Patti Smith--Rock 'N' Roll Nigger (with Babelogue intro).

[tnkiy]

Thanks, nicely crafted video

[steelyman08]

@tnkiy

Thank you. Glad you like it.

[ElizaDay66]

This song rocks!

[auguredinnocence]

At first, thank you for the quotes at the beginning. It really helps us !

Then, thanks to have translated the intro, i have nerver understood those words before... too fast... especially at the end (except the last thig she said XD). Thank you very much !!!

Your video is S.U.P.E.R créative and powerful :))

[PeopleFearDarkness]

I'm writing a project on Punk and Neoekspressionism. I might have heard this song 50 times the last 3 days, and I still get goosebumps when she says "I have not sold myself to God"

[tillyeyesgreen]

Simply stunning. 

[dawirestyle2010]

kathy dated thugs kathy dated hackers baby baby baby was a hip hop cracker

[ryanshaunkelly]

#OWS anon4chan

[Cropduster777]

I like the part where she says "nigger"

[carlox1]

Patty is a total masterpiece . Hope the kids take  after you

[ccipollini1984]

I love a song that gets people talking-like this one.

[shodopoet]

NIce editing job- really dug it thanks!!

[HerBlackWings12]

This song always gives me goosebumps!!

[PicklesParodyPalace]

thumbs up if you typed "nigger"

[notanotheraccount]

@steelyman08 Wow...sorry you missed her then. I don't think I'd like her poetry readings as much as her rock music shows with the band, but I'm prepared to be proven wrong. i hope you get a chance to see her. Seems like she's cut way back on her touring in the last few years.

[notanotheraccount]

BTW, beautiful job on the video.

I'll tell you a show anecdote...hope you like it. I saw her at a show once where she inserted a poetry reading between the songs. If memory serves, it was "1959". In the middle of it, someone yelled "Who wrote that??" She just looked up and said, "I did. _tsh_" and kind of swept the rest of the audience with her eyes for just a second. She didn't even have to say "Who let that guy in?" :-)

[steelyman08]

@notanotheraccount

It's from an early poetry reading that was blended into the beginning of the track. Anything's possible at a live reading (especially with Patti). Still, it's whatever suits you that works. I don't think there's a canonized, definitive version, and I'm certainly not trying to promote such.

[notanotheraccount]

@steelyman08 @steelyman08 start_recant OK, you're right. I removed my comment. She clearly says "am", and the "selling" is a bit slurred. end_recant

Still, damn I'd love the chance to hear her again...last time was 2006. I hope she's still enjoying performing.

By coincidence(!!) I was listening to a bunch of Patti's songs last night on youtube, for the first time in a long time if ever, and a chat message popped up saying she was on Charlie Rose at that very minute doing an interview!

[ellaesmenthedosa]

I would so vote for her as president!

[TheRichcolours]

The song is about how negative connotations are associated with certain words. After all they just words - hence Jesus, Grandma and Jackson Pollock etc.. are all niggers even though they are not black.

[explosante]

Patti Smith rocks my socks.

[verbaud]

"Outside of Society". Nuff said. Look at the convulsions FOXNews & the KKKristian Reich have gone though since Obama was elected. They've said everything BUT the 'Word'. When he IS re-elected, I want Obama to grab his crotch and the 1st words of his inaugural to be: "My fellow Americans, I got yo nigger right HERE!" Well, I can dream, can't I?

[MrSKINFLICK]

@verbaud:We can only hope that the senile silly Rupert Murdoch (owner of FOX) +his son will meet their fate in Britain,who had to close his slandering bitchy tabloid"News Of The World"before he had to"justify"himself(of course remembering hardly anything -Alzheimer like Reagan already?)together with his son in front of a parliamentary inquiry board in London.

Leading staff of his scumbag tabloid corrupted British policemen+"worked"together with them spying celebs, politicians+ordinary citizens!

[jityr2]

Over the last decade or two rap artists got away with the racial epiteh all the time and young people took it for granted. But in the late 80's Al Campanis and Jimmy the Greek Snyder got in big trouble just for making mild racial comments. How Patti Smyth got away with this one in her time is beyond me.

