Here's my apocalyptic take on the beat generation. It's a cover of an old Rod McKuen song; I've changed the lyrics a little. I'm still working my way through the Ableton tutorials, so it might sound halfway professional someday—not today, though.
I like this one a lot. Lyrics, and a link to the original, below the cut.
I looked over the mountain
and saw a lamb insane
With seven eyes and seven horns and tongues of writhing flame
The same old ancient story
The same old ancient song
The central holy fact is that the weak should fear the strong
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
I cannot hear the music
I cannot stand the smell
As little baby's little souls fall screaming down to hell
It does not have a moral
It's never ever fair
When babies cry forevermore while angels darn the air
Come apart in the degeneration
soul on fire with a troubled new mind
Come apart in the degeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
a crowd came to the mountain
it seemed to be the place
they saw a stranger standing there, a mask upon his face
The softness of a serpent
The wisdom of a dove
enthralled with holy terror at this great unholy love
And people fall like pebbles
And people rise like smoke
forever up to heaven like some great eternal joke
The punchline leaves you gasping
The rhythm's out of joint
With God of this you can be sure the cruelty's the point
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything is gonna be fine!
You wonder what the game is
it can't be just for fun
As angels build a castle in the center of the sun
A million stores deep
A million stories tall
And that's about the only thing they really dig at all
Burn in hell, call it heat generation
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Join the band, call it beat generation, and try to hit the right note on time…
Come alive in the regeneration
brand new body and a troubled new mind
Come alive in the regeneration, and everything's gonna be fine!
Original song: "The Beat Generation" by Bob McFadden and Dor (Rod McKuen--Dor is "Rod" spelled backwards)
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Burt Glinn, Beatniks at the Seven Arts Café, New York City, 1959
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William Burroughs pulling a knife on Jack Kerouac, 1950s
Photo credit to Allen Ginsberg
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William S. Burroughs in his room at the Beat Hotel, rue Gît-le-Cœur, Paris, France (festive mood) by Loomis Dean. 1958
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The only people for me are the mad ones: the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who... burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow Roman candles.
-Jack Kerouac
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Maila 'Vampira' Nurmi in The Beat Generation (1959).
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Barbra Streisand moans: I WAS HAPPIER AS A BEATNIK. July 4th, 1965.
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“Tell them you came and saw
and looked into my eyes
and watched the shadows of the guard receding.”
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