the (de)Confinement Tapes vol4

deConfinement Tapes #40 /
Earning & transcendance
« Dear Landlord »
(Bob Dylan « John Wesley Harding » 1967)

Dear landlord
Please don’t put a price on my soul
My burden is heavy
My dreams are beyond control
When that steamboat whistle blows
I’m gonna give you all I got to give
And I do hope you receive it well
Dependin’ on the way you feel that you live

Dear landlord
Please heed these words that I speak
I know you’ve suffered much
But in this you are not so unique
All of us, at times, we might work too hard
To have it too fast and too much
And anyone can fill his life up with things
He can see but he just cannot touch

Dear landlord
Please don’t dismiss my case
I’m not about to argue
I’m not about to move to no other place
Now, each of us has his own special gift
And you know this was meant to be true
And if you don’t underestimate me
I won’t underestimate you

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Jeudi 2 juillet 2020

deConfinement Tapes #37 / Visions for us blinds
« Visions » (Stevie Wonder, « Innervisions », 1973)

People hand in hand
Have I lived to see the milk and honey land ?
Where hate’s a dream and love forever stands
Or is this a vision in my mind ?
The law was never passed
But somehow all men feel they’re truly free at last
Have we really gone this far through space and time
Or is this a vision in my mind ?

I’m not one who makes believe
I know that leaves are green
They only change to brown when autumn comes around
I know just what I say
Today’s not yesterday
And all things have an ending

But what I’d like to know
Is could a place like this exist so beautiful
Or do we have to find our wings and fly away
To the vision in our mind ?

I’m not one who makes believes
I know that leaves are green
They only change to brown when autumn comes around

I know just what I say
Today’s not yesterday
And all things have an ending
But what I’d like to know
Is could a place like this exist so beautiful
Or do we have to take our wings and fly away
To the vision in our minds ?

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Lundi 22 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #32 /
Negociations & love songs.

« Simple twist of fate » (Bob Dylan « Blood on the tracks », 1974, open E)

They sat together in the park
As the evening sky grew dark
She looked at him and he felt a spark
Tingle to his bones
‘Twas then he felt alone
And wished that he’d gone straight
And watched out for a simple twist of fate

They walked along by the old canal
A little confused, I remember well
And stopped into a strange hotel
With a neon burnin’ bright
He felt the heat of the night
Hit him like a freight train
Moving with a simple twist of fate

A saxophone someplace far-off played
As she was walkin’ on by the arcade
As the light bust through a beat-up shade
Where he was waking up
She dropped a coin into the cup
Of a blind man at the gate
And forgot about a simple twist of fate

He woke up, the room was bare
He didn’t see her anywhere
He told himself he didn’t care
Pushed the window open wide
Felt an emptiness inside
To which he just could not relate
Brought on by a simple twist of fate

He hears the ticking of the clocks
And walks along with a parrot that talks
Hunts her down by the waterfront docks
Where the sailors all come in
Maybe she’ll pick him out again
How long must he wait?
One more time, for a simple twist of fate

People tell me it’s a sin
To know and feel too much within
I still believe she was my twin
But I lost the ring
She was born in spring
But I was born too late
Blame it on a simple twist of fate

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Mardi 9 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #34 /
Negociations & love songs

« Harvest Moon »
(Neil Young, « Harvest Moon », 1992)

Come little bit closer
Hear what I have to say
Just like children sleepin’
We could dream this night away
But there’s a full moon risin’
Let’s go dancing in the light
We know where the music’s playin’
Let’s go out and feel the night

Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon

When we were strangers
I watched you from afar
When we were lovers
I loved you with all my heart
But now it’s gettin’ late
And the moon is climbin’ high
I want to celebrate
See it shinin’ in your eye

Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Samedi 13 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #39
Carnaval & politics

« Take me to the Mardi Gras »
(Paul Simon « There goes rhymin’ Simon 1973)

C’mon take me to the Mardi Gras
Where the people sing and play
Where the dancing is elite
And there’s music in the street
Both night and day

Hurry take me to the Mardi Gras
In the city of my dreams
You can legalize your lows
You can wear your summer clothes
In the New Orleans

And I will lay my burden down
Rest my head upon that shore
And when I wear that starry crown
I won’t be wanting anymore

Take your burdens to the Mardi Gras
Let the music wash your soul (let it wash your soul)
You can mingle in the street
You can jingle to the beat
Of Jelly Roll

Toomba, toomba, toomba, Mardi Gras
Toomba, toomba, toomba, hey
Hey

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Dimanche 28 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #36
Approximate-heartfelt renditions

« Innocent when you dream »
(Tom Waits, « Frank’s wild years », 1987)

The bats are in the belfry
The dew is on the moor
Where are the arms that held me
And pledged her love before?
And pledged her love before
And it’s such a sad old feeling
All the fields are soft and green
It’s memories that I’m stealing
But you’re innocent when you dream
When you dream
You’re innocent when you dream, when you dream
You’re innocent when you dream

