Song(s) Of The Day
Sondheim Week rolls merrily along with two from Sweeney Todd. We start with Sweeney’s love song…to his razors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIl0-Wc_c_4
In this scene, Toby, who does not trust Sweeney Todd, promises to protect Mrs. Lovett.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zet0XrrhiuU
For REV, if nobody else, an alternative.
The West End production of “Sweeney Todd” opened July 2, 1980. In Queensferry, Wales, 10 days later, Wales, Bob Marley played one of his last concerts, his penultimate UK appearance before his death 10 months later. He had just released “Uprising,” which contains “Redemption Song” — or, as he introduces it at 53:30 of this full-concert audio, “Old Pirates.” The full-band arrangement has a more defiant spirit than the familiar acoustic recording:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8MQat5YRwo
I enjoy being at a beach bar in the summer hearing bros and crackers drunk on Bud Light sing along with the refrain of Redemption Song. I don’t think they’ve ever listened to the lyrics in each verse… Fascinating.
In case any of them are lurking about:
“Redemption Song”
Old pirates yes they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit
But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation triumphantly
All I ever had is songs of freedom
Won’t you help to sing these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had redemption sings, redemption songs
Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear of atomin energy
Cause none of them can stop the time
How long shall they kill our prophets
While we stand aside and look
Some say it’s just part of it
We’ve got to fulfill the book
Won’t you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs, redemption songs, redemption songs
Saw Bob Marley at the old Spectrum in Philly, it was the Kaya tour (’78?). We went as a joke and emerged big fans. Few song writers have lyrics I give a damn about, Marley is one of them, heavy patois or not.
irie
Just providin’ a little variety…