Zero and One

The first time I heard Laurie Anderson
I was working in my darkroom
I listened there
In the dark
my first reaction was

What the heck IS this?

It was a long composition and I started to come under it's spell

It was unlike anything I had ever heard on the radio
But this was college radio

My eight by tens were now mostly in the fixer
or the first wash trays
As the set ended and I listened to the DJ list off the tracks

Laurie Anderson
Oh Superman

I pulled out a felt tip pen and noted it on the darkroom wall

I went out the next day and purchased the album
Big Science

Yes on vinyl
Shortly thereafter I was in New York and photographs by Laurie Anderson were on display at some gallery in Soho, so I went to see them
I was impressed

This video, entitled Home of the Brave appeared on cable
I got to see Laurie right around that time
She came to Proctors, an historic theatre here in Schenectady.

She was amazing...

Listen to my Heart Beat

Sharkey's Night



Sun's going down.
Like a big bald head.
Disappearing behind the boulevard.
It's Sharkey's night.

It's Sharkey's night tonight

And the manager says: Sharkey?
He's not at his desk right now.
Could I take a message?

Hey, Kemosabe!
Longtime no see

He says:
Hey sport
You connect the dots
You pick up the pieces...

Well

I drove down to big DC
And I walked into room 1003
And there they were
The BIG Boys
And they were talking
Big... B
Little o
Little m
Silent b

They were saying
Lets teach those robots
How to play hardball
Lets teach those little fellas a little
Gratitude

Hey
Whats that big noise
Up in the sky?
Sounds like thunder...
Nope
Sounds like the 4th of July..
Nope
Wrong again

You know
It's just those angels walking
They're clomping around again
Wearing those big clumsy shoes

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