Murder Incorporated

Bobby's got a gun that he keeps beneath his pillow (oh yeah)
Out on the streets your chances are zero (oh yeah)
Take a look around you (come on down)
It ain't too complicated
You're messin' with Murder Incorporated
Now you check over your shoulder everywhere that you go (oh yeah)
Walkin down the streets, there's eyes in every shadow (oh yeah)
You better take a look around you (come on down)
That equipment you got's so outdated
You can't compete with Murder Incorporated
Everywhere you look now there's Murder Incorporated
So you keep a little secret down deep inside your dresser drawer
From dealing with the heat you're feelin' down on the killin' floor
No matter where you step you feel you're never out of danger
So complicated you keep complaining some bones hurtin'
I hear that you, you got dogged downtown, man it leaves your head cold (oh
yea)
And everywhere you look life ain't got no soul (oh yeah)
That apartment you live in feels like it's just a place to hide
When your walkin' down the streets you won't need nowhere there to hide
Now the cops reported you as just another homicide
I could tell that you was just frustrated from livin' with Murder
Incorporated
Incorporated
Everywhere you look now
Murder Incorporated
Down on your knees
Murder
Everywhere that you turn it's murder
Murder
Everywhere you look there's murder.
Aaaah, mmmmm, yeah, I said aaah, mmmmm, yeah
I said aaah, wooo, yeah

Thunder Road

Bruce Springsteen - "Thunder Road" do álbum "Born to run"

"The screen door slams, Mary's dress waves
Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays
Roy Orbison singing for the lonely
Hey, that's me and I want you only
Don't turn me home again, I just can't face myself alone again
Don't run back inside, darling, you know just what I'm here for
So you're scared and you're thinking that maybe we ain't that young anymore
Show a little faith, there's magic in the night
You ain't a beauty but, hey, you're alright
Oh, and that's alright with me

You can hide 'neath your covers and study your pain
Make crosses from your lovers, throw roses in the rain
Waste your summer praying in vain
For a savior to rise from these streets
Well now, I ain't no hero, that's understood
All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey, what else can we do now?
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere
We got one last chance to make it real
To trade in these wings on some wheels
Climb in back, heaven's waiting on down the tracks

Oh oh, come take my hand
We're riding out tonight to case the promised land
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Oh, Thunder Road, oh, Thunder Road
Lying out there like a killer in the sun
Hey, I know it's late, we can make it if we run
Oh oh oh oh, Thunder Road
Sit tight, take hold, Thunder Road

Well, I got this guitar and I learned how to make it talk
And my car's out back if you're ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The door's open but the ride ain't free
And I know you're lonely for words that I ain't spoken
But tonight we'll be free, all the promises'll be broken

There were ghosts in the eyes of all the boys you sent away
They haunt this dusty beach road in the skeleton frames of burned-out Chevrolets
They scream your name at night in the street
Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet
And in the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines rolling on
But when you get to the porch, they're gone on the wind
So Mary, climb in
It's a town full of losers, I'm pulling out of here to win"

O imortal Springsteen.....

Na lista dos "Imortais da Música", a revista Rolling Stone postou Bruce Springsteen no número 23 (logo a seguir aos U2, na posição 22)... O autor do artigo sobre o 'Boss', Jackson Browne começa por dizer que "a sua obra conjuga os valores mais profundos do Rock: desejo, vontade de ser livre e a procura de quem somos"...

E Springsteen não é um típico músico que faz a mesma música toda a vida... Ele movimenta-se entre albuns de Rock puro, albuns acústicos e o folk - prestou, neste registo, uma homenagem a Pete Seeger, um dos mais emblemáticos cantores folk, e à música tradicional americana...
Numa reportagem sobre Bruce no programa 60 Minutos, um jornalista perguntou-lhe porque continuava a dar concertos e a lançar discos - todos com enorme sucesso crítico e de vendas -, ao que o músico respondeu: "e o que poderia fazer mais? Jardinagem..? (...) gosto da forma como me faz sentir e daquilo que consigo transmitir às pessoas"... A música não é só o seu ganha-pão, mas toda a sua vida e tudo aquilo que sempre quis fazer... E vê-se o prazer com que o faz... Por isso é que nunca baixou os braços, nunca desistiu e continua a dar-nos as suas melodias e letras...

Jackson Browne rematou o artigo dizendo que a música de Bruce "tem um poder curativo" e está sempre concentrada "entre o gospel branco e negro, entre o country e os blues, entre a revolta e a redenção"...
Nós não diríamos melhor................................

