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Scratch My Back

Seb

4/5

Peter Gabriel a, avec cet album de reprises, décidé d’abandonner les guitares et la batterie et d’utiliser un grand orchestre symphonique. Il en résulte un choix artistique surprenant et la déstructuration totale des arrangements d’origine. En effet, même en connaissant les versions originelles, on a parfois du mal à reconnaître les morceaux que l’on connaît et que l’on aime. Le pire étant peut-être Street Spirit de Radiohead. L’album est lent, affreusement lent, même pour des chansons plutôt rythmées à l’origine comme The Boy In The Bubble. Et sombre, noir, lourd, plein de spleen. Et du coup long, peu varié et répétitif (The Power of the Heart et surtout My Body Is a Cage) ce qui fait que la digestion est rude. Néanmoins cela reste beau, très bien fait et puis c’est Peter qui chante. Quel dommage par contre, que la plus belle des reprises ne soit pas sur l’album mais seulement sur le cd bonus “Waterloo Sunset”… Bref, un projet artistique avec un cahier des charges respecté et poussé à son paroxysme. Rien que pour cela, ce disque mérite le détour.

Tracklist

I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can beat them, just for one day
We can be heroes, just for one day
And you, you can be mean
And I, I’ll drink all the time
‘Cause we’re lovers, and that is a fact
Yes we’re lovers, and that is that
Though nothing will keep us together
We could steal time just for one day
We can be heroes for ever and ever
What d’you say?
I, I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins, like dolphins can swim
Though nothing, nothing will keep us together
We can beat them, for ever and ever
Oh we can be Heroes, just for one day
I, I will be king
And you, you will be queen
Though nothing will drive them away
We can be Heroes, just for one day
We can be us, just for one day
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes, just for one day
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
We can be Heroes
Just for one day
We can be Heroes
We’re nothing, and nothing will help us
Maybe we’re lying, then you better not stay
But we could be safer, just for one day
Oh-oh-oh-ohh, oh-oh-oh-ohh, just for one day
It was a slow day
And the sun was beating
On the soldiers by the side of the road
There was a bright light
A shattering of shop windows
The bomb in the baby carriage
Was wired to the radio
These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all
The way we look to a distant constellation
That’s dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don’t cry, baby, don’t cry
Don’t cry
It was a dry wind
And it swept across the desert
And it curled into the circle of birth
And the dead sand
Falling on the children
The mothers and the fathers
And the automatic earth
These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all, oh yeah
The way we look to a distant constellation
That’s dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don’t cry baby, don’t cry
Don’t cry
It’s a turn-around jump shot
It’s everybody jump start
It’s every generation throws a hero up the pop charts
Medicine is magical and magical is art
Think of the boy in the bubble
And the baby with the baboon heart
And I believe
These are the days of lasers in the jungle
Lasers in the jungle somewhere
Staccato signals of constant information
A loose affiliation of millionaires
And billionaires and baby
These are the days of miracle and wonder
This is the long distance call
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all, oh yeah
The way we look to a distant constellation
That’s dying in a corner of the sky
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don’t cry baby, don’t cry
Don’t cry, don’t cry

I plant the kind of kiss
That wouldn’t wake a baby
On the self-same face
The wouldn’t let me sleep


And the street is singing with my feet
And the dawn gives me a shadow I know to be taller
All down to you dear, everything has changed

My sorry name has made it to graffiti
I was looking for someone to complete me
Not anymore dear, everything has changed
Everything has changed

You make the moon our mirrorball
The street’s an empty stage
The city’s sirens, violins, everything has changed
Everything has changed

So lift off love
So lift off love


We took the town to town last night
We kissed like we invented it
Now I know what every step is for

To lead me to your door
Know that while you sleep
Everything has changed

You make the moon a mirrorball
The street’s an empty stage
The city’s sirens, violins, everything has changed

So lift off love, lift off love
Lift off love, lift off love

I’m my mother’s only one
It’s enough
I wear my garment so it shows
Now you know


Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she’s the moon
She’s the moon

I am my mother on the wall
With us all
I move in water, shore to shore
Nothing’s more

Only love is all maroon
Lapping lakes like leary loons
Leaving rope burns, reddish ruse
Reddish ruse

Only love is all maroon
Gluey feathers on a flume
Sky is womb and she’s the moon

She’s the moon

She’s the moon
She’s the moon
She’s the moon
She’s the moon

Mojique sees his village from a nearby hill
Mojique thinks of days before Americans came
He serves the foreigners in growing numbers
He sees the foreigners in fancy houses
He dreams of days that he can still remember now
Mojique holds a package in his quivering hands
Mojique sends the package to the American man
Softly he glides along the streets and alleys
Up comes the wind that makes them run for cover
He feels the time is surely now or never more
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
The dust in my head, the dust in my head
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
Come to drive them away, drive them away
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
The dust in my head, the dust in my head
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
Come to drive them away, drive them away
And Mojique buys his equipment in the market place
Mojique plants devices through the free trade zone
He feels the wind is lifting up his people
He calls the wind to guide him on his mission
He knows his friend the wind is always standing by
Mojique smells the wind that, that comes from far away
Mojique waits for news in a quiet place
He feels the presence of the wind beside him
He feels the power of the past behind him
He has the knowledge of the wind to guide him on
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
The dust in my head, the dust in my head
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
Come to drive them away, drive them away
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
The dust in my head, the dust in my head
The wind in my heart, the wind in my heart
Come to drive them away
You look for sun and I look for rain
We’re different people, we’re not the same
The power of the sun
I looked for treetops, you looked for caps
Above the water, where the waves snap back
I flew around the world to bring you back
Ah, the power of the heart
You looked at me and I looked at you
The sleeping heart was shining through,
The wispy cobwebs that we’re breathing through
The power of the heart
I looked at you and you looked at me
I thought of the past, you thought of what could be
I asked you once again to marry me
The power of the heart
Everybody says love makes the world go round
I hear a bubbling and I hear a sound
Of my heart beating and I turn around
And find you standing at the door
You know me I like to dream a lot
Of this and that and what is not
And finally I figured out what was what
It was the power of the heart
You and me we sweat and strain
The result is always the same
You think somehow we’re in a game
The power of the heart
The power of the heart
I think I’m dumb, I know you’re smart
The beating of a purebred heart
I say this to you and it’s not a lark
Marry me today
You know me I like to dream a lot
Of what there is and what there’s not
But mainly I dream of you a lot
The power of your heart
The power of the heart

