sometimes a piece of music just grabs the moment and right now for me it is la vie moderne by Léo Ferré,who was a French-born Monégasque poet and composer, and a dynamic and controversial live performer, whose career in France dominated the years after the Second World War until his death…and also we start the broadcast with Golden Dark, the haunting new collaboration between elo masing and david john hull, a tune which has grabbed me for somewhat different reasons….
so why ferré? perhaps this song encapsulates a particular european modernism, a swing, a twist upon so much culture, the unique francophone traditions of chanson… with the world dashing backwards from reason and truth this music has me perhaps, spinning in a better time….
so.. we play it four times, at different durations (same pitch), as a meditation, and a celebration……..
my dad had 14 children
and if today I wear Dior
It’s obviously unrelated
My virtue is not excusing itself so well
None ever knew
But when I did it had gone
The modern life, modern life
I had a nose like Cyrano
A big, fancy, funny one
A real radar for gigolos
Since it’s been recovered
from a cheapo surgery
I can no longer sniff titties
The modern life, modern life
with then rounds of fertiliser
biology spawns children
who come home alone to their mummy
in the labs they are horny
and in the streets they cuckolded
the hen lays eggs but sings no more
The modern life, modern life
Newspaper are like bandages
They need to be changed sometimes
Otherwise it messes with your mind
And beside no need for ideas
Because ideas make you think
and thoughts make you argue
The modern life, modern life
There are people who look exotic
and to scoff a “l’as de pique”
they would go all the way to Peking
Me without visa or prospect
Albeit with bus tickets
I see a lot of people, even Americans / and that’s not far
The modern life, modern life
The shops are overwhelmed
selling paper gems
the kind that won’t ruin you
Tissues that only get used once
So at least we know what
what the purpose is to have 10 fingers
The modern life, modern life
