Archive for November 2011
Daylight
Daylight licked me into shape
I must have been asleep for days
and moving lips to breathe her name
I opened up my eyes
and found myself alone
alone
alone
above a raging sea
that stole the only girl I loved
and drowned her deep inside of me
Good morning life
Good morning sun how are your skies above
Gee it’s great to be alive and in love
Yeah, right whatever. That’s not how I feel right now. But it’s a great opening track to a really well-done animation short I saw two days ago. Turns out they even won an oscar for it. Check it out if you have 15min to spare.
In the meantime, here’s another opening track that’s been haunting me ever since I overheard it from the other room a year or two ago. I saw bits and pieces of Sopranos, but I always felt a tingle go down my spine when I heard this song.
I’m gonna take you down
Deep down to the front lines
You woke up this morning
Got yourself a gun,
Mama always said you’d be
The Chosen One.
She said: You’re one in a million
You’ve got to burn to shine,
But you were born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.
You woke up this morning
All that love had gone,
Your Papa never told you
About right and wrong.
But you’re looking good, baby,
I believe you’re feeling fine,(shame about it),
Born under a bad sign
With a blue moon in your eyes.
Chorus
You woke up this morning
Got a blue moon in your eyes
You woke up this morning
Got a blue moon in your eyes
You woke up this morning
The world turned upside down,
Thing’s ain’t been the same
Since the Blues walked into town.
But you’re one in a million
You’ve got that shotgun shine. (shame about it)
Born under a bad sign,
With a blue moon in your eyes.
You woke up this morning
Got a blue moon in your eyes
You woke up this morning
Got a blue moon in your eyes
When you woke up this morning everything you had was gone. By half past ten your head was going ding-dong.
Ringing like a bell from your head down to your toes,
like a voice telling you there was something you should
know. Last night you were flying but today you’re so low
– ain’t it times like these that make you wonder if
you’ll ever know the meaning of things as they appear to
the others; wives, mothers, fathers, sisters and
brothers. Don’t you wish you didn’t function, don’t you wish you
didn’t think beyond the next paycheck and the next little
drink? Well you do so make up your mind to go on, ?cos
when you woke up this morning everything you had was gone.
woke up this morning,
woke up this morning,
woke up this morning,
You wanna be the Chosen One.
woke up this morning,
woke up this morning,
woke up this morning,
You got yourself a gun.
Simple transition: Alabama 3 -> Alabama Song -> Doors (Sorry, not Kurt Weill this time).
Is everybody in?
is everybody in?
is everybody in?
the ceremony is about to begin
Wake up!
You can’t remember where it was
Had this dream stopped?
Awake.
Shake dreams from your hair
my pretty child, my sweet one.
Choose the day and choose the sign of your day
the day’s divinity
First thing you see.
A vast radiant beach and cooled jeweled moon
Couples naked race down by it’s quiet side
And we laugh like soft, mad children
Smug in the wooly cotton brains of infancy
The music and voices are all around us.
Choose they croon the Ancient Ones
the time has come again
choose now, they croon
beneath the moon
beside an ancient lake
Enter again the sweet forest
Enter the hot dream
Come with us
everything is broken up and dances.
Indians scattered,
On dawn’s highway bleeding
Ghosts crowd the young child’s,
Fragile eggshell mind
My fragile eggshell mind has been desperately looking for a cure
show me
show me
show me
how you do that trick
the one that makes me scream
she said
the one that makes me laugh
she said
and threw her arms around my neck
show me how you do it
and i promise you
i promise that i’ll run away with you
i’ll run away with you
spinning on that dizzy edge
i kissed her face and kissed her head
and dreamed of all the different ways i had
to make her glow
why are you so far away?
she said
but won’t you ever know that i’m in love with you?
that i’m in love with you?
you
soft and only
you
lost and lonely
you
strange as angels
dancing in the deepest oceans
Twisting in the water
you’re just like a dream…
you’re just like a dream…
daylight licked me into shape
i must have been asleep for days
and moving lips to breathe her name
i opened up my eyes
and found myself alone
alone
alone
above a raging sea
that stole the only girl i loved
and drowned her deep inside of me
you
soft and only
you
lost and lonely
you
just like heaven
That’s more like it: Teenage heartbreak in all its glory. Choking up, tearing up and dancing. It’s funny how so many 80s songs get you dancing to the saddest lyrics in the world.
Last but not least, for more info on Eric Fischl’s painting “Bad Boy – 1981” that illustrates this post, please check this Believer interview
Change
You’re perfect
Don’t please don’t change a thing
Ne change rien pour que tout soit différent
Jeanne Balibar released Paramour in 2003. This track samples a sentence by JLG from Histoire(s) du cinéma. It’s also the title of a Pedro Costa documentary on Balibar that I haven’t seen yet.
