Now this song might need a bit of explanation.
‘Vincent Black Lightning 1952’ is a fabulous torch song by the very wonderful Richard Thompson; And if you’ve never heard it you should now head off here -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxKTzwaEa2o
Hope you enjoyed that. Welcome back. You will now appreciate that a) this is a great song b) Richard Thompson is a truly incredible singer/guitarist/songwriter.
So in his song there’s a rebel without a cause (James: has a very fine motorbike, see above) and a girl,( Red Molly: red hair, black leather). He reckons he’s a bad boy and set to die young and sure enough he gets shot in a bank raid. Sergeant MacRae calls up Red Molly. She cries, James lies dying, he gives her the keys to his Vincent. Storming swirling guitar licks, end of song.
The thing is, I always wondered what happened next. So this is ‘Vincent Black Lightning – the sequel’. Music as stolen from Mr Thompson with no permission whatsoever, though I did send the words to him. He didn’t reply. So here it is anyway.
Says Red Molly to Sergeant MacCrae:
"My lover's dead and gone now and I must away"
And she wiped back her tears and rode off like a queen
To the ends of the earth on her Vincent machine
She took many lovers and she learned to love again
Had three fine daughters by three different men
Hitched a sidecar alongside
And on her Vincent
They did ride

Says Red Molly to her girls:
"Listen up to my plan
For you know I am a feisty and fearless woman
But you're growing up so fast, I've got to think of you
And we could get a fine fortune for our Vincent '52
'Cos now i'm 44, i'd like to see 65
I don't mind telling you I'm glad to be alive
We could buy ourselves a villa somewhere in the sun
Run a little bar and have a whole lot of fun"
And with her daughters laughing beside
they took their Vincent
For one last ride

Well Red Molly retired to the south of Spain
Where it's too hot for black leather but her red hair's still aflame
and now and then she drinks a toast to James
and her new baby grandson who bears his name
Then one day she hears a familiar roar
And a handsome stranger comes knocking at her door
He says "This Vincent Black Lightning's got a soul of its own
It's brought me to you, I think it's trying to get home!"
So she pulled him up behind
And into the sunset
On her Vincent Black Lightning 1952
With a nod and a wave to Mr Richard Thompson
they did ride.....