The Music Court

Anthony’s post today proved something major with college students. They care about two things. Photoshop and and provocative band names. Oh, that is not what you were thinking? Well, I guess you may not know college students. Well, since the post was quite the eye-opener we will keep with the theme of eye-openers and go straight into the skill of our #82 lyricist of all time. Are transitions not the best especially when they make no sense. I should just write essays with some of the strange breaks of consciousness that I express through this blog. Anyway, Josh is going to be happy about this post because he is a fan of this artist and, since, all I do on these posts is post flattery, he will be quite thrilled.

It is hard to say bad things about Benjamin Chase Harper, known better as Ben Harper. The 40 year old folky blues artist known for his distinctive voice, guitaring, and activism is also a fantastic lyricist and I hope to show that here. Musicians occasionally are almost bred to become performers. Harper is one of these cases. From an early age he was already playing guitar and learning the tricks of the trade from his grandparents’ folk music store, The Folk Music Center and Museum. Yeah, this on top of regular visits by Leonard Cohen (one of the greatest lyricists of all time. He will have his profile day in a long time) Taj Mahal and David Lindley, and on top of regular quotations from William Shakespeare and Robert Frost provided by his grandfather. Hell, if Harper did not grow up to play music and write poetry, it would be pretty disappointing.

In the 80’s, his teen years, he began mimicking the guitar styles of Robert Johnson and eventually expanded to playing Weissenborn, the lap guitar, which he is currently very skilled at. From then on out, Harper has released numerous albums and has reached the ears of numerous listeners. Now, yes, most of this can be attributed to his catchy rhythms, but, this is a lyric search and we shall look at that mainly.

Let us look at my favorite lyrics from Ben Harper from a song entitled, “Roses From My Friends”

“I could have treated you better
but you couldn’t have treated me worse
but it’s he who laughs last
is he who cries first

Sometimes I feel I know strangers
better than I know my friends
why must a beginning
be the means to an end

The stones from my enemies
these wounds will mend
but I cannot survive
the roses from my friends”

I believe this is Harper’s way of explaining his detachment from those who he calls his friends. It is as if he knows what to expect from strangers and therefore the stones they may throw cannot hurt him. Yet, his friends who on the surface may seem effulgent, are, underneath thorny and back-stabbing like a flower. It is a thought-provoking metaphor by Harper and certainly makes you think.

Roses from my Friends: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWXgx0GVUSE

Yes! Before I do this segment I always refer to my master list of the  top 100 lyricists formulated by Digitaldreamdoor (Give them a lot of credit). I had previously gone through 100-80 and adjusted the list to my wants and needs. I really needed to get Axl Rose out of there, I’m sorry. Soon enough, I will need to go through 79-50 and that will sure be interesting, but, for now, we are at #83 and I am excited. Why? Pete Brown. What, you don’t know who he is? Let me give you a few lyrics you may recognize.

“Ive been waiting so long
To be where Im going
In the sunshine of your love.”

Wait, isn’t that Clapton and The Cream? Well, yes, myself it indeed is, yet, Mr. Pete Brown, a performance poet, wrote the majority of Cream’s songs with bassist Jack Bruce and guitar-god (that is for you Josh “I love Eric Clapton” Lampert) Eric Clapton (for “Sunshine of your Love.”) Cream is my favorite Eric Clapton project and I love their music and specifically Brown’s lyric for one incredible song and that is “White Room.”

Since Brown is a “Performance Poet” he like Jim Morrison (The Doors) paired his lyrics with vocal performances. Brown has been paired with numerous musicians over his career like Graham Bond, Chris Spedding, and even Arthur Brown recently. “FIRE.” He is a very talented poet and his work shows this. Let’s analyze “White Room” like we do best.

Ah, in a white room with black curtains, near the stations
Blackroof country, no gold pavements, tired starlings
Silver horses, run down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Drawnlight smiles on your leaving, my contentment

I’ll wait in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in this place where the shadows run from themselves

You said no strings could secure you at the station
Platform ticket, restless diesels, goodbye windows
I walked into such a sad time at the station
When I walked out, felt my own need just beginning I’ll sleep in this place where the sun never shines
Wait in the dark where the shadows run from themselves

At the party she was kindness in the hard crowd
Consolation from the old wound now frogotten
Yellow tiggers crouched in jungles in her dark eyes
She’s just dressing goodbye windows, tired starlings

I’ll wait in the queue when the trains come back
Wait here with you where the shadows run from themselves”

A lot of people reading the lyrics probably just went oh! that’s what is said after the first line. I know I did after I first looked at the lyric many years a go. So, what do you think this song is about? Personally, and I don’t usually like to reach for songs, I think this one is about Vietnam, where a young man is at a train station during “a sad time at the station,” because young men are saying goodbyes to their families. They end up in Vietnam in combat with “yellow tigers crouched in jungles,” where “Shadows run from themselves.”  My favorite lyrics in the song,

“Silver horses, run down moonbeams in your dark eyes
Drawnlight smiles on your leaving, my contentment.”

