I was out last night at town hall seeing suzanne vega and marc cohn in a cobill.. and suzanne went first..
She sang Anniversary...
one of her tribute songs that was written a year after 9-11, actually 9-16-02.
the use of language slayed me...
who developes these incredible rhymes...
"Thick with ghosts,
the wind whips round in circuitries
Carrying words as strangers exchange pleasantries
Do they intrude upon your private reveries
As they meet you on every corner
Meet you on each street.
CHORUS
Watch for daily braveries
Notice newfound courtesies
Finger sudden legacies...
As they wash down each corner
Clean up every street."You can see the whole song
at:http://www.suzannevega.com/lyrics/othlyr.htm#anniversary
She then sang a new song written after reading the obituary of Olivia Goldsmith, writer of the First Wives CLub among other works, Suzanne explained she read Goldsmith's FAshionably late and was struck that Ms Goldsmith died while in surgery as she was having a face lift.
She further explained she was reading lots of Edith Wharton at the time...
The song started with "edith wharton's figurines..."
Suzanne Vega used an obituary again in Tom's Diner when she is reading the paper about the actor who died who she didnt know but he died of drinking.
she also wrote a song called... I wont be your Maggie May.. her answer to Rod Stewarts...
maggie may, written from maggie's stand point.
i sat on the train last night.. and thought about what smart songwriter are among my favorites....
"As tennessee(williams) walks in moth eaten robes..."
Popular culture references,
Yoko Ono influencing his art-i'll sell your songs to nike,
We'd be saying love is all you need ..
"A g-d descended" written after reading IB Singer's Satan of Goray.
"Tempe, Arizona thinks the Everglades are greener and wetter,
And Washington, D. C. thinks that Atlanta integrated better,
But I think that southern California has more pain that we can say,
Cause it wants to travel back in time,
but it just can't leave L. A. "
and then there is mary chapin carpenter...
who writes about comets, versions of heaven based The Lovely Bones
, an obituary of a blind deaf man, and all those imageries..
Towns, cities and her use of language ....
the intellect of these three women just sent my head spinning..
and then it hit me.... the last of my favorites... writes... " you read your Emily Dickinson and I my robert frost." St Judy's Comet is a lullabye only to be compared to Dreamland but the comets of Halley and st judy's are more than comet songs.
Rene and Georgia who dance to moonglows, penguins after walking on Christopher street...
New york features prominently in the music of all three artists... Okay..i cheat
Mary Chapin sings of Grand Central Station, Suzanne of TOm's Diner and Cathedral Bells of St John of the Divine, Dar of Spring Street and Paul Simon weaves NY through his songs, like the Zoo at central park, bleeker street, Corona where rosie lives,
the 59th street bridge and the only living boy lives in NYC
these are 4 of my favorites....