[steelyman08]

@jityr2

Perhaps because the seventies were (for a much larger minority of truly open-minded folks) a more flexible era in which people were willing to consider what today's totalitarian-style political correctness does not permit?

[MrSKINFLICK]

@steelyman08:The USA"owe"the"explicit lyrics"CD-stickers(launched 1993)to Tipper Gore,the wife of Al Gore.So moral hyprocrisy isn´t only a dominion of the Republicans,who are still the bigger cheaters of course.Such stickers+censorship attempts are unthinkable in Europe+especially in Germany.Instead the USA grant the first amendment to hating bitches like Shirley+Fred Phelps of the Westboro"Baptist Church"who-with their silly children-insult relatives of AIDS-victims+dead soldiers on cemeteries.

[plastiekske]

@jityr2 where is the racial problem here? The mere fact that she uses the word 'nigger'? She's not referring to black people, but to outcasts (or in her own words, in the same song: "outside of society"). Maybe the people in the 70s got that and didn't just jump on one word :D

I, for one, loved it ;)

[MrSKINFLICK]

@plastiekske:Language purists are one of the most awful diseases on earth.They also perverted political correctness to become an instrument of right-wing extremists,who abuse political correctness to plead for their dangerous+stupid views -also here on You Tube-of medieval or other barbaric times.

Logical arguments are never in their language,they are so silly to write:"Hitler made lots of peace proposals to England till 1940"but"forget"to write that he invaded 9 independent countries before !

[hallowfreaks]

@jityr2 maybe its because the song is about being a slave to music, not about racial issues... rock on!

[MrSKINFLICK]

@jityr2:Steelyman08 is right,the 70s/80s+parts of the 90s were much cooler eras,then Viacom(in connection with Fox Media)bought MTV+German station VIVA at the stock exchange1998+started ruining the musical concept+daily program with meat inspection shows.

I even have nothing against such shows,i´m only asking myself what purpose they should have on a station named Music TV.

I also read the sales of record companies are only 1/3 of the sales 15yrs ago+that´s certainly+mostly NOT due to downloads!

[jityr2]

@MrSKINFLICK  It's not due to downloads? What could it be due to?

[hammill444]

@jityr2 It's beyond you how she "got away with it"? Really? It's sadly becoming a distant memory, but there was a time-- the "time" to which you refer-- when people could not only hear something, but also understand it.

[steelyman08]

@hammill444

Right on. In this day and age one gets a ticket if their kids ride bicycles without helmets. Imagine trying to get a "modern" to understand a song like this! Intuitive reasoning has been lost ~ the baby was tossed out with the bathwater.

[pokesy89]

thumbs up if you typed "nigger"

[imgaston]

we;re all niggas

[ballandchain25]

it makes my day a lot of years now!

[tehnoobbusters]

Like if you typed in 'Nigger' because you were bored

[ccipollini1984]

I don't we have to think about those Glee fags butchering this!

[SugarSigur]

I AM... a nigger.

[donnypunani420]

\m/

[bcfc473]

i bet you all typedin nigger to find this

[Jodekoekj]

@bcfc473 yup xD

[Eldinarcus]

@bcfc473 Yep, lawl.

[YAHWEHtoHELL]

Oh yes

[sacredfuck]

@YAHWEHtoHELL did you know that I absolutely love you. every cubic centimeter.



[BLACKFURRYRAT]

thanks for the memories......love patti & this song

[ZoranJoplin]

Patti is my main poetic muse! And this is my favourite song :)

[xanglat]

Thank you very much for the perfect upload of this song that I love !

SMILES

6******

[wstaib]

fukn BEST BEST BEST BEST BEST BEST!!!!! she's my fukn IDOL!!!  those who have sufferered understand suffering and thereby extend their hand... god fukn YES!!!

[Zeraninator]

The beginning was incredible.

[Hister333]

Is it okay for a white person to say nigger? The answer is still "Not Really." If you're Patti Smith, and you just opened with a brilliant diatribe against censorship, and in your song you proclaim yourself and your grandmother as a nigger, between 1976 and 1978, then it's okay to scream, "Rock 'N Roll Nigger."

[TJandFriends]

My dad does this shit everyday in my house....