The imagery is just stunning, plus I always love when musicians use words like contentment in songs and do not sound stupid. Pete Brown is one of those who just never will sound stupid.

As much as he may look a little stupid... Just Kidding

“White Room” Cream: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRqjpuLFXek

This apparently defines punk. I do not believe that this is what Curtis, Iggy, Ramone, or The Pistols were going for.

I must declare ignorance. Before today, I had never listened to the musician who I am currently writing about. The post-punk genre was never my cup of tea and, therefore, this band and I never crossed paths.

I also must reveal that in no way was I intending on having two straight suicides on my list. Purely coincidence.

So, without any further disclaimers, let’s play attempt to guess the lyricist. You get three clues.

1.) His band was named after the “Sexual Slavery” wing of a Nazi Concentration Camp, as described by the novel “The House of Dolls”

2.) This lyricist, known for his reserved demeanor, opened up on stage into an odd epileptic like dance which stemmed from actual seizures he sometimes experienced on stage (and subsequently had to be helped off stage because of)

3.) This lyricist hanged himself at the age of 23 in 1980 (after listening to Iggy Pop’s The Idiot… I don’t think that was the reason why he did it)

Wow! That was depressing. Did you guess? Well, if not, do not worry about it, because, before tonight, I would not have been able to tell you either. But, now, from all of my recently learned knowledge I can safely tell you the man’s name is Ian Curtis, lead singer of the band Joy Division, and he is the #84th lyricist of all time.

Let us jump straight to some lyrics. No wasting time tonight folks. Hell, I already depressed enough of you. My favorite lyrics from Curtis come from Joy Division’s first album Unknown Pleasures, in a song named “New Dawn Fades.” I am going to give you the link of it right now and include the entire lyric below. Check out the song before you read into any commentary. I want you to form your own opinion on it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqUFbd8aAN0&feature=related

“A change of speed, a change of style
A change of scene, with no regrets
A chance to watch, admire the distance
Still occupied, though you forget
Different colours, different shades
Over each mistakes were made
I took the blame
Directionless so plain to see
A loaded gun won’t set you free
So you say

We’ll share a drink and step outside
An angry voice and one who cried
‘We’ll give you everything and more
The strain’s too much, can’t take much more’
Oh, I’ve walked on water, run through fire
Can’t seem to feel it anymore
It was me, waiting for me
Hoping for something more
Me, seeing me this time, hoping for something else ”

The message displayed in the song can be split into the two segments. In the first verse the message is quite simply time is moving, things are changing, and nothing can change what I did in the past. An over-simplification I know, but that is why I told you guys to form your own opinions first. The second verse is my favorite. The line that resounds the most is, “It was me, waiting for me, hoping for something more, Me, seeing me this time, hoping for something else.” These may be some of the best lyrics written in a song. The sheer truthfulness of Curtis’ poetry is shocking. Not many times do you have lyricists that come out and sing such a true and powerful self-reflection. Curtis describes how he is waiting for himself, hoping for something more…something else. All of this became more true on May 18th, 1980 when Curtis decided he would finally grasp for something else.

He wrote hundreds of songs. He lived to 36, committing suicide in 1976 after succumbing to bi-polar disorder, alcoholism. The sheer enormity of his work is astounding. One must also keep in mind the the man wrote the majority of his songs in the 1960’s starting in 1962. His music was folk and his lyric was “topical,” an interesting mix  of humanism and political activism that was always quite witty but at times rather sardonic. Minus the suicide many may conclude this is definitely Bob Dylan. Folk, protest singer, who wrote hundreds of songs in the 1960’s. Yet, the lyricist I am talking about is less known but, in many ways, just as influential to the protest music cause.

Phil Ochs came to the realization that he wanted to be a musician when sleeping on a park bench in Miami at the age of 18. He was arrested but the important conclusion was reached that he would go back to college and study journalism and write. This is the second time I have profiled a lyricist who was an aspiring journalist. I am beginning to get jealous of all of these succesful musicians who used journalism as a stepping stone to greatness. Why can’t I write lyrics!!!!! Okay, enough of my stupidity, back to Phil Ochs.

