• Voto:
Il mio mitra è un contrabbasso che ti spara sulla faccia
cantava Demetrio Stratos nel '74 e così deve aver pensato pure la bella Lauryn Hill dando alle stampe questo MTV Unplugged un paio di anni fa.
Un disco impegnato e "di spessore" per l'ex reginetta del pop-easy listening (ex dei Fugees) passata, nell'arco di un paio di dischi, dal puro intrattenimento alla composizione di queste canzoni di rabbia e di rivolta. Canzoni che parlano di diritti civili, di poltica, della situazione della donna, insomma, canzoni "sentite" e, se me lo concedete, di "impegno", Che non è "l'impegno de noantri" sbandierato dai nostri 4 cantanti di casa per promuovere i loro album al Live8, o le pseudo donazioni fatte a pseudo organizzazioni con i ricavi di pseudo vendite etc. L'impegno della nostra Lauryn trasuda da ogni nota suonata in questo disco, canzoni come comizi e note "sudate" che sanno di lotta e di rivoluzione. Alla nostra eroina, passata coscientemente dalle limousine dorate del mondo POP alle barricate della canzone politica, oggi non serve granchè. Rinnegati i lussi di una vita da pop star immaginiamo scialba e vuota (così almeno ci piace immaginarla), la pasionaria Hill impugna la chitarra come un mitra e su un palco spoglio senza trucchi e senza luci, canta le sue storie con l'anima e l'interpretazione di un'amazzone stanca ma agguerrita.
Bellissime e "sentite" le sue stonature e i rari momenti dove la voce viene a mancare che danno all'interpretazione dei brani, un calore e un senso di verità ancora più coinvolgente... momenti emozionanti da vera pelle d'oca. Una volta tanto una cantante che fa il percorso "al contrario" a differenza dei più che partono "rocker e maledetti" per stabilizzarsi, col tempo e l'età (e diciamo pure, grazie al sostanzioso conto in banca) su registri più tranquilli e rilassati (vedi il Blasco Nazionale tanto per dirne uno) nel migliore dei casi. Opinionisti e filosofi nei peggiori.
Un disco forse eccessivamente lungo e parlato che mette a dura prova chi se la cava così così con lo slang dell'americano parlato, a cui però va comunque il nostro plauso.
Un applauso, dunque, al coraggio e alla grandezza di questa Artista che ha saputo rimettersi in discussione percorrendo la via più impervia e rischiosa che un'artista possa percorrere: due luci, una voce e una chitarra. Qui non si bara, niente mega produzioni, niente effetti stroboscopici, niente spot o mega promozioni televisive, niente 4 palchi rotanti o "campivolo" del cazzo.
Qui si è nudi: se hai l'anima o no, qui si sente. Mica cazzi.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 Mr. Intentional (06:58)
Yeah, yeaaayh, yeah heh, yeah heh, yeah heh...
See the road to hell, is paved with good intentions
Can't you tell, the way they have to mention
How they helped you out, you're such a hopeless victim
Please don't do me any favors, Mr. Intentional
All their talk, it's seasoned to perfection
The road they walk, commanding your affection
They need to be needed, deceived by motivation
An opportunity, to further situation
Why they're so important, is without explanation
Please don't patronize me, Mr. Intentional
Oh, ohhh, ohh ohhh
We give rise to ego, by being insecure
The advice that we go, desperately searching for
The subconscious effort, to support our paramour
To engage in denial, to admit we're immature
Validating lies, Mr. Intentional
Open up yours eyes, Mr. Intentional
Stuck in a system, that seeks to suck your blood
Held emotionally hostage, by what everybody does
Counting all the money, that you give them just because
Exploiting ignorance, in the name of love
Stop before you drop because that's just the way it was
Please don't justify me, Mr. Intentional
Oh one-dimentional, Mr. Intentional
Ohhh, oh don't you do me any favors
Ohhh, ohhhh, ohh ohhhh
Wake up you've been sleeping
Take up your bed and walk
Stop blaming other people
Oh it's nobody else's fault
Accept the truth about you
You know that life goes on without you
And your expensive misinventions
Disguising your intentions
Don't worship my hurt feelings, Mr. Intentional
Oh, oh oh oh
See I know you can't help me, Mr. Intentional
The only help I need to live, is unprofessional
The only wealth I have to give, is not material
And if you need much more than that, I'm not available
Please don't entertain me, Mr. Intentional
Oh I don't need your sympathy, Mr. Intentional
Stay away from me, Mr. Intentional
So one-dimentional, Mr. Promotional, Mr. Emotional, Mr. Intentional
Ohhh ohhhh, ohhhh
05 Oh Jerusalem (08:54)
Oh Jerusalem yeah, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem...
