Laurie Anderson: Home Of The Brave (1986)

1. Good Evening (instrumental)

Instrumental

2. Zero and One (spoken word) (2:40)

Good evening. Now, now I'm no mathematician, but I'd like to talk about a just couple of numbers that have really been bothering me lately. And they are zero and one. Now first, let's take a look at zero. Now nobody wants to be a zero. To be a zero means to be a nothing, a nobody, a has-been, a clod.
On the other hand, almost everybody wants to be number one. To be a number one means to be a winner, top of the heap, the acme. And there seems to be a strange kind of national obsession with this particular number.

Now, in my opinion, the problem with these two numbers is that they are just too close. It leaves very little room in there for everybody else. Just not enough range. So first we need to get rid of the value judgements attached to these two numbers, and to realise that to be a zero is no better, no worse than to be number one.

Because, because what we are actually looking at here are the building blocks of the modern computer age. Everything that can be expessed in words or numbers in any language can be communicated using this simple, foolproof system. It's all here in a nutshell, the entire alpha-numerical system, the a to zee - the zero to infinity of digital intelligence. Now this first example is an expression in this code of the first two letters of the first word of the Gettysburg address. And the second example is the expression of the first two numbers of my home phone: the remaining digits are available in a limited edition of autographed floppy disks on sale at the souvenier stand in the lobby. This last example is an expression of a musical phrase -actually part of a chord from the first bar of a song called Sharkey's day; a song I wrote myself, and which you may be interested to learn was composed using this very system.

And can be counted like this. And 0 and 1. And 0 and 1...

3. Excellent Birds (5:55)

Flying birds. Excellent birds. Watch them fly. There they go.
Falling snow. Excellent snow. Here it comes. Watch it fall.
Long words. Excellent words. I can hear them now.
This is the picture.
I'm sitting by the window. Watching the snow fall. I'm looking out.
And I'm moving. Turning in time. Jump up!
And I can land on my feet. Look out! This is the picture.
This is the picture. This is the picture. This is the picture.

Looking out. I'm watching out. But when I see the future,
I close my eyes. I can see it now.
I see pictures of people rising up. I see pictures of people falling down.
I see pictures of people, they're standing on their heads. They're ready!
I see pictures of people rising up. I see pictures of people falling down.
I see pictures of people, they're standing on their heads. They're ready!

They're looking out. Look out! They're watching out. Watch out!
They're looking out. Look out!
They're watching out. Watching watching out.

I see pictures of people. I see pictures of people.
They're watching. They're watching out. Watch out.
I see pictures of people. They're watching out. They're watching out. 
I see pictures of people. Watching. Watch out. They're watching. 
I see pictures of people. Watching out. Watch out.

4. Old Hat (spoken word) (10:14)

?

5. Drum Dance (instrumental) (11:22)

Instrumental

6. Smoke Rings (12:20)

Standby.
You're on the air.
Buenos noches Senores y Senoras.
Bienvenidos.
La primera pregunta es: Que es mas macho, pineapple o knife?
Well, let's see.
My guess is that a pineapple is more macho than a knife.
Si! Correcto! Pineapple es mas macho que knife.
La segunda pregunta es: Que es mas macho, lightbulb o schoolbus?
Uh, lightbulb?
No! Lo siento, Schoolbus es mas macho que lightbulb.
Gracias. And we'll be back in un memento.

Well I had a dream and in it I went to a little town
And all the girls in town were named Betty.
And they were singing: Doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo doo doo doo.

Ah desire! It's cold as ice And then it's hot as fire.
Ah desire! First it's red And then it's blue.
And every time I see an iceberg It reminds me of you.
Doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo doo doo doo.

Que es mas macho iceberg or volcano?
Get the blanket from the bedroom
We can go walking once again.
Down in the bayou
Where our sweet love first began.

I'm thinking back to when I was a child -
Way back to when I was a tot.
When I was an embryo -
A tiny speck. Just a dot.
When I was a Hershey bar -
In my father's back pocket.

Hey look! Over there!
It's Frank Sinatra Sitting in a chair.
And he's blowing Perfect smoke rings Up into the air.
And he's singing: Smoke makes a staircase for you To descend.
So rare.