Prova de vida.....

As letras de Springsteen formam uma verdadeira prova de vida... São poucos os músicos que, como ele, conseguem retratar o quotidiano do Homem comum, um Homem com aspirações, medos, esperanças, como qualquer um de nós...

Músicas como "Living Proof" - You shot through my anger and rage / To show me my prison was just an open cage / There were no keys no guards / Just one frightened man and some old shadows for bars -; "Lucky Town" - I had some victory that was just failure in deceit / Now the joke's comin' up through the soles of my feet / I been a long time walking on fortune's cane / Tonight I'm steppin' lightly and feelin' no pain -; "Brilliant Desguise" - So when you look at me / you better look hard and look twice / Is that me baby / or just a brilliant disguise -; ou "Blood Brothers" - Now the hardness of this world slowly grinds your dreams away / Makin' a fool's joke out of the promises we make / And what once seemed black and white turns to so many shades of gray / We lose ourselves in work to do and bills to pay - constituem hinos sobre a condição humana...

Músicas como "Born in USA" - Got in a little hometown jam / So they put a rifle in my hand / Sent me off to a foreign land / To go and kill the yellow man - ou "Last to Die" - Who'll be the last to die for a mistake / The last to die for a mistake / Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break / Who'll be the last to die - homenageiam os soldados americanos e falam sobre o erro da decisão de os mandar para uma guerra (ou guerras, o Vietnam e a do Iraque) já com muito pouca razão de ser...

Outros temas falam do passado e das memórias de uma juventude, que fazem parte do seu Eu actual e que se guardam como verdadeiros tesouros... Temas como "Glory Days" - Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture / a little of the glory of, well time slips away / and leaves you with nothing mister but / boring stories of glory days - ou "My Hometown" - I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand / Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man / I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town / He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around this is your hometown - contam-nos a história da sua vida e trazem-nos à memória as nossas próprias experiências....

Um verdadeiro "Boss" da música, o Sr. Springsteen consegue, a cada novo trabalho, dar-nos novas provas de Vida, com uma simplicidade e sinceridade extremas, mas sempre tocantes.....................................

Toque humano.....

Human Touch - Bruce Springsteen

You and me we were the pretenders
We let it all slip away
In the end what you don't surrender
Well the world just strips away

Girl, ain't no kindness in the face of strangers
Ain't gonna find no miracles here
Well you can wait on your blesses my darlin'
But I got a deal for you right here

I ain't lookin' for praise or pity
I ain't comin' 'round searchin' for a crutch
I just want someone to talk to
And a little of that Human Touch
Just a little of that Human Touch

Ain't no mercy on the streets of this town
Ain't no bread from heavenly skies
Ain't nobody drawin' wine from this blood
It's just you and me tonight

Tell me, in a world without pity
Do you think what I'm askin's too much
I just want something to hold on to
And a little of that Human Touch
Just a little of that Human Touch

Oh girl that feeling of safety you prize
Well it comes at a hard hard price
You can't shut off the risk and the pain
Without losin' the love that remains
We're all riders on this train

So you've been broken and you've been hurt
Show me somebody who ain't
Yeah, I know I ain't nobody's bargain
But, hell, a little touchup
and a little paint...

You might need somethin' to hold on to
When all the answers, they don't amount to much
Somebody that you could just to talk to
And a little of that Human Touch

Baby, in a world without pity
Do you think what I'm askin's too much
I just want to feel you in my arms
Share a little of that Human Touch
Feel a little of that Human Touch
Give me a little of that Human Touch

Born to Run

In the day we sweat it out on the streets
Of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory
In suicide machines
Sprung from cages on Highway 9
Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected
And steppin' out over the line
Oh, baby this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run till we drop, baby we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire
'Cause baby I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know if your love is wild
Baby, I wanna know if love is real

Beyond the place hemi-powered drones
Scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in review mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
And kids are huddled on the beach in the mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss

One, two, three, four
Highway's jammed with broken heroes
On a last-chance power drive
Everybody's out on the road tonight but
There's no place left to hide
Together Wendy we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday girl I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place where really wanna go
And we'll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Come on Wendy, tramps like us
Baby we were born to run
Whoa, ooh
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Ooh
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa.

O Boss do Rock.....

Nascido a 23 de Setembro de 1949, no estado da Nova Jérsia, E.U.A., Bruce Fredrick Joseph Springsteen viria a tornar-se num dos mais proeminentes e excepcionais músicos da História...

