Ev e r ySo
n g Te
l l s A S
t o r y
Ev e r ySo
n g Te
l l s A S
t o r yPeople have the power
Patti Smith
Dream of Life
1988 Arista Record
那天在 2000 的 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 的 Induction Ceremory 轉播上看到了好久不見的 Patti Smith. 仍是一身中性黑色打扮, 就像在 'Horses' 專輯封面一樣. 她演出的曲子是街頭名曲 People Have the Power, 熱情及活力不減, 唱腔依然悍勁十足. 當時正值選戰高峰, 剛看完華視每天的 "連戰特別新聞秀" 的我不由得熱血沸騰, 暗暗盼望 我們的父老兄弟姐妹們能好好運用手上的 power. 現在想想該不會是我的一念竟上達天庭, 弄出了什麼連鎖反應....Patti Smith 是從高中時就在收音機裡聽到的名字, 只知道她是搖滾界教母級人物, 而且市面上買不到她的東西. 後來 CD 大量流入國內, 才真的有機會到 Patti Smith 的作品.
她在 70 年代的作品真的是經得起考驗, 到現在聽起來還是很棒. 先不管歷史上的重要性, 光音樂本身就重要的了. 她的唱腔可以嬌柔也可以撕裂天地, 骨子裡是打不扁的反叛硬勁.
該說 Patti Smith 的作品是配上了搖滾的詩. 是不是詩自己看看就知道了, 更偉大的是, 音樂部份貼切的配合詞意, 反而開展了想像的空間. 吉他的編排相當出色, 絲毫不輸 Patti 特立獨行的唱腔.到了 Y2K 的今天再看到 Patti Smith, 大有久別重逢和驚見老友依然硬朗的喜悅.
People Have the Power
I was dreaming in my dreaming
of an aspect bright and fair
and my sleeping it was broken
but my dream it lingered near
in the form of shining valleys
where the pure air recognized
and my senses newly opened
I awakened to the cry
that the people / have the power
to redeem / the work of fools
upon the meek / the graces shower
it's decreed / the people ruleThe people have the power
The people have the power
The people have the power
The people have the powerVengeful aspects became suspect
and bending low as if to hear
and the armies ceased advancing
because the people had their ear
and the shepherds and the soldiers
lay beneath the stars
exchanging visions
and laying arms
to waste / in the dust
in the form of / shining valleys
where the pure air / recognized
and my senses / newly opened
I awakened / to the cryRefrain
Where there were deserts
I saw fountains
like cream the waters rise
and we strolled there together
with none to laugh or criticize
and the leopard
and the lamb
lay together truly bound
I was hoping in my hoping
to recall what I had found
I was dreaming in my dreaming
god knows / a purer view
as I surrender to my sleeping
I commit my dream to you
