Tag: Philip Glass

I. Changing opinion (Paul Simon)

Gradually
we became aware
of a hum in the room
an electrical hum in the room.
It went mmmmmm

We followed it from
corner to corner.
We pressed out ears
against the walls.
We crossed diagonals
and put our hands on the floor.
It went mmmmmm.

Sometimes it was
a murmur.
Sometimes it was
a pulse.
Sometimes it seemed
to disappear.
But then with a quarter-turn
of the head.
it would roll around the sofa.
A nimbus humming cloud
mmmmmm

Maybe it’s the hum
of a calm refrigerator
cooling on a big night.
Maybe it’s the hum
of our parents’ voices
long ago in a soft light
mmmmmm.
Maybe it’s the hum
of changing opinion
or a foreign language
in prayer.
Maybe it’s the mantra
of the walls and wiring.
Deep breathing
in soft air
mmmmmm

II. Lightning (Suzanne Vega)

Lightning struck a while ago
And it’s blazing much too fast
But give it rain of waiting time
And it will surely pass
Blow over
And it’s happening so quickly
As I feel the flaming time
And I grope about the embers
To relieve my stormy mind
Blow over

Shaken this has left me
And laughing and undone
With a blinding bolt of sleeplessness
That’s just begun
And a windy crazy running
Through the nights and through the days
And a crackling
Of the time burned away
Burned away

Now I feel it in my blood
All hot and sharp and white
With a whipcrack and a thunder
And a flash of flooding light
But there’ll be a thick and smoky
Silence in the air
When the fire finally dies
And I’m wondering who’ll be left there.

In the ashes of time
Burned away
Burned away

III. Freezing (Suzanne Vega)

If you had no name
If you had no history
If you have no books
If you had no family

If it were only you
Naked on the grass
Who would you be then?
This is what he asked
And I said I wasn’t really sure
But I would probably be
Cold

And now I’m freezing
Freezing

IV. Liquid Days (Part One) (David Byrne)

Oh Round Desire
Oh Red Delight
The River is Blood
The Time is Spent
Love likes me
Love takes it shoes off and sits on the couch
Love has an answer for everything
Love smiles gently…and crosses its legs well here we are well here we are

Sleep
Sleep

Sleep…Being in Air
Sleep…Turning to speak
Sleep…Losing our Way
Sleep…Pour it all Out

We are old Friends
I offer Love a Beer
Love watches Television
Love needs a bath
Love could use a shave
Love rolls out of the chair and wiggles on the floor
Jumps Up
I’m Laughing at Love
Drink Me
Drink Me
Drink Me
Drink Me

Drive…Why do You Ask?
Breaths…Still is the Night
Drive…It is much Further
Sleep…Than We Thought

In Liquid Days
Land Travel(s) Hard
Fly Home Daughter
Cover Your Ears

V. Open the Kingdom (Liquid Days, Part Two) (David Byrne)

Days of fishes
Distant roar
Turning to speak
Turning to hear

Open the Kingdom
Open the Kingdom
Open the Kingdom
Open the Kingdom…

In my way
In my way
Being most uncertain
And This Remains

Still for better
Birds of Voices
The Field of Living

I am Asking

I am Asking

I am Asking

Returning Love
Returning With Love
Then it was
Written with Love

VI. Forgetting (Laurie Anderson)

A man wakes up to the sound of rain
From a dream about his lovers
Who pass through his room.

They brush lightly by, these lovers.
They pass. Never touching.
These passing lovers move through his room.

The man is awake now
He can’t get to sleep again.
So he repeats these words
Over and over again:
Bravery. Kindness. Clarity.
Honesty. Compassion. Generosity.
Bravery. Honesty. Dignity.
Clarity. Kindness. Compassion.