Influenciado por lendas como Bob Dylan e génios como Van Morrison, a veia musical de Springsteen levou-o a retratar como poucos as dificuldades da classe trabalhadora americana e as condições de vida dos jovens que partiam para a guerra do Vietnam... Em 1984, o seu album Born in U.S.A. denunciava exactamente a vida destes homens naquela parte do mundo, apesar de ser confundido por muitos como o exacerbar das qualidades da sociedade americana... Bruce denuncia, expõe os seus medos sobre o futuro e as suas descrenças nos orgãos de Poder que nada resolvem, mas também retrata as conquistas do dia-a-dia, as vitórias sobre esses mesmos medos e expõe a sua esperança num futuro melhor...

Lançou já 15 albuns de estúdio, venceu 18 Grammy e 1 Oscar da Academia com o tema "Streets of Philadelphia"... Os seus concertos são históricos, durando por vezes mais de um par de horas, e as suas actuações ganham pela relação de proximidade que estabelece com o seu público... Mas, apesar de tudo isto, é apenas mais um Homem comum a fazer aquilo que lhe dá verdadeiro prazer, demonstrando-se sempre um músico "anti-vedeta"...

Por tudo isto, muitos o consideraram já um autêntico Herói Americano, que respira música e poesia e continua a "rockar" como poucos........................

Secret Garden

1. Bruce Springsteen - Secret Garden in Jerry Maguire com os actores Tom Cruise e Renee Zellweger

"She'll let you in her house
If you come knockin' late at night
She'll let you in her mouth
If the words you say are right
If you pay the price
She'll let you deep inside
But there's a secret garden she hides

She'll let you in her car
To go drivin' round
She'll let you into the parts of herself
That'll bring you down
She'll let you in her heart
If you got a hammer and a vise
But into her secret garden, don't think twice

You've gone a million miles
How far'd you get
To that place where you can't remember
And you can't forget

She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there
She'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away."

Pleased to meet you

"Scared to be alone
Frightened of the dark
Everythings too much
For a boy out of touch with his feelings

I must be to blame
I must be at fault
I believe Im never good enough
To shine a light that lingers

I have witnessed starbursts in your coal
Black eyes
I am what I try to deny
I have seen the serpent coiling set to strike
And love is the usual disguise

Pleased to meet you
Where you from
And whats your name?

Never came alive
Never cut the cord
Nothing is too much for a boy out of touch
With his feelings

Worshipping the moonshine
Skinning up the grapevine
I dont have a plan where Im going
I just follow my fingers

I will be the burning man
To grace these times
I am what I try to deny
I reflect the same eyes looking back at me
And love is the only reply

Pleased to meet you
Where you from and whats your name

Were more than enough
Dead ringers

Pleased to meet you
Where you from
And whats your name ?
Whats your name ?"

JAMES
* Simplesmente uma letra e música linda

Ser famoso custa!!!

"Destiny Calling" é um tema dos James saído do Best Of do grupo no ano de 1998... A música retrata a ascenção ao estrelato do grupo e brinca com a opinião expressa por algumas pessoas de que a banda se estaria a "vender" ao mercado...
Este single (que foi nº 17 no Top Britânico) mostra os membros do grupo cientes do seu sucesso e das implicações do seu reconhecimento... Apontam a "doença" dos fãs mais acérrimos que insistem em tratar os seus ídolos como figuras quase divinas: "Cover us in chocolate / Sell us to the neighbours / Frame us on a video / Clone us in a test tube / Sell us to the multitude / Guess that's the price of fame", mas também mostra uma banda consciente de que tudo é efémero e que nada, nem mesmo a fama, dura para sempre: "Tell us when our time's up / Show us how to die well / Show us how to let it all go"...

No fim da música, ficamos com a sensação de ter escutado uma das canções mais auto-conscientes acerca da vida dos artistas que são tornados estrelas e que, de alguma forma, lutam contra esta condição... Os James, como poucos, sabem fazer a distinção entre o mundo caótico e menos gratificante do estrelato e aquilo que é a sua arte e a mestria de fazer canções.....................

O Preço da fama.....

