Composed by Nick Strong
"The first cabaretists gave birth to an eclectic cat. A cat who could sing, recite, dance, create shadow plays, write music, lyrics, farce, and above all, perform. a cat at once a revolutionary and a royalist, a mystic and a teller of broad tales, a lover of the gruesome macabre and the sentimental romantic - contradictions which could only be and were, indeed, resolved in the derisive spirit of satirical laughter.
He captures the sense of the new, that modern moment the...artists inhabited - a moment in which meaning no longer lay in dusty antiquity, but in the popular culture of the streets with their brash images, their crowds, each one a subject for a pulp fiction."
-Lisa Appignanesi
"The Cabaret"
The Black Cat in the 21st Century is a piece I wrote about the parallels between the artistic cabaret movement of the late 1800s-early 1900s, and the punk rock movement of the late 1970s. Both movements were born in small venues like bars or clubs, and relied heavily on breaking the barrier between performer and audience. Both thrived as a subculture in major cities, until their growth led to their demise: Cabaret turned into an entertainment venue, while punk evolved into a radio-friendly genre with little of its edge.
But the most important similarity was the idea behind each movement. Both of them focused on an intense rebellion against the upper class and their societal norms, and used shock and vulgarity to express their views. They were highly politicized, and focused on using their music to shock the average person. Punk clubs as well as cabarets were filled with violence, sexuality, and most importantly, rebellion. But as both gained popularity, the lyrics turned from rebellion to emotions, leading to the death of both styles.
This piece was performed at the MSU College of Music Undergraduate Premieres Concert, which was, other than my piece, an all classical music performance. This gave the piece additional shock value, and made the vulgarity and satire all the more poignant, since nobody in the audience was prepared for a piece of this kind.
This is the first movement, Wilkommen zu dem Uberbrettl. It is about the cabaret movement, and takes place in Berlin in 1901, the year the Uberbrettl, Berlin's first cabaret opened. In this movement, the black cat explains to an artist in Berlin his views on the politics of the day, and gives him a warning of things to come. While this movement is about the cabaret movement, the music is influenced more by the punk genre. The lyrics can be found below.
Note: The intro is Please My Favorite Don't Be Sad, by the World/Inferno Friendship Society
I. Wilkommen zu dem Uberbrettl (Berlin, 1901)
It was nearly midnight and pouring when my guest sat down to dine,
I offered him some tea, but he preferred a glass of wine.
He said he had many things to teach me, as he removed his coat and hat,
Youve lived your life too slow so far, smiled the starved black cat.
A cold sweat broke unto my brow
But I knew he wouldnt lie, somehow
Frozen in place by those piercing cat eyes,
He said, Theyre the ones who make you afraid of when you die.
Discontent
And disillusioned
The upper class has fucked us into
Believing theres no shame in losing
They broke us down
Removed the heart
Remember to live is to create,
The only joy is in our art.
The capitalist spends the day worrying about taxes and wasted cash,
While the anarchist feels his duty to get wasted every day,
But both just missed the point, I say, decrees the grinning cat
That a life confined to politics is wasted either way
Just take any politician, standing, shouting on their soap,
Selling all their votes down on their knees before the pope.
Mighty men on their knees, mouths open wide and nervous,
For their sake I hope his Holyness at least tips them for theirservice
Discontent
And disillusioned
The upper class has fucked us into
Believing theres no shame in losing
Were all brothers now,
So join our fight,
Moneys just slips of paper, darling,
Choose a different path when theres no end in sight
The sun was creeping westward when the feline left my home,
Just a word and he was gone, the black cat always travels alone.
But before he left he whispered one last riddle into my ear,
A prophesy of war I wouldnt understand for 40 years.
If theres one thing you should learn its that your friends will always lie,
Its up to you to revive the world yourself
The Fisher King has died.
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Buzdu la Radio Zu- Tradatoareaby fchefche41,648 views
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THCaLLDay88 1 year ago
Nick, you're pretty much a genius :]
-Glenna
mellowcellist17 2 years ago
Awesome music
jhamelin424 2 years ago