sinceramente, não sei quantas vezes terei ouvido "super's ready", o grande tema que ocupava quase todo o lado b do álbum "foxtrot",
a minha primeira abordagem aos genesis dos tempos em que peter gabriel cantava e phil collins tocava bateria. também não sei se por nostalgia ou por achar que a música popular deixou de cumprir certas promessas, tenho retornado nos últimos anos a certos grupos da minha adolescência. entretanto, descobri há tempos este magnífico trabalho de ilustração de nathaniel barlam e - magia! -
tudo voltou a ser uma novidade.

era uma vez eu miúdo, que no dia 7 de março de 1975 me meti num comboio para cascais. no entretanto demolido pavilhão do dramático, e por 80$00, deixei de ser virgem em muita coisa: foi o meu primeiro concerto rock, foi a primeira vez que dei uma passa, foi o primeiro contacto com uma realidade musical que não imaginava possível. em palco, numa encenação memorável, os genesis tocavam na íntegra o album the lamb lies down on broadway e peter gabriel, na pele de rael - um miúdo perdido que fazia uma viagem de iniciação ao subconsciente erótico e ao mais fundo de si - também tentava perder a virgindade enquanto revia e enumerava técnicas lidas em manuais: zonas erógenas, amo-vos, sem vocês o que faria um pobre rapaz?

I'm counting out time,


Got the whole thing down by numbers.


All those numbers!


Give me guidance!


O Lord I need that now.



The day of judgement's come,


And you can bet that I've been resting,


For this testing,


Digesting every word the experts say.


Erogenous zones I love you.


Without you, what would a poor boy do?



Found a girl I wanted to date,


Thought I'd better get it straight.


Went to buy a book before it's too late.


Don't leave nothing to fate.


I studied every line, every page in the book,


Now, I've got the real thing here, I'm gonna take a look, take a look.



This is Rael!



I'm counting out time, hoping it goes like I planned it,


'Cos I understand it.

Look! I've found the hotspots, Figs 1-9.

- Still counting out time, got my finger on the button,


"Don't say nuttin - just lie there still


And I'll get you turned on just fine."


Erogenous zones I love you.


Without you, what would a poor boy do?



Touch and go with 1-6.


Bit of trouble in zone No. 7.


Gotta remember all of my tricks.


There's heaven ahead in No. 11!


Getting crucial responses, dilation of the pupils.


"Honey get hip! It's time to unzip, to unzip, zip, zip-a-zip-a-zip.
 Whipee!"


(Take it away Mr. Guitar)
 - Move over Casanova -



I'm counting out time, reaction none to happy,


Please don't slap me,


I'm a red blooded male

And the book said I could not fail.


I'm counting out time,

I got unexpected distress

From my mistress,


I'll get my money back from the bookstore right away.


Erogenous zones I question you:

Without you, what would a poor boy do?


Without you, what would a poor boy do?

Without you, mankind handkinds thru' the blues.

em 1971 peter gabriel (que tinha cabelo, imenso cabelo...) corporizava a nova abordagem do cantor de um grupo de música. o baterista era o senhor phil collins (que tinha cabelo, imenso cabelo… até barba...) e era todo um mundo novo, a da fusão do rock com a música clássica e a representação teatral.  a (r)evolução seguinte viria meia dúzia de anos depois. chamou-se punk e vinha para matar a anterior. aprende-se tanto com a(s) história(s) da música.

)

{ While Henry Hamilton-Smythe minor (8) was playing croquet with Cynthia Jane De Blaise-William (9), sweet-smiling Cynthia raised her mallet high and gracefully removed Henry's head. Two weeks later, in Henry's nursery, she discovered his treasured musical box. Eagerly she opened it and as "Old King Cole" began to play, a small spirit- figure appeared. Henry had returned - but not for long, for as he stood in the room his body began ageing rapidly, leaving a child's mind inside. A lifetime's desires surged through him. Unfortunately the attempt to persuade Cynthia Jane to fulfill his romantic desire led his nurse to the nursery to investigate the noise. Instinctively Nanny hurled the musical box at the bearded child, destroying both. }

Play me Old King Cole

That I may join with you,

All your hearts now seem so far from me

It hardly seems to matter now.

