Patti Smith - Babelogue

"I haven't fucked much with the past, but I've fucked plenty with the future. Over the skin of silk are scars from the splinters of stations and walls I've caressed. A stage is like each bolt of wood, like a lock of Helen, is my pleasure. I would measure the success of a night by the way by the way by the amount of piss and seed I could exude over the columns that nestled the P.A. Some nights I'd surprise everybody by skipping off with a skirt of green net sewed over with flat metallic circles which dazzled and flashed. The lights were violet and white. I had an ornamental veil, but I couldn't bear to use it. When my hair was cropped, I craved covering, but now my hair itself is a veil, and the scalp inside is a scalp of a crazy and sleepy Comanche lies beneath this netting of the skin. I wake up. I am lying peacefully I am lying peacefully and my knees are open to the Sun. I desire Him, and He is absolutely ready to seize me. In heart I am a Moslem; in heart I am an American; In heart I am Moslem, in heart I'm an American artist, and I have no guilt. I seek pleasure. I seek the nerves under your skin. The narrow archway; the layers; the scroll of ancient letters. We worship the flaw, the belly, the belly, the mole on the belly of an exquisite whore. He spared the child and spoiled the rod. I have not sold myself to God."

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Babelogue
• Patti
• Smith
• punk
• spoken
• word
• monologue
• rock
• 'n
• roll
• nigger

[derapfelstrudel]

lol people will literally argue about anything on youtube

[derapfelstrudel]

nah, it's an intro; and rock 'n roll nigger is allready uploaded on youtube

[alixiisthefusion]

GODDAMN.

she is so perfect.

[louiseduvee]

the Godmother of punk

[amerikanprincess]

I like this because it shows where Patti was at by 1978. She did poetry over seminal rock on HORSES; here her work is overdubbed on her own audience, and every track here is original in both music and lyrics. She had successfully segued, in three years, from a clubland critics' darling to an arena performer, able to do written and improvisational material in any venue. I've seen her several times after this was released, and both large halls and CBGB (R.I.P.) were worthwhile experiences.

[soren1435]

Patti Smith is a Goddess... <3

[Rosesfan1]

Wow O.O

[CallumCakes]

Do not 'dis' the goddess. Patti is an icon and inspiration, poet fiirst, and musician second. And, an amazing person.

[kutthroat84]

FUCKING SICK!!

[XHeyrockoverX]

is that the original track ? xD

[louiseduvee]

The actual, spoken lyrics are on my site on My Space---I'm submitting them to Google. Definitely 'lettuce'.

[Jellyonyourshoulder]

No, it's definitely Lettuce, in her original published poem "Babelogue" it is written as lettuce, and I can hear clearly in her voice that it is lettuce, having taken into account her accent. Personally I think it's a beautiful line, of course it is absurd but a lot of the stuff she is inspired by is absurd, be it Baudelaire or Bob Dylan