And what’s a paramour?
A lover, especially the illicit partner of a married person…
Tell me a line make it easy for me
Open your arms
Dance with me until I feel all right
It’s good in the dark, good in the dark
But into the lover’s light
Here comes another fight
So ring the alarm, ring the alarm
Bar me and hold me and cling to my arm
Here it comes, here it comes
And what you’re asking me now, disastrous now
Hoping and hoping and hoping
The feeling goes away
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
This is why I fell in love oooh
Never change, never change, never change, never change
Never change, never change, never change
That’s just too up there in love with
(in love…)
This is the time the very best time
So give me a line and take me home
Take me over
But dashing the hopes dashing the hopes
And smashing the pride
The morning’s got you on the ropes .. ooh
And love is a murderer, love is a murderer
But if she calls you tonight
Everything is all right
Yeah, we know
And love is a curse shoved in a hearse
Love is an open book to a verse of your bad poetry
And this is coming from me
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love
(fall in love)
[repeat]
Turn on the light make it easy for me
Fill the divide fumble in the kitchen
Til it’s right
What an awful sight
But there’s love in your eyes
Love in your eyes, love in your eyes
But maybe that’s just what your lover finds
All night!
But I can change, I can change, I can change, I can change
I can change, I can change, I can change
If it helps you fall in love
Actually I can’t change. An the real trigger to all this was driving around Beirut and listening to this song. Madison Square Garden version. It was emotional! The closing song of their last concert. But I’m turning soft… Caught myself crying while watching this!!!
Replace NY by Beirut. Replace it by the name of a loved one or by your own name. There’ll always be a moment where the lyrics will go click and the tears will start streaming. James Murphy is just gorgeous but let’s avoid the drama and end it with the famous Kermit video…
New York, I Love You
But you’re bringing me down
New York, I Love You
But you’re bringing me down
Like a rat in a cage
Pulling minimum wage
New York, I Love You
But you’re bringing me down
New York, you’re safer
And you’re wasting my time
Our records all show
You are filthy but fine
But they shuttered your stores
When you opened the doors
To the cops who were bored
Once they’d run out of crime
New York, you’re perfect
Don’t please don’t change a thing
Your mild billionaire mayor’s
Now convinced he’s a king
So the boring collect
I mean all disrespect
In the neighborhood bars
I’d once dreamt I would drink
New York, I Love You
But you’re freaking me out
There’s a ton of the twist
But we’re fresh out of shout
Like a death in the hall
That you hear through your wall
New York, I Love You
But you’re freaking me out
New York, I Love You
But you’re bringing me down
New York, I Love You
But you’re bringing me down
Like a death of the heart
Jesus, where do I start?
But you’re still the one pool
Where I’d happily drown
And oh.. Take me off your mailing list
For kids that think it still exists
Yes, for those who think it still exists
Maybe I’m wrong
And maybe you’re right
Maybe I’m wrong
And myabe you’re right
Maybe you’re right
Maybe I’m wrong
And just maybe you’re right
And Oh..
Maybe mother told you true
And they’re always be something there for you
And you’ll never be alone
But maybe she’s wrong
And maybe I’m right
And just maybe she’s wrong
Maybe she’s wrong
And maybe I’m right
And if so, here’s this song
Pressure
With the lights out, it’s less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us
It’s always weird when you take a chance on a band you don’t know. It’s not about the money spent or the time wasted. It’s about not wanting to be disappointed. It’s like going to watch a play or a dance performance in Beirut. Let’s just say more than 50% of the time it’s so bad you feel humiliated for the person onstage and ask yourself if you’re just too critical or if they even know how terrible they are.
So anyway, I went to EM chill tonight and watched Pressure Pot Band (طنجرة ضغط).
Well actually it was only half the band. They’re Syrian. The keyboardist and drummer are still in Syria and the bassist and guitarist are in Beirut.
Khaled Omran and Tarek Khuluki offered us a pretty “versatile and eclectic set” mixing triphop hiphop metal reggae with Arabic lyrics, Now, I’m usually very harsh with these kinds of acts. But they pulled it off (minus maybe one or two over-indulgent moments that hinted towards a more proggy sound I’m not comfortable with).
They are much better live than on these 2 demos they posted on their Youtube Channel. They have a fantastic energy: not only are they talented musicians but they are also very playful and improvise a lot building songs from scratch, creating at least 2 great mini-tracks on the spot.
