It was 1992 and I spending a few weeks in
Well, they had a stereo system with a great record collection, with 2 jewels: "Live: Take no prisoners" from Lou Reed and "Getz / Gilberto" from Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto.
Sweet Jane's version in that Lou Reed record was phenomenal. Some people hated it, as the whole album, but I think it was Lou Reed as authentic as it gets.
It must have been serendipity: there is were I listened to the famous verses of Yeats for the first time: "the best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity"
That led me to the poem The Second Coming, which is cited very often in all kind of situations, from The Economist's Buttonwood (Philip Coggan), to the The Sopranos episode of the sixth season, where A.J. attempts suicide in the family pool.
“what rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches towards
But I’ll talk about The Economist’s Buttonwood, The Sopranos final season, and Stan Getz’s bossa nova in another occasion.
I’ll leave you with an attempt of a transcript of Sweet Jane in “Live Take No Prisoners”. Enjoy.
"Sweet Jane" - Live: Take No Prisoners – The Bottom Line, NYC - May 1978 – Arista
Sound Effects: Match taken out of box and being lit
Lou: Hello, sorry we're late, but we were just tuning
Bottom Line, audience: Lou Reed, best!
[feedback, piano]
Lou:
What's the matter, they keep you waiting or something…
Are we late?
It's raining out there...
What do you mean it's raining out… We know it's fucking raining out…
Men, the guy who tightened this microphone has just sill in.. I can’t, look at that, look at that.
I better either grow an inch men or I need a boyfriend.
Fan1: Need a what? Need a what?
Lou: A boyfriend, can't you fucking hear what's wrong with you?
Fan1: Need a what?
Fans: Come on now, Sweet Jane!
Fan1: I heard that
Lou: I'm gonna quote a line like like from from Yeats
I think it is like for you
and that's called the best like all convictions,
while the best are filled...,
no no it's the other way round.
The best like all convictions hahaha
and the worst are filled with a passionate intensity....
now you figure out who I am
Fans: Do it men, do it!
One two, one two three four
"Sweet Jane"
Standing on the corner
The suitcase in my hand
Jack is in his corset, Jane is in her vest
I hear you
I hear you knocking but you can't come in
to me
Hey honey, I'm in a rock and roll band
and ridin' a Stutz Bearcat
those were different times
and those ladies they studied rules of verse
and all those ladies, they rolled their eyes
and saying
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Now Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she is just a little bitty clerk
And both of them
Hey you little people out there
I saw you little people
Don't you hated those Academy Awards, man?
You know they said: here's fucking Barbara Streisand
She says: I want to thank all those little people
There's too many little people
I can't get their names
Fuck her and you little people
I like big people
Fuck short people and tall people, man, I like middle people
People from
You've ever meet somebody from
Not me
Anyway:
Now Jack, he is a banker
and Jane, she is a clerk
Hey clerk
Gimme good clerk
I give good clerk
aha
And both them man, they saved their pennies
and their fucking nickels and their dimes, and it builds up
they got a nest egg
here comes the condominium
oh shit
He
You're sitting there by the fire man
So let your fire, you plug it in
I like make believe fire
I like make believe love too
Oohh mama, give me some make believe love
Hey: Make believe love: that's a album title, Michael,
write that down, quick,
and fuck if I forget it
You're listening to some classical music, hey,
you better watch it now
It's only one time one time only to vote
Hey, The March Of The Wooden Soldiers
Have you ever put a quarter in those machines man?
You know: like the bear that plays basketball?
You put a quarter in
Aha
I guess you never put a quarter in it ha?
Some people say I'm residue
Haha
The March Of The Wooden Soldiers
Where were you on the list when they called you for
Hey man for
Are you political Lou?
Political about what?
Give me an issue, I’ll give you a tissue
And wipe my ass with it
Ooh yeah
We're just here to make out
You bend over
We put the head in, you know
if you don't like it
then we'll talk about it
Face north, Jack
Are we been broadcast tonight?
Fuck radio
I'm radio
I ain't no snob man
Haha
They said
Sweet Jane
Oh sweet Jane
(Sweet Jane)
You know, there's some people man , they like to go out dancing
Why should you?
What about her?
If you write as good as you talk, nobody reads you
What do I look like any young man up here, man ?
You know I found my wife in the living room in a Volkswagen
Said: how did you get there?
Made it right through the kitchen
Ain't that funny, haha?
And there's some evil motherfuckers
oh, oh, oohh,
that tell you that life is just made out of dirt
and that eh
ah man, those pretty women they never really fake
Those villains always shut up you
And blink there eyes
There little bitty children are the only ones that blush
And that life
Life is just to die
But I’ll tell you something
Hey man, anyone who's got a heart
a rock and roll heart
Would you turn around and break it?
And you know
Do that again Michael
Is that control?
Watch this now
And anyone who has played the part you know, hey, hey man
they wouldn’t turn around and hate it
they say
Sweet Jane
(Sweet Jane)
Sweet Jane
(Sweet Jane)
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane
Sweet Jane