Destiny Calling - - - James

So we maybe gorgeous
So we maybe famous
Come back when we're getting old

Cover us in chocolate
Sell us to the neighbours
Frame us on a video

Clone us in a test tub
eSell us to the multitude
Guess that's the price of fame

She likes the black one
He likes the the posh one
Cute ones are usually gay

Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now

Don't believe the adverts
Don't believe the experts
Everyone will sell our souls

Get a little wiser
Get a little humble
Now we know that we don't know

Tell us when our time's up
Show us how to die well
Show us how to let it all go

Here we come this is our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now

Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This game is fixed it's all a lie
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
This time is good, there's no straight lines
Some fat cat's playing the roulette with lives
Forget myself we're all entwined
There's no straight lines

Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now

Here we come this our destiny calling
We're freaks
This is our destiny calling
Unique
This is our destiny calling now

This is our destiny calling
Now

E não é que...

... Os James são uma banda surgida em Manchester, no ano 1981, a partir da reunião de Paul Gilbertson, Jim Glennie (baixo) e Gavan Whelan (bateria)..? Tim Booth foi inicialmente convidado a participar como dançarino... Depressa passou a escrever a letra das músicas e a dar voz ao projecto...

... O nome da banda surgiu a partir do primeiro nome de Glennie, Jim..? Os membros pensaram

que "Paul" era demasiado modesto e "Gavan" muito rockeiro... Booth pensou que "Tim" daria um ar de superioridade ao vocalista e, de algum modo, parte mais visível do grupo...

... Paul Gilbertson foi convidado a sair da banda porque o seu problema com as drogas minava o espírito criativo e a produtividade do grupo..? Parece que há sempre um em cada banda!!!

... Nos anos 80, depois de um período de instabilidade criativa - e financeira - os membros dos James ofereceram-se como cobaias para o teste de alguns medicamentos na Manchester Royal Infirmary..? O facto de terem uma comunidade de fãs já estabelecida e o poderio das suas actuações resgataram-nos do esquecimento e colocaram-nos novamente no caminho do sucesso...

... O maior sucesso dos James chegou nos anos 90, mais concretamente no ano de 1991, aquando do lançamento do single "Sit Down"..? Este tema levou o grupo ao nº 2 do Top de singles Britânico...

... Em 1998, os James lançaram o Best Of dos seus temas, levando-os aos primeiros lugares dos Tops mundiais..? Como consequência, o seu sucesso foi renovado e os bilhetes para os seus concertos esgotavam em pouco tempo...

... Em 2001, Tim Booth anunciou que ia sair dos James, apesar de a separação do grupo nunca ser oficializada..? Regressaram ao activo em 2007 e em breve estarão em Portugal... Bem-Vindos...

... Em 2005, Booth tornou-se no primeiro cantor a retratar um vilão do Batman em Batman Begins..? No filme, Booth foi Victor Zsasz, um psicopata homicida que marca a contagem das suas vítimas com cortes no corpo... Brrr...

Do álbum "Seven" (1992)

"Ring the bells
Wake the town
Everyone is sleeping
Shout at the crowd
Wake them up
This angers deeper than sleep.
Got to keep awake to what is happening.
I can't see a thing through my ambitions,
I no longer feel like God is watching over me
Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming
This is not the end, a new beginning
I no longer feel my God is watching over me.
Break the code.
Concentrate.
Let the doors swing open
See through all your walls
All your floors
Now you're in deeper than sleep
Got to keep awake to what is happening.
I can't see a thing through my ambitions,
I no longer feel like God is watching over me
Got to tell the world we've all been dreaming
This is not the end, a new beginning
I no longer feel my God is watching over me.
When you let me fall
Grew my own wings
Now I'm as tall as the sky
When you let me drown
Grew gills and fins
Now I'm as deep as the sea
When you let me die
My spirit's free
There's nothing challenging me."

I swear I can see your soul

Sometimes - James

There's a storm outside, and the gap between crack and thunder

Crack and thunder, is closing in, is closing in
The rain floods gutters, and makes a great sound on the concrete
On a flat roof, there's a boy leaning against the wall of rain
Aerial held high, calling "come on thunder, come on thunder"

Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul

It's a monsoon, and the rain lifts lids off cars
Spinning buses like toys, stripping them to chrome
Across the bay, the waves are turning into something else
Picking up fishing boats and spewing them on the shore

The boy is hit, lit up against the sky, like a sign, like a neon sign
And he crumples, drops into the gutter, legs twitching
The flood swells his clothes and delivers him on, delivers him on

Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul
Sometimes, when I look deep in your eyes, I swear I can see your soul

There's four new colors in the rainbow
An old man's taking polaroids
But all he captures is endless rain, endless rain
He says listen, takes my head and puts my ear to his
And I swear I can hear the sea

Somtimes, when I look in your eyes I can see your soul
(I can reach your soul)
(I can touch your soul)
Sometimes