[kylejames1988]

"i am not selling myself to god"

[squalorholla]

patti smith is a goddess for all time. i'm at her feet.

[stmike5707]

Patti Smith is and always will be *the *punk rock priestess[sorry Wendy}

[niktemadur]

Babelogue/RnRN has always electrified me, but to read along... holy effing cow.

[steelyman08]

@niktemadur

And to think that many people just skip that part (Babelogue) & want to get to the music!!

[notanotheraccount]

@steelyman08 Oh no, don't skip it...I love hearing her recite Babelogue while it sounds like the audience is absolutely going off its head. I remember being boggled when i saw her do it live and realized oh my god -- she's reciting a poem, a script...she's doing it word for word like I heard it on the record, it's not just something she improvised off the top of her head at the time. What an amazing person. "I AM AN AMERICAN ARTIST AND I HAVE NO GUILT"

[SLACKER614]

i saw her on DemocracyNow! i was displeased to see Patti sell herself to leftist totalitarians such as amy goodman..

[ccipollini1984]

I'd like to see those little Glee fruitcakes cover this!

[iamdannywilde]

HIGHLY OVERRATED ARTIST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE SUPPORTS...SHE MIGHT HUG NUTS EVEN WORSE THAN THE DEAD NIRVANA OR METRIC

[Thesaeed23]

@iamdannywilde Fool! She is sheer poetry! Punk Rock? Mclarren and Westwood? Patti Smitth NYC! I'm British!

[adsnell61]

Great song one of the best Patti totally cool like this video

[thewaymouth]

Magnificence. 

[TheChavil]

Iggy Pop, Pattie Smith, and Tom Waits in one room??? holy shit!!

[ccipollini1984]

Patti smith embodies all rock, true rock stands for, and even though a third of what is out nowadays is awful, as long as she rallies and belts out masterpieces such as this, I shall have everlasting hope.

[kenliss]

I saw her on Sunday 10-3-10 in Golden Gate Park at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass free week end concert. Sooooooo good!

[ccipollini1984]

All the great people of the world, Jesus, Gandhi, Buddha, Leonardo, Shakesphere-were NIGGERS!

[Capuzzulon]

@steelyman08/ if not the finest, sure we may find it among the other pieces of rebellion of her- thanks for sharing!

[programkill]

we worship the flaw

[vidiot9]

FUCK YEAH!!! LOVE YOU PATTI!!!

[Guitarscreech06]

I get shivers when seeing her perform this today, 60 years old and still pissed off at the injustices in the world.

[Ecdysiast96]

I like this song. Patti Smith is a rockin' poet. Personally, I'm more of a jazz kike than a rock n' roll ________. Coincidentally, I do also seek the scroll of ancient lettuce. I believe the role of the artist consists largely in being an observer. To perform such a task well, one must be removed from society in certain respects in order to comment on it (at least while creating).

[lilliansdad698]

nice job!

[pcCAT33]

sorry had a little problem adding my comment...

[BritFez]

I had a big crush on her when I was 16. I loved her attitude and the way she dressed.

[CallumCakes]

Respected, admired and loved sice early days. Patti is truly an inspirational soul.

[AwWDesignZ]

i'd like to see someone do this on american idol! lmao

[SamandOmiesGirl]

@AwWDesignZ I wish i could give you 100 thumbs ups!

[MrFlashBazbo]

This is by far the best version on you tube..and the pictures are wonderful. Thank You

[starbelly3]

Outside of society is where I wanna be!

[vbdby]

man ... i was gonna upload this, but this is just perfect : )

fantastic job, 5* easy !

time to start sharing this ; )

[sushixrkr]

babelogue is genius.

[NenapadnyStopar]

thank you for adding this =)

[wildhorse888]

this is rock n´roll at the best level, with authenticity.

[thecrystalkid]

i'm a white nigger!

[babel1967]

Patti Smith, the truest of all rock n roll niggers. Allen Ginsberg was a nigger. Bob Dylan is a nigger. nigger nigger nigger nigger nigger. Thank you, Patti.

