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Patti Smith- what side is she on?

 
 
All Acting Regiment
20:21 / 18.10.04
"Under The Southern Cross"- "Rock And Roll Nigger".

So I heard/saw old clip of Tonight belongs to Lovers and was much impressed- but these song titles have thrown me a bit.

Can anyone give an opnion as to whether or not she was a bit, you know, texas-right-wing-bush-esque?
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
21:32 / 18.10.04
Definitely not. When I get home I'll go through some inlays and give you some examples. But no.
 
 
I'm Rick Jones, bitch
00:40 / 19.10.04


Am I the only person who thinks Patti now looks like a wizened Iggy Pop? Aged 79?
 
 
rizla mission
07:27 / 19.10.04
No, Patti Smith is most definitely not texas-right-wing-bush-ish.

Quite the opposite in fact - she's been making anti-war speeches at gigs, speaking at protest marches etc. - the whole deal.

A lot of her songs have drawn on romantic notions of American national identity and stuff though, and she has a habit of using deliberately controversial approaches to racial/sexual politics (hence "Rock n' Roll Nigger" etc.). Whether you think that sort of stuff is genius or cringeworthy and misguided is of course debatable, but regardless, it's all handled in an essentially positive and libertarian sort of manner with no reactionary intent.

Ahem.

Anyway, I'm sure listening to the first 30 seconds of "Horses" will do all that's needed to set you straight RE: lack of common ground between Patti Smith and the GOP.
 
 
STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK
12:07 / 19.10.04
I think Patti, Iggy Pop and Julian Cope are all gradually turning into one rock'n'role mega-entity.
 
 
Haus of Mystery
15:05 / 19.10.04
Iggy Pop looks quite like Penelope Wilton when she zombifies in 'Shaun of the Dead'.
 
 
at the scarwash
16:34 / 19.10.04
Why is it that anytime anyone so much as mentions anything having to do with Christianity and the American South (and have you heard "Beneath the Southern Cross?"), that the immediate reaction is to assume they are neo-con fascists?
 
 
Jack Fear
16:40 / 19.10.04
FLANNERY O'CONNOR DIED FOR YOUR SINS
 
 
Alex's Grandma
16:49 / 19.10.04
As a younger woman, Patti Smith was the dead spit of Dickie Ashcroft from the Verve.

But no, it seems a bit unlikely she'll be asked to perform at any Republican fundraisers, any time shortly.

Which is a shame really - Piss Facory as an anthem for common working man under the Bush administration would be great, I think.
 
 
All Acting Regiment
20:11 / 19.10.04
Thanksa bunch, i';m glad you've cleared that up.
 
 
+#'s, - names
03:30 / 20.10.04
Actually I think she probably is the leader of the neorockicon movement. In the 80's she was featured in that band Scandal and they had a song called warrior, and nobody would want to talk about being a warrior unless they were all about blood for oil!
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
15:10 / 20.10.04
For the benefit of Chris, the actual lyrics to 'Rock n Roll Nigger'...

Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore. Baby got big and baby get bigger. Baby get something. Baby get more.
Baby, baby, baby was a rock-and-roll nigger.
Oh, look around you, all around you, riding on a copper wave. Do you like the world around you? Are you ready to behave?

Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.
Outside of society, that's where I want to be.

(Lenny!)

Baby was a black sheep. Baby was a whore. You know she got big. Well, she's gonna get bigger. Baby got a hand; got a finger on the trigger. Baby, baby, baby is a rock-and-roll nigger.

Outside of society, that's where I want to be.
Outside of society, they're waitin' for me.

(those who have suffered, understand suffering, and thereby extend their hand, the storm that brings harm
also makes fertile, blessed is the grass, and herb and the true thorn and light)

I was lost in a valley of pleasure. I was lost in the infinite sea. I was lost, and measure for measure, love spewed from the heart of me.
I was lost, and the cost, and the cost didn't matter to me. I was lost, and the cost was to be outside society.

Jimi Hendrix was a nigger. Jesus Christ and Grandma, too.
Jackson Pollock was a nigger. Nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger.

Outside of society, they're waitin' for me. Outside of society, if you're looking, that's where you'll find me. Outside of society, they're waitin' for me. Outside of society. (Repeat)


For this you might want to also find out about Lenny Bruce and his famous 'nigger' sketch. It does then lead to conversations such as we had here.
 
  
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