Ballad Of The Skeletons 

This song was No.8 on the 1996 Australian Radio Station 3JJJ, "Triple J Hottest 100" album. It's an intellectual and witty song by a great American, who was a prolific writer, poet, anti Vietnam War campaigner, political and gay rights activist.

Thanks for sharing, I spent ages trying to find this.

I saw it on MTV Europe some time around 1997. It was about 4am, in a late-night dance program. ("Dance" in Europe essentially meant "electronic" then.) Clubbing + poetry. It worked once.

RIP Allen Ginsberg: lovely human being and magnificent substitute grandfather in my time with you.

I saw him perform this before he passed away at some club in San Francisco. Might have been the DNA Lounge. Kind of forgot about this until I saw him on TV just now and then I remembered this song.

Rip Ginsberg. The dude wrote my favorite poem of all time, Howl. Losing him was a major loss.

this osng was big in australia, was it also very popular elsewhere?

Heard this on Triple J and it surely has the most clever lyrics I've ever heard in a song.

Am surprised no-one mentions the band behind Mr Ginsberg, If memory serves me correct its the New Barbarians, Keith Richards and Ron Woods side project outside the Rolling Stones

Remember hearing this on Triple J waay back in the day. Always lost it at the "muck you in the face" line.

Howl. He also did two other great albums.

Wow, never knew Gus Van Sant directed this video!

So awesome. Great poem, great song! Is this from any specific album? I'd totally buy it!

allen ginsberg ,he`s old school & he`s fucking good ,cheak out dylan`s ,subterranean home sick blues,Ginsberg is in that video from 1964,that`s how long this dude has been around & a bit longer back 2 the early 50`s

Did Michael Stipe of R.E.M. have a role in this video? Heard a rumor that he produced some videos for Ginsberg

Why would have Gus Van Sant included images of Soekarno? I doubt such images have much resonance to most people in the US today; what does he represent here? (Could any populist leader -- Nasser, perhaps -- represent the same?)

I kinda wanna hear this sung in a melody.

classic.

fucking great.

Hi Liquid, if you have the time you should google his name. you might be surprise by some great things you will come across. Cheers,

Word!

does anyone know where to download this ?

unfortunately, not his best work.