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Click on the ‘Play’ button above to hear the song as you read the lyrics via the link below. If the player doesn’t start straight away, wait and then press the ‘Play’ button again.
Alternatively, you can listen to the track Allen Ginsberg on Bandcamp HERE
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Allen Ginsberg from ‘Les Paul’s’ (The Paul’s) album The Chelsea Hotel#4
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The literary spirit of the Chelsea comes alive in “Jack Kerouac”, “Allen Ginsberg”, and “William S. Burroughs”. These songs serve as the heart of the record – a poetic triptych that captures the essence of the Beat Generation.
“Allen Ginsberg” is a spiritual incantation, fusing chant-like verses with surreal soundscapes. It captures Ginsberg’s visionary intensity – his compassion, his fury, and his relentless pursuit of truth through the human voice.
– Read the just published Jamsphere magazine review our album HERE
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Watch the Allen Ginsberg video promo HERE
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download the track Allen Ginsberg in download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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You can download the album The Chelsea Hotel#4 at download stores HERE and on Bandcamp HERE
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Allen Ginsberg lyrics
Allen was a friend to us all
He’d howl at America’s society’s dividing wall
He’d howl at society from deep within his bowels
As he released his earth shattering Howl
Howl Allen Howl
Howl Allen Howl
Allen Howl, Allen Howl
Soon the walls will all come tumbling down
Born in Newark New Jersey in the days of black and white
To the end he stood up to the abusers of people’s human rights
He came out fighting, not with fists but with words
And wrote some of the most powerful words ever heard
Allen Ginsberg was a Buddhist and a Jew
He never wrote a lie, everything he said and wrote was true
He’d written that his own generation was destroyed by madness
I see this generation being destroyed by information over-excess
He’d spent some seasons in hell in mental institutions
They tried to erase his thoughts and desires with mind electrocution
Coz he liked men they said ‘’there must be something wrong
Coz men can’t be effeminate, they must look macho and strong’’
He was part of the writers movement called The Beats
Counterculturalists from their heads down to their feet
You’d all beat a retreat down south to Mexico then
And all came back as mind altered men
Those substances freed your mind and made you see
The weight of the world is love, that later spawned the Hippies
You took a stand against the war and discrimination
And preached love and peace and liberation
Jack called you Carlo Marx in ‘On The Road’
There’s so many stories with Jack still to be told
You went with Bobby to be beside Jack’s grave
Where you sat down, talked, chanted and prayed
Allen’s love for Bobby was a raging fire
But he could never return Allen’s desire
But when he heard that Allen had died though
From the stage in tribute he played Desolation Row
‘’Get all that obscenity nonsense out of your heads
Ginsberg’s Howl was of social importance’’ said the trial judge
About hidden alleys in the bowels of society
The real world full of corruption, suffering and pain, that’s the real obscenity
He howled at society’s distorted face
And the oppression of truth that’s such a bloody disgrace
He let out such a powerful howl
Society’s walls came tumbling down
Howl Allen Howl
Howl Allen Howl
Allen Howl, Allen Howl
Watch as the walls all come tumbling down
They called him an abuser, a Chicken Hawk
No-one ever complained or came forward to talk
All aboard, The Vomit Express leaves at dawn
Take a seat, which side are you on, which side are you on?
Howl Allen Howl
Howl Allen Howl
Allen Howl, Allen Howl
Watch as the walls all come tumbling down
All come tumbling down
Tumbling down
Howl Allen Howl
Howl Allen Howl
Music composed and performed by Paul Odiase BMI No. 1252265 (Switzerland)
Song lyrics by Paul Robert Thomas PRS No. 497904008 (London)
PRS Tunecode 824411AV
ISRC: US5UL2554865
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“Allen Ginsberg” is a powerful homage to the poet who gave voice to a generation, railing against oppression, conformity, and injustice. From the streets of Newark to the heart of the Beat movement, the song traces Ginsberg’s life as a crusader for truth, human rights, and spiritual freedom. His work, most famously Howl, becomes both a symbol and a rallying cry — a howl at the walls of society that separates people, distorts reality, and suppresses creativity.
The lyrics celebrate his intellect, bravery, and integrity, exploring his experiences with mental health institutions, his embrace of Buddhism and Judaism, and his bold advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights. Refrains like “Howl Allen Howl / Watch as the walls all come tumbling down” emphasize both his literary genius and his role as a social revolutionary, whose words shattered conventions and inspired movements.
The song also reflects Ginsberg’s deep personal connections — with Jack Kerouac, Bob Dylan, and other Beat icons — highlighting the interplay of friendship, love, and artistic collaboration that defined his life. By blending historical context, social commentary, and lyrical celebration, “Allen Ginsberg” stands as a tribute to a poet whose howl continues to echo through generations, reminding listeners that truth, courage, and creativity are forces capable of toppling even the highest walls.
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