I made a golden promise
That we would never part
I gave my love a locket
And then I broke her heart
And then I broke her heart
And it’s such a sad old feeling
All of the fields are soft and green
And it’s memories that I’m stealing
But you’re innocent when you dream
When you dream
You’re innocent when you dream, when you dream
You’re innocent when you dream

We’re running through the graveyard
And we laughed, my friends and I
We swore we’d be together
Until the day we died
Until the day we died
And it’s such a sad old feeling
All of the fields are soft and green
And it’s memories that I’m stealing
But you’re innocent when you dream
When you dream
You’re innocent when you dream, when you dream
You’re innocent when you dream

And it’s such a sad old feeling
The fields are soft and green
And it’s memories that I’m stealing
But you’re innocent when you dream
When you dream
You’re innocent when you dream, when you dream
You’re innocent when you dream

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Samedi 20 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #31 /
The George Floyd songs

« Johnny was » (Bob Marley & Wailers, « Rastaman Vibration », 1976)

Woman hold her head and cry
‘Cause her son had been shot down in the street and died
From a stray bullet
Woman hold her head and cry
Explaining to her was a passerby
Who saw the woman cry
Wondering how can she work it out
Now she knows that the wages of sin is death
Gift of Jah is life

She cried: Ah-um I – I know
« Johnny was a good man, » I – I know
« Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man »
she cried

Woman hold her head and cry
As her son had been shot down in the street and died
Just because of the system
Woman hold her head and cry
Comforting her I was passing by
She complained, then she cry

She cried: Ah-um I – I know
« Johnny was a good man, » I – I know
« Johnny was a good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good,
good, good, good man »
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear?
Can a woman tender care
Cease towards the child she bear?

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Vendredi 5 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #38
Songs for the bleeding heart

« All is fair in love » (Stevie Wonder, « Innervisions » 1974)

All is fair in love
Love’s a crazy game
Two people vow to stay
In love as one they say
But all is changed with time
The future no one can see
The road you leave behind
Ahead lies mystery

But all is fair in love
I had to go away
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair

All of fate’s a chance
It’s either good or bad
I tossed my coin to say
In love with me you’d stay
But all in war is so cold
You either win or lose
When all is put away
The losing side I’ll play

But all is fair in love
I should never have left your side
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair
A writer takes his pen
To write the words again
That all in love is fair

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Dimanche 28 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #35bis /
Negociations, word bugs & love songs
« Congratulations » (Paul Simon, 1970)

Congratulations !
Oh, seems like you’ve done it again
I ain’t had such misery since I don’t know when
Oh, and I don’t know when

I notice so many people slippin’ away
And many more waiting in the lines
In the courtrooms today
Oh, in the courtrooms today.

Love is not a game love is not a toy
Love’s no romance
Love will do you in and love will wash you out
And needless to say you won’t stand a chance
And you won’t stand a chance

I’m hungry for learnin’
Won’t you answer me, please
Can a man and a woman live together in peace
Oh, live together in peace ?

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Jeudi 18 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #33 /
Negociations & Love songs 💓

« Tenderness » (Paul Simon « There goes rhymin’ Simon », 1973)

What can I do
What can I do
Much of what you say is true
I know you see through me
But there’s no tenderness
Beneath your honesty

Right and wrong
Right and wrong
Never helped us get along
You say you care for me
But there’s no tenderness
Beneath your honesty

You and me were such good friends
What’s your hurry?
You and me could make amends
I’m not worried
I’m not worried

Honesty
Honesty
It’s such a waste of energy
No you don’t have to lie to me
Just give me some tenderness
Beneath your honesty
You don’t have to lie to me
Just give me some tenderness

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Jeudi 11 juin 2020

deConfinement Tapes #30 /
The George Floyd songs

« Blind Willie McTell » (Bob Dylan, Infidels, 1981)

Seen the arrow on the doorpost
Saying, « This land is condemned
All the way from New Orleans
To Jerusalem. »
I traveled through East Texas
Where many martyrs fell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

Well, I heard the hoot owl singing
As they were taking down the tents
The stars above the barren trees
Were his only audience
Them charcoal gypsy maidens
Can strut their feathers well
But nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

See them big plantations burning
Hear the cracking of the whips
Smell that sweet magnolia blooming
(And) see the ghosts of slavery ships
I can hear them tribes a-moaning
(I can) hear the undertaker’s bell
(Yeah), nobody can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

There’s a woman by the river
With some fine young handsome man
He’s dressed up like a squire
Bootlegged whiskey in his hand
There’s a chain gang on the highway
I can hear them rebels yell
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

Well, God is in heaven
And we all want what’s his
But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is
I’m gazing out the window
Of the St. James Hotel
And I know no one can sing the blues
Like Blind Willie McTell

Publiée par Jonathan Pontier sur Mercredi 3 juin 2020