Please Help: Goddamn the Empty Sky- Violeta Parra
Michael Woodland
tape, obviously a copy of a copy of a copy etc. of some album, sounds almost
like a rock opera or musical. It has no label except the words "Maestro
Mix", and I've long since forgotten who gave it to me so I can't ask them
who it is. All I have been able to determine using countless searches
(hotbot, metacrawler, etc.) of different fragments of lyrics is that at
least _one_ of the songs is an English translation of a poem by Chilean
poet/singer/songwriter Violeta Parra (the music is not Parra's, however, as
it's in English and sounds too modern for someone who died in 1967). I
can't determine yet if the other songs are also translations of Parra's
poetry, however, since I don't speak Spanish.
I've included the complete lyrics here, as well as posted a 4.8MB mp3 (if
you've got a fast connection and are interested) at
http://members.tripod.com/michaewo/Goddamn_The_Empty_Sky.mp3. I'm now out
of leads besides this one, and I'd love to find out what this song/ album
is, where it's from, who the artist is, etc. Any information you can
provide, even if it's just a little tidbit, could really help me out in
tracking down the origin of this mystery tape. If you know who sings this,
or have any thoughts, either reply to the group or email me a response at
the listed address (mich...@rocketmail.com), and I'll be forever in your
debt.
_Goddamn the Empty Sky_
Goddamn the empty sky
and the stars at night
goddamn the ripply bright
stream as it goes by
goddamn the way stones lie
on dirt or on the street
goddamn the oven's heat
because my heart is raw
goddamn the laws
of time the way they cheat
my pain's as bad as that.
Goddamn the mountain chain
the Andes and the Coast
goddamn Mister the most
and least amount of rain
also crazy and sane
and candor and deceit
goddamn what smells so sweet
because my luck is out
goddamn the lack of doubt
what's messay and what's neat
my pain's as bad as that.
Goddamn the Spring
with its plants in blossom
and the color of Autumn
goddamn the whole damn thing
birds on the wing
goddamn them more and more
'cause I'm really done for
goddamn Winter to bits
along with Summer's tricks
goddamn the saint and whore
my pain's as bad as that.
Goddamn getting on your feet
for the stars and stripes
goddamn symbols of all types
Venus and Main Street
and the canary's tweet
the planets and their motions
the earth with its erosions
because my soul is sore
goddamn the ports and shores
of the enormous oceans
my pain's as bad as that.
Goddamn the moon and weather
desert and river bed
goddamnit for the dead
and the living together
the bird with all its feathers
is such a goddamn mess
schools, places to confess
I tell you what I'm sick of
goddamn that one word love
with all its nastiness
my pain's as bad as that.
So goddamn the number eight
eleven nine and four
choir boys and monsignors
preachers and men of state
goddamn them it's too late
free man and prisoner
soft voice and quarreler
I damn them every week
in Spanish and in Greek
thanks to a two-timer
my pain's as bad as that.
