måndag 14 juni 2010

The Raconteurs: Carolina Drama

Rocklyrik i all ära. Men ibland vill man bara avnjuta en bra historia, utan poetiska krumelurer, svårtydda antydningar och djuplodande metaforik. Vissa rocktexter fungerar som noveller - de berättar helt enkelt en bra story. Exemplen är många. Springsteen har gjort en hel radda och countrymusiken vimlar av goda historieberättare.

Jack White har figurerat i den här bloggen förut, av goda skäl. Efter White Stripes bildade han bandet The Raconteurs. Jag förmodar att tanken var att han i detta band skulle vara mer av "lagspelare" än annars - han delade sång och gitarrspel med Brendan Benson. Hur det gick med den saken är väl en öppen fråga.

Hur som helst producerade bandet ett par mycket spretiga men intressanta plattor; ljudet är slickare och mer välproducerat är det garagerockande White Stripes.

Låten Carolina Drama kommer från Consolers of the lonely från 2008. Här berättas en ganska rörande white trash-historia om syskonen som återfinner sin pappa. En präst och ett frånvarande mjölkbud intar intrikata huvudroller i historien. Och naturligtvis finns det blod, pengar och sprit med i bilden.

Carolina Drama
I'm not sure if there's a point to this story
But I'm going to tell it again
So many other people try to tell the tale
Not one of them knows the end

It was a junk-house in South Carolina
Held a boy the age of ten
Along with his older brother Billy
And a mother and her boyfriend
Who was a triple loser with some blue tattoos
That were given to him when he was young
And a drunk temper that was easy to lose
And thank god he didn't own a gun

Well, Billy woke up in the back of his truck
Took a minute to open his eyes
He took a peep into the back of the house
And found himself a big surprise
He didn't see his brother but there was his mother
With her red-headed head in her hands
While the boyfriend had his gloves wrapped around an old priest
Trying to choke the man

Ah Ah Ahhh...

Billy looked up from the window to the truck
Threw up, and had to struggle to stand
He saw that red-necked bastard with a hammer
Turn the priest into a shell of a man
The priest was putting up the fight of his life
But he was old and he was bound to lose
The boyfriend hit as hard as he could
And knocked the priest right down to his shoes

Well, now Billy knew but never actually met
The preacher lying there in the room
He heard himself say, "That must be my daddy"
Then he knew what he was gonna do
Billy got up enough courage, took it up
And grabbed the first blunt thing he could find
It was a cold, glass bottle of milk
That got delivered every morning at nine

Ah Ah Ahhh...

Billy broke in and saw the blood on the floor, and
He turned around and put the lock on the door
He looked dead into the boyfriend's eye
His mother was a ghost, too upset to cry, then
He took a step toward the man on the ground
From his mouth trickled out a little audible sound
He heard the boyfriend shout, "Get out!"
And Billy said, "Not till I know what this is all about"
"Well, this preacher here was attacking your mama"
But Billy knew just who was starting the drama
So Billy took dead aim at his face
And smashed the bottle on the man who left his dad in disgrace, and
The white milk dripped down with the blood, and the
Boyfriend fell down dead for good
Right next to the preacher who was gasping for air
And Billy shouted, "Daddy, why'd you have to come back here?"
His mama reached behind the sugar and honey, and
Pulled out an envelope filled with money
"Your daddy gave us this," she collapsed in tears
"He's been paying all the bills for years"
"Mama, let's put this body underneath the trees
and put Daddy in the truck and head to Tennessee"
Just then, his little brother came in
Holding the milk man's hat and a bottle of gin singing,

La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la, la la la...
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la, la la la...
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah
La la la la, la la la la, yeah

Well now you heard another side to the story
But you wanna know how it ends?
If you must know, the truth about the tale
Go and ask the milkman

1 kommentar:

  1. Denna låt blir aldrig gammal, det är en låt med passion och glädje, men den har en viss aggression...

    I mitt sätt att se på världen är denna låt Skapad, Inspelad och Framförd av en grupp genier!

    SvaraRadera