And the nurse will tell you lies

Of a kingdom beyond the skies.

But I am lost within this half-world,

It hardly seems to matter now.

Play me my song.

Here it comes again.

Play me my song.

Here it comes again.

Just a little bit,

Just a little bit more time,

Time left to live out my life.

Play me my song.

Here it comes again.

Play me my song.

Here it comes again.

Old King Cole was a merry old soul,

And a merry old soul was he.

So he called for his pipe,

And he called for his bowl,

And he called for his fiddlers three.

But the clock, tick-tock,

On the mantlepiece -

And I want, and I feel, and I know, and I touch,

Her warmth...

She's a lady, she's got time,

Brush back your hair, and let me get to know your face.

She's a lady, she is mine.

Brush back your hair, and let me get to know your flesh.

I've been waiting here for so long

And all this time has passed me by

It doesn't seem to matter now

You stand there with your fixed expression

Casting doubt on all I have to say.

Why don't you touch me, touch me,

Why don't you touch me, touch me,

Touch me now, now, now, now, now...

há canções que me lembro perfeitamente de ter ouvido pela primeira vez. 
sei onde estava ou com quem estava ou em que estação ou ano tal ocorreu.
é o caso de "supper's ready", que ouvi tantas vezes que me parece ter nascido comigo.

[Lovers' Leap]

Walking across the sitting-room, I turn the television off.

Sitting beside you, I look into your eyes.

As the sound of motor cars fades in the night time,

I swear I saw your face change, it didn't seem quite right.

...And it's hello babe with your guardian eyes so blue

Hey my baby don't you know our love is true.

Coming closer with our eyes, a distance falls around our bodies.

Out in the garden, the moon seems very bright,

Six saintly shrouded men move across the lawn slowly.

The seventh walks in front with a cross held high in hand.

...And it's hey babe your supper's waiting for you.

Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true.

I've been so far from here,

Far from your warm arms.

It's good to feel you again,

It's been a long long time. Hasn't it?

[The Guaranteed Eternal Sanctuary Man]

I know a farmer who looks after the farm.

With water clear, he cares for all his harvest.

I know a fireman who looks after the fire.

You, can't you see he's fooled you all.

Yes, he's here again, can't you see he's fooled you all.

Share his peace,

Sign the lease.

He's a supersonic scientist,

He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary man.

Look, look into my mouth he cries,

And all the children lost down many paths,

I bet my life you'll walk inside

Hand in hand,

gland in gland

With a spoonful of miracle,

He's the guaranteed eternal sanctuary.

We will rock you, rock you little snake,

We will keep you snug and warm.

[Ikhnaton And Itsacon And Their Band Of Merry Men]

Wearing feelings on our faces while our faces took a rest,

We walked across the fields to see the children of the West,

But we saw a host of dark skinned warriors

standing still below the ground,

Waiting for battle.

The fight's begun, they've been released.

Killing foe for peace...bang, bang, bang. Bang, bang, bang...

And they're giving me a wonderful potion,

'Cos I cannot contain my emotion.

And even though I'm feeling good,

Something tells me I'd better activate my prayer capsule.

Today's a day to celebrate, the foe have met their fate.

The order for rejoicing and dancing has come from our warlord.

[How Dare I Be So Beautiful?]

Wandering through the chaos the battle has left,

We climb up a mountain of human flesh,

To a plateau of green grass, and green trees full of life.

A young figure sits still by a pool,

He's been stamped “Human Bacon” by some butchery tool.

(He is you)

Social Security took care of this lad.

We watch in reverence, as Narcissus is turned to a flower.

A flower?

[Willow Farm]

If you go down to Willow Farm,

to look for butterflies, flutterbyes, gutterflies

Open your eyes, it's full of surprise, everyone lies,

like the fox on the rocks,

and the musical box.