Ochs became known quickly for his smart brand of passionate protest songs about events like war and civil rights. He described himself as a “singing journalist,” and no trust me as much as I would enjoy this newsrooms do not sing story information. He build his songs from news stories. “Topical” songs.  He started performing at numerous folk festivals and was even at the famous Dylan electric experience which he actually commended. He also became rather fixated on John F. Kennedy and he admired him greatly. After his assasination Ochs fell into a deep depression and told his wife that night that he thought he was going to die.

It is safe to conclude that Ochs was a wise man and his music and incredible feeling was beyond his time, and even our time.  His music defined him and like for many others before and after him, it became a necessary catharsis. Let’s take a look at some of his music. The song I want to focus on displays Ochs’ incredible skill. It appears on his fourth studio album, Pleasures of the Harbor, and it will forever remain as the awe-inspiring last track. Here is a little taste from “The Crucifixion”

“Time takes her toll and the memory fades
but his glory is broken, in the magic that he made.
Reality is ruined; it’s the freeing from the fear
The drama is distorted, to what they want to hear
Swimming in their sorrow, in the twisting of a tear
As they wait for a new thrill parade.

The eyes of the rebel have been branded by the blind
To the safety of sterility, the threat has been refined
The child was created to the slaughterhouse he’s led
So good to be alive when the eulogy is read
The climax of emotion, the worship of the dead
And the cycle of sacrifice unwinds.

So dance dance dance
Teach us to be true
Come dance dance dance
‘Cause we love you

And the night comes again to the circle studded sky
The stars settle slowly, in lonliness they lie
‘Till the universe explodes as a falling star is raised
Planets are paralyzed, mountains are amazed
But they all glow brighter from the briliance of the blaze
With the speed of insanity, then he died.”

Let that sink in. It is about John F. Kennedy’s death, by the way. Well, the death of any hero for that matter. The allusion to Chris is clear. “A falling star is raised,” with brilliance and speed and the title. Yet, what makes this song so awesome is Ochs’ sheer rawness. While he may have believed that the eight minute recording was a failure it did wonders in representing the meaning in the song. The song brought Robert Kennedy to tears when Ochs performed it for him a cappella.  Check out the song with a cool video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd8sirz99zo

An accurate depiction of Anthony yesterday night

WOW! A lyric of the day! Yes, I know, I have put this on hiatus for a long time but I have been quite busy. I do apologize and tonight I bring back this segment with a great lyricist. Well, before I get into posting I thought I would mention someone with worse luck and much more to complain about than myself. His name is Anthony (Visual Music Man). Anthony somehow managed to get two laptops with mechanical clocks that decided to end within one week of each other. Yes, both of his laptops have broke in the span of one week. One of which maintains his collection of visual musics which he will attempt to remove from the hard drive onto some other computer soon. So, I will officially like to start another cause on the blog. This cause entitled “Get the Visual Music Man a new Laptop or fix one of his old ones.” Proceeds can be sent to Anthony through the internet. Oh wait, how could he get on and receive the money without a computer? Man, don’t computers suck!

From this moment on I would like to announce that the Visual Music section shall be put on a hold for maybe a week or two. Do not worry, I have received a pledge from Anthony that they will be back up as soon as possible, if god is willing.

Now onward to the #86 lyricist of all time. Someone who has managed to remain cloaked, despite releasing over twenty albums and writing numerous hits for other bands. But, he likes this. He has the cult artist status and those who record his songs can go themselves into the spotlight. His name is J.J. Cale (not to be confused with The Velvet Underground’s John Cale) and you may know him as the man behind “Cocaine.”

No, not the drug, the song by Eric Clapton. Yes, Josh, who is obsessed with Eric Clapton by the way, is a fan of Mr. Cale and his contribution to the blues community. Cale actually has had such an impact that he is considered one of the main founders of Tulsa Sound, a loose mix of blues, country, rockabilly, jazz, and other fun stuff. He is laid back and that is reflected well in his influential lyric. Hell, his songs have been covered by such iconic names like Eric Clapton and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Yet, he still remains practically unknown. Cale is one of those musicians who is more respected among the music community then most of the public. If you have not heard of him I will include one lyric to display some of Cale’s best work. You will definitely recognize the song, go to yourself, “He wrote this?” and then become big Cale fans. Ready?

“After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang out
After midnight, we’re gonna chug-a-lug and shout
We’re gonna cause talk and suspicion
Give an exhibition
Find out what it is all about
After midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang out”

Hey, isn’t that an Eric Clapton song. Yes, but it was written by J.J. Cale. See the ease displayed in the lyric. Listen to Cale’s version which is different but still fantastic. It is the original.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0RPSDEOxTA&feature=related    Here is a cool version of Cale performing “After Midnight”

Buy This!