Realizing that there's no place else to go
And there's nobody I know who can help me
Text book solutions are so improbable
Cuz everybody you know is just as empty
Naked as the day that I was born, I tried to hide
...behind education and philosophy
But it's a hopeless explanation to describe the situation
I can't see because the world's on top of me
Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
From the body of this death
Freeing me from dust, and the superficial trust
Of an enemy that seeks to take my breath
Failing to connect, cuz I'm morally defect
By reason of the god inside my head
Causing me to see, only what pertains to me
Believing I'm alive when I'm still dead
Limited to earth, unable to find out my worth
Cuz I... can't see past my own vanity
If I'm not included, then I just have to remove it
From my mind because it has to be in sanity
Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
From the body of this death
Can I even factor, that I've only been an actor
In this staged interpretation of this day
Focused on the shadow, with my back turned to the light
Too intelligent to see it's me in the way
What a paradox, having God trapped in a box
All this time professing to be spiritual
Naturally pretending, that I'm actually defending
God thru my facade only material
Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou mayest be saved from thy deception
How long, shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee
Oh Jerusalem, keeping thee from perfection
Submit to truth, leave the deception of thy youth
So we could walk in the council of authority
Forget the proof, a generations so aloof
Only followin' the steps of the majority
Trust in the Lord, with all thine heart
And lean not to thine own understanding in all thy ways
Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths
Be not wise in thine on eyes,
Or you can't follow Him
We judge and condemn, just as ignorant as them
Who religion tells us that we should ignore
Perpetrating we're in covenant with Him
Exposed by the very things that we adore
We grin and shake hands, then lay ambush for the man
Who has a different point of view then us
Infuriated cuz he doesn't understand
Bringing up those things we don't want to discuss
Why still do evil, when we don't know how to do good
Walking on in darkness running from the light, ey
Led to believe, because we live in neighborhoods
Telling us what's going on will be alright
Oh so repressed, so convinced that I was blessed
When I played with my game of monopoly
Oh to suggest, that my life is still a mess
Will reveal the pride I'm hiding is what's stopping me
Oh Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness
That thou mayest be saved from thy deception
How long, shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee
Oh Jerusalem providing you no protection.
Abide in Me and I in you, as the branch cannot bare
...fruit of itself except in the vine
I am the Vine, ye are the branches,
He that live in Me and I in him,
The same bring forth much fruit
For without me, you can do nothing
Oh Jerusalem, you're traditions have deceived you
I've chosen you, you haven't chosen Me
Do whatsoever, you asking My Name He may give to you
But in vain they call My Name
teaching doctrines just the same
Justified among themselves
But God know knoweth the heart,
what man esteemed as smart
Is an abomination to Emmanuel
Just repent, turn from selfish motivation
So iniquity will not cause your demise
Make you a new heart and a new spirit
...for why would you die
Oh Jerusalem, please tell me why
I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth(sp?)
Says the Lord God where forth turn yourselves and live
It's not the talkers, but the walkers and His word
Are the only ones the Father will forgive
Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou may be saved from thy deception
How long, shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee
Oh Jerusalem, providing you no protection
Oh Jerusalem... (fade)
10 Just Like Water (06:09)
Moving down the streams of my lifetime
Pools of fascination in my sleep
Cooling off the fire of my longing
Warming up my cold with in his heat
Melting down the walls of inhibition
Evaporating all of my fears
Baptizing me to complete submission
Desolving my condition with his tears
It's just like the water
I ain't felt this way in years
It's just like the waters, the water
I ain't felt this way in years
Coursing thru my senses he's prevailing
Floating thru the space of my design
Drowning me i find my inside sailing
Drinking in the mainstream of his mind
Filling up the cup of my emotions
Spilling over into all I do
If only I could get lost in his ocean
Surviving on the thought of loving you
It's just like the water
I ain't felt this way in years, in years
It's just like the water, the water
I ain't felt this way in years
Bathing in the fountain of his essence
He causes my expression to remain
Humbled on the mountain by his presence
Washing my intentions with his name
Sealing all the floodgates of his passion
Saving all his liquid for his own
Moisturizing me to satisfaction
In my imagination, oh no
He's pouring out his soul to me for hours and hours
Drawing out my nature with his hands
Yearning, I'm so thirsty for his power
Burning to be worthy of his land
It's just like the water
I ain't felt this way in years, in years
It's just like the waters, the water
I ain't felt this way in years
Cleaning me, he's purging me, and moving me around
He's bathing and he's cleaning me, and moving me around
Around, and around and around.... and around
Washing me, cleaning me, moving me around
He's purging me, he's been cleaning me and moving me around
And around ........ and around
12 Just Want You Around (04:36)
I just want you around,
I just want you around
I just want you around,
I just want you around
Thought that I had lost you
I could hardly make a sound
When I thought I couldn't hold you
Knew the world had let me down
Should have took the time and told you
You keep my feet on the ground
I hope that you can hear me
Cause I know it's not profound
I just want you around,
I just need you around
I just want you around,
I just need you around
When I thought I was without you
I got used to being down
Was my fault I used to doubt you
But that ain't me next time around
Please believe me when I tell you
Cause all my words are bound
This is my cross so let me bear it
I was lost but now I am found, found, found
I just want you around,
I just need you around
I just want you around,
I just need you around
Took this love for granted
Kept my feelings under ground
Should have watered what I planted
Should have known what I had found
I'm not used to being lonely
I don't like the way it sounds
You're the only one I know yeah
Who don't turn my upside down
I just want you around,
I just need you around
I just want you around,
I just need you around
(Repeat to end)
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