Of course, they had to spoil it at the end with a cheesy slow song so I ran away. But just before that they played this Nirvana/Michael Jackson MTV Mashup. And they nailed it.
I Am The One
Who Will Dance
On The Floor
In The Round
And since things have a tendency to go full circle with me these days, I got home and caught the end of Mister Lonely on TV.
I love it when that happens
Dépendances
Beware the Ides Of March
Et tu, Brute? Hatta enta ya Bluetooth?
Ain’t no big thing
To wait for the bell to ring
Ain’t no big thing
The toll of the bell
Aggravated – spare for days
I troll downtown the red light place
Jump up bubble up – what’s in store
Love is the drug and I need to score
Showing out, showing out, hit and run
Boy meets girl as beat goes on
Stitched up tight, can’t break free
Love is the drug, got a hook on me
Oh oh catch that buzz
Love is the drug I’m thinking of
Oh oh can’t you see
Love is the drug for me
Late that night I park my car
Stake my place in the singles bar
Face to face, toe to toe
Heart to heart as we hit the floor
Lumber up, limbo down
The locked embrace, the stumble round
I say go, she say yes
Dim the lights, you can guess the rest
The mind has so many pictures
Why can’t I sleep with my eyes open?
…
I’m only the one you love
Am I only the one you love?
Radio, live transmission.
…
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio.
Dance, dance, dance, dance, dance, to the radio…
Je vous raconte pas les courbatures à cause d’hier… ou la coherence de tout ça. Mais dans ma tête c’est assez clair…
Indépendance, Dépendances etc…
Swallow
I, I swallow
I swallow you
Deep throat baby
I swallow you
The hit of the summer has been forver spoiled. In a good way. I can only hear these words every time it comes up at a party.
It reminds me of a whole segment in an early nineties MTV movie awards ceremony where they just chose movies from the year and mad them sound like porn films: The “firm”, Free Willy, White swallow… I’m not sure that last one really existed. Anyway, last night was epic. Today is dependance day and we’ll probably get wasted but in the meantime let’s ponder one of our contemporary poets’ famous words:
come gimme a hug, if you’re into gettin’ rubbed
Go shawty, it’s your birthday
We gonna party like it’s your birthday
We gon’ sip Bacardi like it’s your birthday
And you know we don’t give a fuck, it’s not your birthday
You can find me in the club…
Happy Independance Disco Birthday!
I need to put some food in my stomache…
Thank you
When a person is expecting to receive a letter, it is of no concern if at first he does not hear the postman ring the doorbell, because the postman will always ring a second time, and that second ring will invariably be heard. I’m gonna shut up or I’ll spoil the movie(s) and book for you.
To which Frank could’ve replied: “If I wanted to shut you up, I’d have shut you up.”
Cora: Feel like doin’ somethin’?
Jack Nicholson: I’m doin’ it.
So anyway, yesterday I was supposed to watch a 7h30 cinemarathon: Béla Tarr‘s Sátántangó
And everything that could go wrong went wrong. DVD 1 wasn’t working properly. So I borrowed a friend’s copy: the machine didn’t even recognize it… That’s the problem when you watch copies… There was a 10-min electricity cut, the laptop hibernated, the projector’s image needed to be fixed. But we kept our fingers crossed. Ultimately we had to stop the film about an hour and a half into it.
So we watched Postman. And I got to watch the famous kitchen table scene as a grown-up. I even found time to find a number of similarities between the main actress and a current hollywood star. And it seems I’m not the only one…
Anyway, Thank you Satan!
Le diable m’a dit: Ferré, fais moi une chanson, c’était une commande et puis une commande du diable, mon Dieu, ça change.
I don’t know why it reminded me of that Tom Waits Lyric from Heartattack and Vine
Don’t you know there ain’t no devil, there’s just God when he’s drunk
And that’s when he’s not away on business or when Hell breaks Luce
And this is when randomness takes over. Or is it that random…? Am I just squeezing everything in this post? or is there a reason?
Alco-hole, Satan, God and the whores of Babylon: these are some of Josh T. Pearson‘s main themes.
He released Rough Trade’s album of the Year. Yup, it’s already that time of the year again…
It’s a beautiful album and it’s been tearing my heart to pieces for the last 48h. It was hard to choose a track so I’m posting a beautiful version of the opening track on the album mixed with a surprising cover. If you want more go here there and everywhere.
It ain’t Christmas time it’s Easter, Honey Bunny, and I ain’t the Saviour you so desperately need.
I’m just some guy… Here’s an acoustic semi-cover of Mary Wells’ My Guy
Warpaint released this track on the Exquisite Corpse EP in 2009. It was recently added to the special edition of The Fool, one of my favorite albums of last year. In the end, Rough Trade is the glue keeping this post together.
Nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy.
Nothing you can do cause i’m stuck like glue to my guy.
I’m sticking to my guy like a stamp to a letter,
like birds of a feather, we stick together.
I’m telling you from the start, i won’t be torn apart from my guy.
Nothing you can buy could make me tell a lie to my guy.
Nothing you could do could make me untrue to my guy.
I gave my guy my word of honor to be faithful and i’m gonna.
You best be believing, I won’t be deceiving my guy.
As a matter of opinion I think he’s tops.
My opinion is he’s the cream of the crop.
As a matter of taste to be exact,
he’s my dear as a matter of fact.
No muscle-bound man can tear me away from my guy.
Birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, we are birds of a feather, birds of a feather, birds of a feather.
Oyster
“I’m as puzzled as the oyster”
On the floating, ship less oceans
I did all my best to smile
Till your singing eyes and fingers
Drew me loving into your eyes
And you sang, “Sail to me
Sail to me, let me enfold you”
Here I am, here I am
Waiting to hold you
Then I dreamed, you dreamed about me
Were you here when I was for sail?
(Was for sail)
Now my foolish boat is leaning
Broken lovelorn on your rocks
For you sang, “Touch me not
Touch me not, come back tomorrow”
Ohh my heart, ohh my heart
Shies from the sorrow
I’m as puzzled as the oyster
I am as troubled as the tide
Should I stand amid the breakers?
Or shall I lie with death my bride?
Hear me sing, “Swim to me
Swim to me, let me enfold you”
Here I am, here I am
Waiting to hold you
No comment. Read more about this song here and download Tim Buckley‘s original stripped down version as well as the best-known cover by This Mortal Coil
It’ll End in Tears…
Heart
Isn’t it a pity
Now, isn’t it a shame
How we break each other’s hearts
And cause each other pain
How we take each other’s love
Without thinking anymore
Forgetting to give back
Isn’t it a pity
Just finished watching Scorsese’s latest music documentary George Harrison: Living in the Material World. This track popped up during the Pattie Boyd / Eric Clapton situation. The DVD is available locally. In the meantime, watch the trailer below. Or download Elliott Smith’s gorgeous cover.
And now, we switch to the Marvelettes’ Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead
When you give more than you get, you’re in danger (you’re in danger)
You may find that you’re in love with a stranger (with a stranger)
For who knows what evil lurks within the hearts of men?
It’s vanity, insanity to play when you can’t win
When you find that you’re losing, it’s time to get on moving
‘Cause there’s danger: heartbreak dead ahead
It only takes one second, girl, to learn (to learn)
That playing with fire will get you burned (get you burned)
Now girl, don’t you be foolish
They say that love is blind, but it’s clear as the highway sign
That reads “Danger: heartbreak dead ahead”
Heartbreak dead ahead
Read the sign, girl; you’d better mind, girl
Yeah, danger: heartbreak dead ahead
Once the lying starts, start packing up your heart
Listen to me, girl
When there’s nothing to be gained, don’t keep goin’ on in vain
‘Cause there’s danger: heartbreak dead ahead
I said there’s danger, I said there’s danger
And then comes Harry Nilsson’s answer
You’re breakin’ my heart
You’re tearin’ it apart
So fuck you!
And Zappa’s beautiful Finale
You say you can’t live with what you been through
Well, ladies you can be an asshole too
You might pretend you aint got one on the bottom of you
But don’t fool yourself girl, it’s lookin’ at you
Don’t fool yourself girl, it’s winkin’ at you
Don’t fool yourself girl, it’s blinkin’ at you
That’s why I say, “I’m gonna ram it, ram it, ram it ram it up your poop chute”
Satan
Early this morning
when you knocked
upon my door (2x)
An I say
Hello Satan
I believe its time to go
Me and the Devil
Walking side by side (2x)
And I’m gonna see my woman
’til I get satisfied
See See
You don’t see why
Like you’a dog me ’round
*Now babe you know I ain’t do it like that
Say I
Don’t see why
people dawging me around
It must be that old old evil spirit
that spirit drop me down in your ground
you may
bury my body
down by the highway side
*I don’t really care where you bury me when I’m gone
I’m gone
you may bury my body
down by the highway side
So my old evil spirit
can greyhound
bus that ride
–Bonus part
Standing
in the ruins of another black mans life
Or flying through the valley
separating day and night
I am am Death,
Cried the Vulture,
for the people of the light
Caron brought his raft
from the sea that sails on souls
and I saw the scavenger departing
taking warm hearts to the cold
he knew the ghetto was a haven
for the meanest creature ever known
in a wilderness of heart break
in a desert of despair
Evil’s clarion of justice
shrieks a cry of naked terror
taking babies from their mamas
leaving grief beyond compare
so if you see the vulture coming
flying circles in your mind
remember their is no escaping
for he will follow close behind
only promise me a battle
a battle
for your soul and mind
and mine
and mine
Gil Scott-Heron passed away a few months ago. He’d just released his best album in ages and this Robert Johnson cover is one of the best tracks on it.