Ah desire!
Ah desire!
Ah desire!
So random So rare
And every time
I see those smoke rings
I think you're there.

Que es mas macho staircase o smoke rings?
Get the blanket from the bedroom
We can go walking once again.
Down in the boondocks
Where our sweet love first began.

Ooh I'm gonna follow you.
Out in the swamps and into town.
Down under the boardwalk
Track you down.

Doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo doo doo doo.
Doo doo doo doo doo. Doo doo doo doo doo.

7. Late Show (instrumental with vocal sample by William S. Burroughs) (20:12)

L-L-L L-L-Listen Listen T- L-L- Listen to my hearbeat.

8. White Lily (spoken word) (24:44)

What Fassbinder film is it?
The one-armed Man walks into a flower shop and says:
What flower expresses Days go by
And they just keep going by endlessly
Pulling you Into the future.

Days go by Endlessly
Endlessly pulling you Into the future.

And the florist says:
White Lily.

9. Sharkey's Day (26:06)

Sun's coming up. Like a big bald head
Poking up over the grocery store
It's Sharkey's day. It's Sharkey's day today
Sharkey wakes up and Sharkey says:
There was this man... And there was this road...
And if only I could remember these dreams..
I know they're trying to tell me...something
Ooooeee. Strange dreams. (Strange dreams). Oh yeah

And Sharkey says:
I turn around, it's fear
I turn around again And it's love
Oh yeah. Strange dreams
And the little girls sing: Oooeee Sharkey
And the manager says: Mr. Sharkey? He's not at his desk right now. Could I take a message?
And the little girls sing: Oooeee Sharkey. He's Mister Heartbreak
They sing: Oooeee Sharkey. Yeah. He's Mister Heartbreak

And Sharkey says: All of nature talks to me
If I could just figure out what it was trying to tell me. Listen!
Trees are swinging in the breeze. They're talking to me
Insects are rubbing their legs together
They're all talking. They're talking to me. And short animals--
They're bucking up on their hind legs. Talking. Talking to me
Hey! Look out! Bugs are crawling up my legs!
You know? I'd rather see this on TV. Tones it down
And Sharkey says:
I turn around, it's fear
I turn around again, and it's love
Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name

And Sharkey says:
All night long I think of those little planes up there flying around
You can't even see them. They're specks!
And they're full of tiny people. Going places
And Sharkey says: You know? I bet they could all land
On the head of a pin

And the little girls sing: Ooooeee. Sharkey!
He's Mister Heartbreak
They sing: Oooee. That Sharkey!
He's a slow dance on the edge of the lake
He's a whole landscape
Gone to seed. He's gone wild!
He's screeching tires
On an oil slick at midnight on the road to Boston a long time ago

And Sharkey says:
Lights! Camera! Action! TIMBER!
At the beginning of the movie, they know they have to find each other
But they ride off in opposite directions

Sharkey says:
I turn around, it's fear
I turn around again, and it's love
Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name

Ya know? They're growing mechanical trees
They grow to their full height. And then they chop themselves down

Sharkey says:
All of life comes from some strange lagoon
It rises up, it bucks up to its full height
From a boggy swamp on a foggy night
It creeps into your house. It's life! It's life!

I turn around, it's fear
I turn around again, and it's love
Nobody knows me. Nobody knows my name

Deep in the heart of darkest America. Home of the brave
Ha! Ha! Ha! You've already paid for this. Listen to my heart beat

And the little girls sing:
Oooeee Sharkey. He's a slow dance
On the edge of the lake. They sing:
Ooooeeee. Sharkey
He's Mister Heartbreak
Paging Mr. Sharkey. White courtesy telephone please

And Sharkey says:
I turn around, it's fear
I turn around again, and it's love

And the little girls sing: Ooooeee Sharkey. Yeah
On top of Old Smokey all covered with snow
That's where I wanna, that's where I'm gonna
That's where I'm gonna go

10. How to Write (instrumental with spoken word introduction by Won-sang Park) (32:30)

?

11. Kokoku (37:58)

?

