UNIT Karate Kid

We only made 1 previous recording of this (for Kämpfbereit in 1996) and it remained virtually forgotten for decades. It forms part of a trilogy of pure pop songs (the others being The Boy Next Door and Life Still Dreams) with deliberately flippant lyrics of no particular substance written to create brief moments of respite from all those grim, bleak social realist and political polemical numbers I seem unable to stop churning out year after year. This refers to an Irish lad I met when I commenced my brief and unsuccessful career as a karate student in 1989. This is the ‘rough mix’. The proper production can be heard on our album Der Zeit Ihre Kunst, available on our Band Camp site from September 2019.

The first time I saw him, I’ll never forget,
he was smoking a B & H cigarette, my eyes betrayed me:
he returned my stare with a diffident glare
though I hadn’t said anything yet.

There’s amusing trace behind that elfish face.
In my bed he wouldn’t look out of place but who am I kidding?
As Sensei called ‘yoi’ I saw that boy
and my imagination was a disgrace.

He punches Oi Zuki with a fist of steel
and kicks Mai Geri with a vicious zeal but I was only a red belt.
It isn’t my Kata that is the matter, I simply can’t admit this is real.

I bet he has a girlfriend, I bet he’s straight;
I suppose I want to know though maybe I’ll wait or should I ask him?
But later still with an hour to kill, he smiles at me the way he will...
does he know I’m in an awful state?

In my mind I have what I desire
through dubious means – oh what a liar!
How I deceive myself. I don’t give in but how can I win
when my feelings are on fire?
You have me jumping like a yo-yo for you’re the demon of the Dojo.

Andy Martin – Vocal.
Fabian Fritze – Alto Saxophone.
Keilan Knight – Guitar, Bass Guitar.
Colin Murrell – Drums.

Text & Music – Andy Martin.

Email – [email protected]
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Band Camp address – unit-united.bandcamp.com