The Commitments Read Online Free PDF Page B

one talkin’ like tha’.
    —Dirty talk is dirty talk, said Natalie.
    —Here here, said Billy Mooney. —Thank God.
    —Soul is sex, Jimmy summarized.
    —Well done, Jimmy, said Deco.
    —Imelda, said Jimmy. —You’re a woman o’ the world.
    —Don’t answer him, ’melda, said Bernie.
    Jimmy went on. —You’ve had sexual intercert, haven’t yeh?
    —Good Jaysis! Rabbitte!
    —O’ course she has, a good-lookin’ girl like tha’.
    —Don’t answer him.
    But Imelda wanted to answer.
    —Well, yeah —— I have, yeah. ——So wha’?
    There were cheers and blushes.
    —Was it one o’ them multiple ones, ’melda? Outspan asked. —I seen a yoke abou’ them on Channel 4. They sounded deadly.
    Derek looked at Imelda.
    —Are yeh serious?
    He was disappointed in Imelda.
    Deco tapped Imelda’s shoulder.
    —We could make beautiful music, Honey.
    —I’d bite your bollix off yeh if yeh went near me, yeh spotty fuck, yeh.
    There were cheers.
    Imelda ducked her shoulder away from Deco’s fingers.
    —I might enjoy tha’, said Deco.
    —I’d make ear-rings ou’ o’ them, said Imelda.
    —You’re as bad as they are, ’melda, said Bernie.
    —Ah, fuck off, Bernie, will yeh.
    —I thought we said slaggin’ complexions was barred, said Jimmy. —Apologise.
    —There’s no need.
    —There is.
    ——Sorry.
    —That’s okay.
    —Spotty.
    —Ah here!
    Deco grabbed Imelda’s shoulders. Bernie was up quick and grabbed his ears.
    —Get your hands off o’ her, YOU.
    —As a glasses wearer, said James, —I’d advise you to carry ou’ Bernie’s instructions. Yeh might need glasses yourself some day and a workin’ set of ears will come in handy.
    —That’s a doctor gave yeh tha’ advice, remember.
    Deco took the advice. Bernie gave him his ears back. Imelda blew him a kiss and gave him the fingers.
    —Annyway, Imelda, said Jimmy. —Did yeh enjoy it?
    —It was alrigh’, said Imelda.
    More cheers and blushes.
    —This lady is the queen of soul, said Joey The Lips.
    —Wha’ ’re you the queen of? Imelda said back.
    —Then you agree with us, Jimmy asked Imelda.
    —It’s oney music, said Imelda.
    —No way, ’melda. Soul isn’t only music. Soul——
    —That’s alrigh’ for the blackies, Jimmy. —They’ve got bigger gooters than us.
    —Speak for yourself, pal.
    —Go on, Jimmy. ——At least we know tha’ Imelda docs the business.
    —Fuck off, you, said Imelda, but she grinned.
    Everyone grinned.
    —Yeh said somethin’ about a double-edged sword, said James.
    —I s’pose the other side is sex too, said Derek.
    —Arse bandit country if it’s the other side, said Outspan.
    —I’m goin’ home if it is, said Dean.
    —Brothers, Sisters, said Joey The Lips. —Let Brother Jimmy speak. Tell us about the other side of the sword, Jimmy.
    They were quiet.
    —The first side is sex, righ’, said Jimmy. —An’ the second one is ——REVOLUTION!
    Cheers and clenched fists.
    Jimmy went on.
    —Soul is the politics o’ the people.
    —Yeeoow!
    —Righ’ on, Jimmy.
    —Our people. ——Soul is the rhythm o’ sex. It’s the rhythm o’ the factory too. The workin’ man’s rhythm. Sex an’ factory.
    —Not the factory I’m in, said Natalie. —There isn’t much rhythm in guttin’ fish.
    She was pleased with the laughter.
    —Musical mackerel, wha’.
    ——Harmonious herring.
    —Johnny Ray, said Dean, and then he roared: —JOHNNY RAY!
    —Okay ——Take it easy, said Jimmy.
    —Cuntish cod, said Deco.
    ——Politics. ——Party politics, said Jimmy, —means nothin’ to the workin’ people. Nothin’. ——Fuck all. Soul is the politics o’ the people.
    —Start talkin’ abou’ ridin’ again, Jimmy. You’re gettin’ borin’.
    —Politics ——ridin’, said Jimmy. —It’s the same thing.
    —Brother Jimmy speaks the truth, said Joey The Lips.
    —He speaks through his hole.
    —Soul is dynamic. (—So are you.) —It can’t be caught. It can’t be chained. They could