12. Radar (instrumental with wordless vocalizations by Anderson) (45:06)

Instrumental

13. Gravity's Angel (48:28)

You can dance. You can make me laugh. You've got x-ray eyes
You know how to sing. You're a diplomat. You've got it all
Everybody loves you
You can charm the birds out of the sky. But I, I've got one thing
You always know just what to say. And when to go
But I've got one thing. You can see in the dark
But I've got one thing: I loved you better

Last night I woke up. Saw this angel. He flew in my window
And he said: Girl, pretty proud of yourself, huh?
And I looked around and said: Who me?
And he said: The higher you fly, the faster you fall. He said:
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's rainbow
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's angel
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road. This ugly train

Well he was an ugly guy. With an ugly face
An also-ran in the human race
And even God got sad just looking at him. And at his funeral
All his friends stood around looking sad. But they were really
Thinking of all the ham and cheese sandwiches in the next room
And everybody used to hang around him. And I know why
They said: There but for the grace of the angels go I
Why these mountains? Why this sky?
Send it up. Watch it rise. See it fall. Gravity's rainbow
Send it up. Watch it rise. And fall. Gravity's angel

Well, we were just laying there
And this ghost of your other lover walked in
And stood there. Made of thin air. Full of desire
Look. Look. Look. You forgot to take your shirt
And there's your book. And there's your pen, sitting on the table
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road? This empty room?
Why these mountains? Why this sky? This long road. This empty room

14. Langue d'amour (55:42)

Let's see. Uh..
It was on an island. And there was this snake
And this snake had legs. And he could walk all around the island
Yes. That's true. A snake with legs
And the man and the woman were on the island, too. And they were not very smart, but they were happy as clams. Yes

Let's see. Uh... then one evening the snake was walking about in the garden and he was talking to himself. and he saw the woman, And they started to talk. And they became friends. Very good friends

And the woman liked the snake very much. Because when he talked, he made little noises with his tongue, and his long tongue was lightly licking about his lips
Like there was a little fire inside his mouth and the flame would come dancing out of his mouth
And the woman liked this very much
And after that, she was bored with the man, because no matter what happened, he was always as happy as a clam

What did the snake say? Yes! What was he saying?

OK. I will tell you

The snake told her things about the world. He told her about the time there was this big typhoon on the island and all the sharks came out of the water
Yes, they came out of the water and they walked right into your house, with their big white teeth

And the woman hearrd these things. And she was in love
And the man came out and said: We have to go now!
And the woman did not want to go. Because she was a hothead. Because she was a woman in love

Anyway, they got into the boat and left the island. But they never stayed anywhere very long, because the woman was restless. She was a hothead. She was a woman in love

And this is not a story my people tell. It is something I know myself
And when I do my job, I am thinking about these things because when I do my job, that is what I think about

Oooo la la la la
Voici. Voilà
Ooo la la la la
Voici le langage de l'amour
Oooo la la la la
La la la
Voici. Voilà. La la
Voici le langage de l'amour

Ah! Comme çi, comme ça
Voilà. Voilà
Voici le langage de l'amour
Voici le langage de l'amour
Attends! Attends! Attends!
Écoute. Écoute. Écoute
Ooooo la la la la
Ooo la la la la

Voici le langage de l'amour
Voici le langage dans mon coeur
Oooo la la
Voici le langage dans mon coeur
Voici le langage de l'amour
Voici le langage dans mon coeur
Voici le langage dans mon coeur

15. Talk Normal (1:01:59)

I don't know about your dreams
But mine are sort of hackneyed.
Same thing, night after night.
Just... repetitive.

And the color is really bad -
And the themes are just infantile.
And you always get what you want -
And that's just not the way life is.

First National Bank? I love it!
New Hat? Forget it!
Moby Dick? Never read it!

I came home today
And both our cars were gone.
And there were all these new pink
Flamingoes arranged in star patterns
All over the lawn.

Then I went into the kitchen
And it looked like a tornado had hit.
And then I realized I was in the wrong House.

Last night I had that dream again.
I dreamed I had to take a test
In a Dairy Queen on another planet.
And then I looked around

And there was this woman.
And she was making it all up.
She was writing it all down.
And she was laughing.
She was laughing her head off.
And I said: Hey! Give me that pen!