Joey Ramone was a nigger. Joe Strummer was a nigger. Howard Stern is a nigger. Barack Obama is a nigger. Charles Bukowski was a nigger. Arthur Rimbaud was a nigger. Walt Whitman was a nigger. Robert Maplethorpe was a nigger. Johnny Rotten was a nigger. Neil Young is a nigger. Elvis Presley was a nigger.

[BOCKO90BOCA]

NIKOLA TESLA was a nigger! :))

[nblumer]

Excellent compilation of Patti Smith. She was the voice of the underground movement in the 70s. The Growing INFANT of PUNK along with Richard Hell

[fIofne]

OMG, I can just DIE now

[koreankayagum]

So, so good. I feel sorry for the absolute dog crap people hear in the mainstream today. Hip hop/electronica is so sterile and distant. This stuff, on the other hand, reaches out and chokes you. So beautiful and so full of rage at the same time.

[foofwolf22]

You just phrased beautifully, what this song is about.

[dustwig1]

hell yeah

speaking the truth fuck the future!

[TLeemail]

@koreankayagum I'd so much like to make a comment on what you wrote ... but there's nothin' left to say. You're spot-on.

[vbdby]

@koreankayagum nice to see you on the same page again : )

[TLeemail]

@koreankayagum "... reaches out and chokes you." Wow. Great quote to describe this piece.

[camipop]

@koreankayagum You're not listening to the right hip hop.

[niktemadur]

@koreankayagum

During that era, legendary rock critic Lester Bangs loudly lamented how few listened to quality music, Styx and REO Speedwagon were the biggest "rock" bands in the USA, Bee Gees and Olivia Newton John dominated the airwaves. Misty eyed, Mr Bangs then extolled the virtues of sixties music. Moments in time become rosier and rosier in retrospect as we hold present circumstances in distrust. There's always excellence out there, we just gotta keep searching for it.

[steelyman08]

@niktemadur

A completely fair & reasonable comment. I'm right with you there & I've been a bit guilty of living in the past myself. Each era produces its few original gems & will continue to do so.

Thanks for the enlightened comment. Take care.

[niktemadur]

@steelyman08 Spoken like a gentleman. Truth is, I'd recently listened to said Lester Bangs interview, which I highly recommend! Here's the link, hope you like it, I separated the elements to avoid having a hot link here: (triple double u) cousincreep (dot com) /index.php/lester-bangs/

[PsychadelicBananas]

@koreankayagum You are an idiot.

[notanotheraccount]

@koreankayagum "So beautiful and so full of rage at the same time." In "Just Kids" Patti says someone called her androgynous and she thought it meant beautiful and ugly at the same time. I'm continually amazed that (to me) she's simultaneously plain, even ugly, AND beautiful, AND erotic, AND motherly, in equal measure. All at once.

[meghaxl]

OUTSIDE OF SOCIETY

[Seattlecarnut]

Despite the racial word or its use, I've never truly seen anything hateful about the word. It usually depends on how it's meant to be perceived. I've always loved Babelogue and Rock n Roll Nigger. Nothing like musical rebellion to get people's attention. Rock on!!!

[foofwolf22]

There's not GUTS in rock anymore. Even the greats of today aren't on par with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Patti smith and the like. Nobody has the nerve to throw nigger around anymore.

[crieff405]

i like it , but jackson pollack was not a nigger

[TLeemail]

Nothin' to say but, "Thanks.  This is AWSOME."

[pseudonym1964]

Excellent video for a very intelligent song.

Thank you.

[foofwolf22]

I worship this song and tell people I like it with no shame.

If they are ignorant, that's on them-not me.

[SpankRamen2]

I first heard this song when i was about 19 or 20. The title grabs your attention & it throws you off. I had expected to hear something ugly, but, after listening with open ears, I realized that she was stressing a point. Having this song sung by a female really drives the point home because it lets the world know that it isn't just people of color who get shitted on. Women get shitted on ALL over the world. Women of color... Have it worst of all.

[amilica85]

adore this. it's one of those songs that turns your world around after hearing it for the first time.

[Arkrard]

I'm on my knees right now... great work! i've add r n' r nigger just for music but you've done awesome vid! brilliant!

[pseudonym1964]

Thanks steelyman08... great song, great video.