My body is a cage
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love
But my mind holds the key

My body is a cage

That keeps me from dancing with the one I love
But my mind holds the key

I’m standing on a stage
Of fear and self doubt
It’s a hollow play
But they’ll clap anyway

My body is a cage
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love
But my mind holds the key

You’re standing next to me
My mind holds the key

I’m living in an age
That calls darkness light
Though my language is dead

Still the shapes fill my head

I’m living in an age
Whose name I don’t know
Though the fear keeps me moving
Still my heart beats so slow

My body is a cage
That keeps me from dancing with the one I love
But my mind holds the key

You’re standing next to me
My mind holds the key
My body is a…

My body is a cage
We take what we’re given
Just because you’ve forgotten

 


That don’t mean you’re forgiven

I’m living in an age
That screams my name at night
But when I get to the doorway
There’s no one in sight

I’m living in an age
They laugh when I’m dancing with the one I love
But my mind holds the key

You’re standing next to me
My mind holds the key

Set my spirit free
Set my spirit free
Set my body free
Set my body free


Set my spirit free
Set my body free

The book of love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It’s full of charts and facts and figures
And instructions for dancing
But I
I love it when you read to me
And you
You can read me anything
The book of love has music in it
In fact that’s where music comes from
Some of it is just transcendental
Some of it is just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
You can sing me anything
The book of love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It’s full of flowers and heart-shaped boxes
And things we’re all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings

Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in a sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today


Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to keep love away
Human kindness overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today

Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
I think I’ll kick it down the street
That’s the way to treat a friend

Bright before me the signs implore me
Help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it’s going to rain today

I, oh, must go on standing
You can’t break that which isn’t yours
I, oh, must go on standing
I’m not my own, it’s not my choice
Be afraid of the lame
They’ll inherit your legs
Be afraid of the old
They’ll inherit your souls
Be afraid of the cold
They’ll inherit your blood
Apres moi, le deluge
After me comes the flood
I must go on standing
You can’t break that which isn’t yours
I, oh, must go on standing
I’m not my own, it’s not my choice
Be afraid of the lame
They’ll inherit your legs
Be afraid of the old
They’ll inherit your souls
Be afraid of the cold
They’ll inherit your blood
Apres moi, le deluge
After me comes the flood
Be afraid of the lame
They’ll inherit your legs
Be afraid of the old
They’ll inherit your souls
Be afraid of the cold
They’ll inherit your blood
Apres moi, le deluge
After me the flood

Sometimes I think that I know
What love’s all about
And when I see the light
I know I’ll be all right


I’ve got my friends in the world
I had my friends
When we were boys and girls
And the secrets came unfurled

City of brotherly love
Place I call home
Don’t turn your back on me
I don’t want to be alone
Love lasts forever

Someone is talking to me
Calling my name
Tell me I’m not to blame
I will not be ashamed of love
Ashamed of love

Sometimes I think that I know

What love’s all about
And when I see the light
I know I’ll be all right, all right

Rows of houses, all bearing down on me
I can feel their blue hands touching me
All these things into position
All these things we’ll one day swallow whole


Fade out again
Fade out again

This machine will, will not communicate
These thoughts and the strain I am under
Be a world child, form a circle
Before we all go under

Fade out again
Fade out again

Cracked eggs, dead birds, scream as they fight for life
I can feel death, can see its beady eyes
All these things into position
All these things we’ll one day swallow whole

Fade out again

Fade out again

Immerse your soul in love
Immerse your soul in love

Dirty old river, must you keep rolling, flowing into the night?
People so busy, make me feel dizzy, taxi light shines so bright
But I don’t need no friends

As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset, I am in paradise

(Sha-la-la) Every day I look at the world from my window
(Sha-la-la) But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset’s fine (Waterloo sunset’s fine)

Terry meets Julie, Waterloo Station, every Friday night
But I am so lazy, don’t want to wander, I stay at home at night
But I don’t feel afraid
As long as I gaze on Waterloo sunset, I am in paradise

(Sha-la-la) Every day I look at the world from my window

(Sha-la-la) But chilly, chilly is the evening time
Waterloo sunset’s fine (Waterloo sunset’s fine)

Millions of people swarming like flies ’round Waterloo underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river where they feel safe and sound
And they don’t need no friends
As long as they gaze on Waterloo sunset they are in paradise

Waterloo sunset’s fine
Waterloo sunset’s fine
Waterloo sunset’s fine

Infos générales

Sortie en février 2010