Oh, there's Mum & Dad, and good and bad,

and everyone's happy to be here.

There's Winston Churchill dressed in drag,

he used to be a British flag, plastic bag, what a drag.

The frog was a prince, the prince was a brick, the brick was an egg,

the egg was a bird.

(Fly away you sweet little thing, they're hard on your tail)

Hadn't you heard?

(They're going to change you into a human being!)

Yes, we're happy as fish and gorgeous as geese,

and wonderfully clean in the morning.

We've got everything, we're growing everything,

We've got some in

We've got some out

We've got some wild things floating about

Everyone, we're changing everyone,

you name them all,

We've had them here,

And the real stars are still to appear.

ALL CHANGE!

Feel your body melt;

Mum to mud to mad to dad

Dad diddley office, Dad diddley office,

You're all full of ball.

Dad to dam to dum to mum

Mum diddley washing, Mum diddley washing,

You're all full of ball.

Let me hear you lies, we're living this up to the eyes.

Ooee-ooee-ooee-oowaa

Momma I want you now.

And as you listen to my voice

To look for hidden doors, tidy floors, more applause.

You've been here all the time,

Like it or not, like what you got,

You're under the soil (the soil, the soil),

Yes, deep in the soil (the soil, the soil, the soil, the soil!).

So we'll end with a whistle and end with a bang

and all of us fit in our places.

[Apocalypse In 9/8 (Co-Starring the delicious talents of Gabble Ratchet)]

With the guards of Magog, swarming around,

The Pied Piper takes his children underground.

Dragons coming out of the sea,

Shimmering silver head of wisdom looking at me.

He brings down the fire from the skies,

You can tell he's doing well by the look in human eyes.

Better not compromise.

It won't be easy.

666 is no longer alone,

He's getting out the marrow in your back bone,

And the seven trumpets blowing sweet rock and roll,

Gonna blow right down inside your soul.

Pythagoras with the looking glass reflects the full moon,

In blood, he's writing the lyrics of a brand new tune.

And it's hey babe, with your guardian eyes so blue,

Hey my baby, don't you know our love is true,

I've been so far from here,

Far from your loving arms,

Now I'm back again, and babe it's gonna work out fine.

[As Sure As Eggs Is Eggs (Aching Men's Feet)]

Can't you feel our souls ignite

Shedding ever changing colours, in the darkness of the fading night,

Like the river joins the ocean, as the germ in a seed grows

We have finally been freed to get back home.

There's an angel standing in the sun, and he's crying with a loud voice,

"This is the supper of the mighty one",

Lord of Lords,

King of Kings,

Has returned to lead his children home,

To take them to the new Jerusalem.

houve um tempo em que este grupo tinha piada: o senhor collins tinha cabelo e tocava bateria e o senhor gabriel cantava, representava e escrevia canções estranhas mas mágicas. 
nesses longínquos anos setenta - uma década que o bom gosto no vestir preferiu deliberadamente ignorar - saber do que se gostava (num guarda-roupa) era uma ciência secreta. 



it's one o'clock and time for lunch,
when the sun beats down and i lie on the bench
i can always hear them talk.

there's always been ethel:
"jacob, wake up! you've got to tidy your room now."
and then mister lewis:
"isn't it time that he was out on his own?"
over the garden wall, two little lovebirds - cuckoo to you!
keep them mowing blades sharp...

i know what i like, and i like what i know;
getting better in your wardrobe, stepping one beyond your show.

sunday night, mr farmer called, said:
"listen son, you're wasting your time; there's a future for you
in the fire escape trade. come up to town!"
but i remebered a voice from the past;
"gambling only pays when you're winning"
- i had to thank old miss mort for schooling a failure.
keep them mowing blades sharp...

i know what i like, and i like what i know;
getting better in your wardrobe, stepping one beyond your show.

when the sun beats down and i lie on the bench,
i can always hear them talk.
me, i'm just a lawnmower - you can tell me by the way i walk.