located somewhere between “hands”, matter and soul
The last 2 years she has been working on a project related with Egypt. Besides that, her images still “speak” about her homeland.
“O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams? [..]
“Father, O Father, what do we here,
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star.”
William Blake, The Land of Dreams
Images by Miren Korkuera Iturbe
W. Blake’s poem, triggered a song that’s been buzzing in my head for quite some time now. Allow me to link the beautiful imagery of this english poet, to the sonic landscapes of a beloved english band. Associations are not always obvious, but -what the heck- both were romanticists anyway…
A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours (The Smiths, “Strangeways, Here We Come”, LP 1987)
[…]
They said :
“There’s too much caffeine
In your bloodstream
And a lack of real spice
In your life”
I said :
“Leave me alone
Because I’m alright, dad
Surprised to still
Be on my own…”
Oh, but don’t mention love
I’d hate the strain of the pain again
A rush and a push and the land that
We stand on is ours
It has been before
So it shall be again
And people who are uglier than you and I
They take what they need, and just leave
Oh, but don’t mention love
I’d hate the pain of the strain all over again
A rush and a push and the land that
We stand on is ours
It has been before
So why can’t it be now?
And people who are weaker than you or I
They take what they want from life
Oh, but don’t mention love
No – no, don’t mention love!
[…]
p.s.: There’s a great (HQ) live version of it by his majesty -Morrissey- in Manchester, around 2005.
p.s.: Further listening…“Oscillate Wildly”, rendered with scenes from “A bout De Souffle” (“Με κομμένη την Ανάσα”, Jean-Luc Godard, 1960).
Interestingly enough, although both (poem & song) presented not in full version, share three common words: Land, Father, (blood)Stream…
oh! Wao! Many many thanks.
I think this is the concert and the song … and of course “No – no, don’t mention love!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS09X83gk18
and the poem
William Blake » The Land of Dreams
The Land of Dreams
Awake, awake my little Boy!
Thou wast thy Mother’s only joy:
Why dost thou weep in thy gentle sleep?
Awake! thy Father does thee keep.
“O, what land is the Land of Dreams?
What are its mountains, and what are its streams?
O Father, I saw my Mother there,
Among the lillies by waters fair.
Among the lambs clothed in white
She walked with her Thomas in sweet delight.
I wept for joy, like a dove I mourn –
O when shall I return again?”
Dear child, I also by pleasant streams
Have wandered all night in the Land of Dreams;
But though calm and warm the waters wide,
I could not get to the other side.
“Father, O Father, what do we here,
In this land of unbelief and fear?
The Land of Dreams is better far
Above the light of the Morning Star.”
Yes, that is the concert. He said it all there, didn’t he?
And while Blake was wandering in his “Land of Dreams”, Morrissey was exploring his own dreamscapes. Another gem from the same album:
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (The Smiths, “Strangeways, Here We Come”, LP 1987)
Last night I dreamt
That somebody loved me
No hope, no harm
Just another false alarm
Last night I felt
Real arms around me
No hope, no harm
Just another false alarm
[…]
p.s.: I can’t think of a greatest honor than having Bowie, covering one of your songs. Back at the time, when holding up a lighter made much more sense than holding an i-Phone. (It actually did)
(David Bowie, ”I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday”). It was 1993 and Morrissey was lucky enough to see it…
p.s.: Unreleased and immaculate…(David Bowie, “It’s Gonna Be Me” LIVE, Universal Amphitheatre, LA, 1974)
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