Das Buch/The Book
Der amerikanische Rechtsanwalt Edgar Lee Masters schrieb in seiner Freizeit Gedichte. Mit seinem Hauptwerk "Spoon River Anthology" von 1915 verfasste er ein Porträt seiner Heimat Illinois, 240 Prosagedichte, in denen die Bewohner über ihr Leben berichten. Das Spezielle: sie sind alle tot. Also dürfen sie alles erzählen, was sie wollen, dürfen sich rächen, lustig machen oder auch nur träumen ohne Rückhalt. Auf die "Spoon River Anthology" folgte 1924 "New Spoon River".
Wir haben aus diesen Gedichten einen Songzyklus gemacht - oder auch von den Originalen inspirieren lassen.
Up on the hill
Where are Tom and Jerry
Where are Pete and Willy
The strongest minds
The hurtin’ kind
The doctor and the farmer
One died of a fever
One got run over
One died in jail
One just fell out of bed
They’re all sleeping
Up on the hill
All are sleeping on the hill
Where are Kate and Mary
Jane and Angie
A tender dancer
A bold romancer
The clown and the mother
One died of promises
Of a broken heart
Or a false start
And one just passed away
All are sleeping
Up on the hill
All are sleeping on the hill
They all have a story to tell
Where is uncle Harry
Where is aunt Martha
Their sons fought wars
Their daughters always ran away
The jokers and the lovers
Up on the hill
Barbie Brown
Barbie Brown
Doesn’t like anybody
Likes nobody in this town
Barbie Brown
Doesn’t like anybody
Likes nobody
She hates them all
Big or small
Tall or handsome
She hates them all
Except for me
Barbie Brown
Doesn’t love anybody
Loves nobody
Barbie Brown
Doesn’t love anybody
In this town
She hates them all
From the bottom of her heart
Stupid or small
And I understand
Something old something new
Something borrowed something blue
There ain’t much here to do
And that’s why we flew away
Zig Zag
Wandering around with no aim it seems
Up and down the roads and paths
To and fro from east to west
I looked caught as if in a dream
I lay down on the ground
Out where the road knows no end
And watched the stars shine
Felt the heat creep up my back
To the ones who feel
They’re entitled to say
That I had lost my way
At least I had one to lose
They did never understand
Why I drifted through the woods
Listening to the grass grow
Deep down on Miller’s land
Down by the river at twilight
You see the bats take flight
They zig zag around like me
Just to find what they can’t see
I lay down on the ground
Out where the road knows no end
And watched the stars shine
Felt the heat creep up my back
To the ones who feel
They’re entitled to say
That I had lost my way
At least I had one to lose
