulben

Under bare Ben Bulben's head
In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.
An ancestor was rector there
Long years ago, a church stands near,
By the road an ancient cross.
No marble, no conventional phrase;
On limestone quarried near the spot
By his command these words are cut:

Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!

W.B.Yeats



dp

[saltpoint]

2. dweller, thank you for that, not only owing to its currency in the present

case but also because any reference to my hero, Yeats, is uplift, and deeply welcome.

It is too rare we cross paths on this site.

[dweller]

3. then i hope you will enjoy this Van Morrison reference to it ...

Here Comes the Knight

On the road with my sword
And my shield in my hand
Pressing on to the new day
This love will surely last forever
This love will surely last always

In the valley I see horsemen pass
Baby, baby, baby they don't want this love to last
There's a battle for the throne

And it's raging down in your soul
It says this love will surely last forever
This love will surely last always

I've been accused of truth and alchemy
I've been accused of speaking out for freedom too
I gave a demonstration in front of a crowd
A man saw my hands move and he began to shout

Here come horsemen through the pass
They say cast a cold eye on life, on death
There's a battle for the throne
And it means to thine own self be true

And it says this love will surely last forever
This love will surely last always

from: No Guru, No Method, No Teacher
dp

[4 t 4]

4. Who ?

[dweller]

5. what?

dp

[saltpoint]

6. A dramatically underestimated album by Van Morrison.

Knew a friend once who refused to buy the LP on grounds that the title was "absurd."

After he heard the music, he decided the recording was sublime.

[saltpoint]

7. Film synopsis --

http://www.filmsite.org/hud.html