I turned the corner in Soho today and someone
Looked right at me and said:
Oh No! Another Laurie Anderson clone!

And I said: Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!
Look at me! Look at me!

16. Difficult Listening Hour (spoken word) (1:11:20)

Good evening. Welcome to Difficult Listening Hour. The spot on your dial for that relentless and impenetrable sound of Difficult Music (Music). So sit bolt upright in that straight-backed chair (Music), button that top button (Music), and get set for some difficult music

Ooola. I came home today, and I opened the door with my bare hands
Ooola. and I said: Hey! Who tore up all my wallpaper samples? Who ate all the grapes--
Ooola. the ones I was saving? And this guy was sitting there, and I said: Hey, Pal! What's
Ooola. going on here? And he had this smile, and when he smiled he had these big white teeth
Ooola. like luxury hotels on the Florida coastline. And when he closed his mouth, it looked
Ooola. like a big scar. And I said to myself: Holy smokes! Looks like some kind of a guest/
Ooola. host relationship to me. And I said: Hey, pal! What's going on here anyway, who are you?
Ooola. And he said: Now, I'm the Soul Doctor, and you know, language is a virus from Outer Space

And hearing your name is better than seeing your face

17. Language Is a Virus (1:14:44)

Paradise
Is exactly like
Where you are right now
Only much much
Better

I saw this guy on the train
And he seemed to gave gotten stuck
In one of those abstract trances
And he was going: "Ugh, Ugh, Ugh"

And Fred said:
"I think he's in some kind of pain
I think it's a pain cry"
And I said: "Pain cry?
Then language is a virus"

Language, It's a virus
Language, It's a virus

Well I was talking to a friend
And I was saying:
I wanted you
And I was looking for you
But I couldn't find you. I couldn't find you
And he said: Hey
Are you talking to me?
Or are you just practicing
For one of those performances of yours?
Huh?

Language, It's a virus
Language, It's a virus

He said: I had to write that letter to your mother
And I had to tell the judge that it was you
And I had to sell the car and go to Florida
Because that's just my way of saying (It's a charm)
That I love you. And I (It's a job)
Had to call you at the crack of dawn (Why?)
And list the times that I've been wrong
'Cause that's just my way of saying
That I'm sorry. (It's a job)

Language, It's a virus
Language, It's a virus

Paradise
Is exactly like
Where you are right now
Only much much (It's a shipwreck)
Better (It's a job)

You know? I don't believe there's such
A thing as TV I mean
They just keep showing you
The same pictures over and over
And when they talk they just make sounds
That more or less synch up
With their lips
That's what I think

Language, It's a virus
Language, It's a virus
Language, It's a virus

Well I dreamed there was an island
That rose up from the sea
And everybody on the island
Was somebody from TV
And there was a beautiful view
But nobody could see
'Cause everybody on the island
Was saying, look at me, look at me
Look at me, look at me

Because they all lived on an island
That rose up from the sea
And everybody on the island
Was somebody from TV
And there was a beautiful view
But nobody could see
'Cause everybody on the island
Was saying, look at me, look at me, look at me
Look at me, look at me, why?

Paradise is exactly like
Where you are right now
Only much much better

18. Sharkey's Night (1:21:00)

Sun's going down like a big bald head
Disappearing behind the boulevard
(Oooee.) It's Sharkey's night, yeah, it's Sharkey's night tonight
And the manager says, "Sharkey?
He's not at his desk right now. (oh yeah.) Could I take a message?"

And Sharkey says, "Hey, kemosabe! Long time no see"
He says, "Hey sport. You connect the dots. You pick up the pieces"
Hey says, "You know, I can see two tiny pictures of myself and there's one in each of your eyes. And they're doin' everything I do
Every time I light a cigarette, they light up theirs
I take a drink and I look in and they're drinkin' too
It's drivin' me crazy. It's drivin' me nuts."

And Sharkey says, "Deep in the heart of darkest America, home of the brave."
He says: "Listen to my heart beat."
Paging Mr. Sharkey, white courtesy telephone please

19. Credit Racket (instrumental) (1:27:37)