Juke Box #5: In her electronic voice

Le due canzoni di oggi sono di Laurie Anderson, musicista d'avanguardia affascinata dalla tecnologia ma anche creativa eclettica e performer protagonista di numerose installazioni multimediali in teatri e nei musei. Ma a renderle uniche rispetto agli altri brani che ho presentato finora in questa serie di post contribuisce anche un dettaglio extra-musicale: l'essere stati pubblicati in origine (1981) come lato A e lato B di un singolo prodotto dalla Warner Bros. In altre parole, O Superman e Walk the Dog avrebbero potuto benissimo trovare posto insieme in un juke box e non mi sento neanche di escludere a priori che sia accaduto davvero.

Quel che ricordo bene sono invece le circostanze in cui mi sono imbattuto per la prima volta nella musica della Anderson. Fu durante una serata trascorsa in uno studio di danza della mia città, dovei potei assistere a una proiezione del videoclip di O Superman. La fascinazione fu tale che il giorno dopo mi precipitai ad acquistare il 45 giri che poi ascoltai fino alla nausea (per dire, in realtà non me ne sono mai stancato).

O Superman, che era il brano 'forte' occupava ovviamente il lato A - il lato 'buono' -, mentre Walk the Dog era inciso sul lato B (che allora indicava ancora una cosa diversa da quel che indica oggi). Col tempo successe tuttavia - e non era neanche la prima volta che mi accadeva - che proprio questo secondo brano, quello 'debole', finisse per piacermi anche di più del brano principe.

A. O Superman (For Massenet)

(Laurie Anderson)

- Testo -

O Superman
O judge
O Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad

O Superman
O judge
O Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad

Hi. I'm not home right now. But if you want to leave a
message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.

Hello? This is your Mother
Are you there?
Are you coming home?

Hello?
Is anybody home?
Well, you don't know me, but I know you
And I've got a message to give to you
Here come the planes

So you better get ready
Ready to go
You can come as you are, but pay as you go
Pay as you go

And I said: OK. Who is this really? And the voice said:
This is the hand, the hand that takes
This is the hand, the hand that takes
This is the hand, the hand that takes

Here come the planes.
They're American planes
Made in America
Smoking or non-smoking?

And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom
of night shall stay these couriers from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds.

'Cause when love is gone
there's always justice
And when justice is gone
there's always force
And when force is gone,
there's always Mom.
Hi Mom!

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
In your automatic arms.
Your electronic arms.
In your arms.

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
Your petrochemical arms
Your military arms
In your electronic arms

B. Walk the Dog

(Laurie Anderson)

- Testo -

Well, I saw a lot of trees today and they were all made of wood.
They were wooden trees and they were made entirely of wood.

I came home today and you were all on fire.
Your shirt was on fire, and your hair was on fire,
and flames were licking all around your feet.
And I did not know what to do!

And then a thousand violins began to play,
and I really did not know what to do then.
So I just decided to go out and walk the dog.

I went to the movies, and I saw a dog thirty feet high.
And this dog was made entirely of light.
And he filled up the whole screen.
And his eyes were long hallways.
He had those long, echoing, hallway eyes.

Well, I turned on the radio and I heard a song by Dolly Parton.
And she was singing:
Wow! I feel so bad! I feel so sad!
I left my mom and I left my dad.
And I just want to go home now.
I just want to go back in my Tennessee mountain home now.
Well, you know she’s not gonna go back home.
And I know she’s not gonna go back home.
And she knows she’s never gonna go back there.
And I just want to know who’s gonna go and walk her dog.

Well! I feel so bad! I feel so sad!
But not as bad as the night I wrote this song.

Close your eyes! (OK)
Now imagine you’re at the most wonderful party. (OK)
Delicious food. (Uh huh.)
Interesting people. (Uh huh.)
Terrific music. (Uh huh.)
Now open them!

* * *

L'immagine in alto sotto il titolo è un particolare della copertina dell'album Big Science (Warner Bros, 1982).