March 06, 2008



Gravity's Angel
(For Thomas Pynchon)

Laurie Anderson

You can dance. You can make me laugh. You've got x-ray eyes.
You know how to sing. You're a diplomat. You've got it all.
Everybody loves you.
You can charm the birds out of the sky. but I, I've got one thing.
You always know just what to say. And when to go.
But I've got one thing. You can see in the dark.
But I've got one thing: I loved you better.

Last night I woke up. Saw this angel. He flew in my window.
And he said: Girl, pretty proud of yourself, huh?
And I looked around and said: Who me?
And he said: The higher you fly, the faster you fall. He said:
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's rainbow.
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's angel.
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road. This ugly train.
Well he was an ugly guy. With an ugly face.
An also ran in the human race.
And even God got sad just looking at him. And at his funeral
all his friends stood around looking sad. But they were really
thinking of all the ham and cheese sandwiches in the next room.
And everybody used to hang around him. And I know why.
They said: There but for the grace of the angels go I.
Why these mountains? Why this sky?
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's rainbow.
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's angel.

Well, we were just laying there.
And this ghost of your other lover walked in.
And stood there. Made of thin air. Full of desire.
Look. Look. Look. You forgot to take your shirt.
And there's your book. And there's your pen, sitting on the table.
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road? This empty room?
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road? This empty room?

Laurie Anderson, Mister Heartbreak, 1984

6 comments:

Menina Limão said...

for Thomas Pynchon? :)

menina alice said...

Indeed. Ela dedicou-lhe esta música. Porque perguntas?

Pedro said...

Atenção que esse já está na calha e é o próximo a ser aberto, por isso não venhas cá com coisas
:P

menina alice said...

Tarda nada, mudo todos os que ainda não li da estante da sala para a mesa-de-cabeceira e depois fica tudo na label dos direitos adquiridos! Ora essa, quem apanhar primeiro, lê. :P

>:>

Menina Limão said...

porque o Thomas Pynchon sempre esteve envolto numa grande aura de mistério. é giro ver de repente algo tão palpável como uma dedicatória da Laurie, para além dos livros dele.

Pedro said...

«I had this idea to do an opera based on a novel, "Gravity's Rainbow".
And so, I wrote to Thomas Pynchon, the author of the book, and made this proposal. And I could see Slothrop and all the characters kind of getting caught up in these notes and chords and music and I described how it all might work.
And I didn't think, you know, that I'd even hear from him since he is such a famous recluse. But actually, he did finally write back and he said that he would be so glad and honored to have an opera made by me and based on Gravity's Rainbow and how much he loved the idea. And that he had only one condition.
And that was that the entire opera would be scored for a single instrument.
And that instrument would be…
the banjo.»

Laurie Anderson - The End of the Moon