“Urgh! A Music War”
Double live soundtrack LP
Included Skafish track “Sign Of The Cross”
Released 1981

Being filmed for “Urgh!” was one of the most effortless moments of my entire career.  By the time we did it, the band was playing extremely fluidly, and we were in great sync with each other, musically and theatrically. 

On August 28, 1980, Miles Copeland came up to us before our opening set for the Police, and casually said that we would be filmed that day for a concert film.  We didn’t think anything of it—we just went out there and did what we did and had fun.  It was an added treat when Sting invited Barbie and myself to join the Police with XTC and UB-40 for the finale of the film. 

The next day was my birthday, and Sting’s enormous bodyguard lifted me above his head one-handed, and tossed me in the lavish hotel pool where we were staying in front of a ton of very wealthy hotel guests.  I was dressed weirdly, of course, and the millionaires were not impressed.

Sign Of The Cross:  This was one of the most easy and natural pieces for me to compose.  I believe that God almighty gave it to me as a gift.  My motive if you will, was to say a larger-than-eternity FUCK YOU to all the religious torture, guilt, fear, physical abuse and hypocrisy I had experienced.  The priests molested my classmates, but darn, darn, darn, I wasn’t cute enough.  I hadn’t started weightlifting yet,  you know.  But hey, why fear eternal damnation?

Do you want to go to heaven?
Do you want everlasting salvation?
You must do this new dance craze called
The Sign of the Cross
And I guarantee everlasting salvation
I want to have some fun tonight. . . .
Do a genuflection
Maybe you will get a huge erection
Get up get down get dancing
Do the Sign of the Cross

© Copyright 1981 Skafish Music / Monona Music

Top         Back to Discography          Next note