Here’s another amazing Robert Johnson cover, this time it’s Kindhearted Woman Blues by EMA
I love all those new acts that release great albums AND amazing B-Sides. I’m looking at you Dirty Beaches…
So anyway, I’m gonna leave you with an EMA double or even triple whammy. Album track Marked
My arms, they are a see-through plastic
Arms are a secret bloodless skinless mess
My arms, they are a see-through plastic
They are a bloodless plastic, skinless plastic
My arms, they are a see-through plastic
They are plastic
Don’t you know that I will never hurt you
You’re such a pretty thing
I know I wish sometimes just so I could explain things, explain things
I wish that every time he touched me left a mark
I wish that every time he touched me left a mark
I wish that every time he touched me left a mark
I wish that every time he touched me left a mark
I fell down in the dark
Won’t you start again from way back
I almost threw up on the spot
When you showed up in that spot
I almost threw up on the spot
I want just to get out, get out
I wish I had another hope to get it out
These drugs they are making me so sad
I can’t stop, wanna take him with me
This night is making me so sad
If there was a way to get it out, I wanna get it out
If there was a way to get it out, I wanna get it out
And it’s B-Side Angelo
If you have to listen to just one song today then let it be Angelo. It’s my favorite driving song
And we have a special bonus: EMA’s Take Away-show which was uploaded 10 days ago
True
Charlotte Rampling by Juergen Teller
And the music don’t feel like it did when I felt it with you
Nothing that I do or feel ever feels like I felt it with you
XX – Teardrops
Womack & Womack – Teardrops
Whenever I hear goodbyes, remind me baby of you
I break down and cry, next time I’ll be true, yeah
Fever for lost romance remind me baby of you
I took a crazy chance
Next time I’ll be true, I’ll be true, I’ll be true
Footsteps on the dance floor remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes, next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune, every tune, every tune”
When I’m dancin’ ’round, remind me baby of you
I really let you down, next time I’ll be true, yeah
I took a crazy chance
“She cries on every tune, every tune, every tune”
Footsteps on the dance floor remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes, next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune, every tune, every tune”
And the music don’t feel like it did when I felt it with you
Nothing that I do or feel ever feels like I felt it with you
Hurting deep inside, she cries on every tune
I break down and cry
“She cries on every tune, every tune, every tune”
Footsteps on the dance floor remind me baby of you
Teardrops in my eyes, next time I’ll be true, yeah
Whispers in the powder room
“She cries on every tune, every tune, every tune”
Headless Heroes – True Love Will Find You In The End
Daniel Johnston – True Love Will Find You In The End
True love will find you in the end
You’ll find out just who was your friend
Don’t be sad, I know you will,
But don’t give up until
True love finds you in the end.
This is a promise with a catch
Only if you’re looking will it find you
‘Cause true love is searching too
But how can it recognize you
Unless you step out into the light?
But don’t give up until
True love finds you in the end.
Hello. So, I guess you got the idea we’re gonna be True Blue but it isn’t Madonna‘s or even a Paperbag cover. Enno, seriously “I’m so excited ’cause you’re my best friend”?!
I walk along these streets until I Have you in my arms
Now that you’re gone in my heart so wild and blue
And if I had the chance, I’d never let you go.
And doll if you haven’t called back, I’m begging you please
True Blue, baby
True Blue, for you,
forever and now
No matter how far the distances
I just want you to know
that? my heart will always be true
true blue
for you
true blue
(incoherent)
true blue
true blue
true blue (for you babe)
However, we will be staying True to our theme and the 80s feel with PM Dawn sampling Spandau Ballet’s biggest hit.
Reality used to be a friend of mine
I prefer quoting that to the original’s : Why do I find it hard to write the next line / Oh I want the truth to be said!
Two to go and we’re done:
I’m not living
I’m just killing time
Your tiny hands
Your crazy kitten smile
And now for some comic relief or else this would be too dramatic. Ever heard of Mondegreens?
For the longest time I heard the opening lines as I’m in love with TWO girls
Ooh, Ooh, Ooh I love you
Audiogrammes 