The Leaping Thought: Période Bleue by Jane Birkin

From David Rakoff's Essay - Hidden People

It isn't pleasant to have my bluff as thoroughly called. My idle claim of being a translucent-skinned neurasthenic who cares nothing for sunlight is incontrovertibly shattered after a mere ten minutes of ambling through the duty-free shop at Keflavík airport in Iceland at ten in the morning. The November sky outside is still as dark as four a.m., precisely the time it would be for me if I were still back in New York. But I am not back in New York and should, by all rights, be enjoying that cognitive dissonance that is the happy dividend of transatlantic air travel: the European day, brightly risen and well under way six hours before its time. I find myself existentially, spirit-robbingly sad as I look over the shelves of vacuum-packed salmon, tinned smoked puffin, lumpfish caviar, and licorice, waiting for a ride in Reykjavík. By the time I have been in Iceland for an hour I am a walking Edvard Munch lithograph. All is blackness in my heart as well as outside the windows of the bus during the hour-long trip into town. The vehicle fishtails wildly, buffeted by inhospitable winds. When I get back to New York, I think to myself, I shall never again denigrate the light. I will start a letter-writing campaign to institute National Photosynthesis Day. I will join a tanning salon.

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

e.e. cummings (1894-1962) American poet, painter, essayist author and playwright.
_______

To kiss a forehead is to erase worry

To kiss a forehead is to erase worry.
I kiss your forehead.

To kiss the eyes is to lift sleeplessness.
I kiss your eyes.

To kiss the lips is to drink water.
I kiss your lips.

To kiss a forehead is to erase memory.
I kiss your forehead.

Marina Tsvetaeva (1892-1941) Russian poet and writer.
_______

"You know, Hobbes, some days even my lucky rocket ship underpants don't help."
Bill Watterson.

_______

"I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it."
Mae West

_______

Some quotes by Terry Pratchett

"It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living."

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it's not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."

"It's not worth doing something unless you were doing something that someone, somewhere, would much rather you weren't doing."

"Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages."

"In ancient times cats were worshiped as gods; they have not forgotten this."

9.11.08

Période Bleue by Jane Birkin

Jane Birkin -

"After a career dominated by the influence of her charismatic ex-husband, reinterpreting his songs and re-recording his lyrics, she has produced her first album made up entirely of her own music. Enfants d'Hiver (Children of Winter), out tomorrow, is a Serge-free zone with none of the usual covers or tributes."

backstory on this album at the UK Guardian

Here is the 62 year old chanteuse and songwriter singing Période Bleue - Blue Period from Enfants d'Hiver. Enjoy its poetic sweetness in this, one of her best musical moments.

Here is another song of hers I've loved for a long time. It's called Je m'appelle Jane - My name is Jane. She sings it with Mickaël Furnon of the rock group Mickey 3D.

3 comments:

Ron DavisonNovember 9, 2008 at 11:09 PM
I really liked this second video - my name is Jane - in spite of her stoic and rather atypically expression-less face throughout the whole video. The song seemed so much more upbeat than her expression. Those French are quirky people, though. Thanks for introducing me to her.
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Gypsy at HeartNovember 10, 2008 at 10:27 AM
Ron: It was the best audio I could find. There is one where she is singing it live with Mickey3D but it sounds quite awful. Glad you liked her. Her Serge Gainsbourg (ex-husband) was like a version of Dylan but for France and without any of the plebeian angst or social concerns.
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AnonymousNovember 15, 2008 at 1:17 PM
The second song is a lot of fun! I agree, I like this one better than the first.

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