2010年6月アーカイブ

TITLE: Political Science　（ポリティカル・サイエンス）
AUTHOR: Randy Newman　（ランディー・ニューマン）
PERFORMER: Randy Newman　（ランディー・ニューマン）

ランディー・ニューマン(Randy Newman)が作る曲には、聞く人が聞いたら嫌悪感を催さずにはいられないほどのものもあります。「ショート・ピープル(Short People)」という商業的には成功を収めた曲がありますが、これなどは「差別」だと感じる人もいるかもしれません。

ただ、ランディー・ニューマンの曲は聞けば聞くほど、そんなちっぽけなことをしているのではなく、もっと「大きい」ものに立ち向かっているような気がしてならないのです。

この「ポリティカル・サイエンス(Political Science)」にしても、本人曰く、アメリカの外交政策らしいのですが、アメリカが好きだからこそ、アメリカ人だからこそ、という気がしてなりません。

とにかく、この格好いい素直な皮肉屋さんの曲を聞いてみてください。

No one likes us-I don't know why
We may not be perfect, but heaven knows we try
But all around, even our old friends put us down
Let's drop the big one and see what happens

We give them money-but are they grateful?
No, they're spiteful and they're hateful
They don't respect us-so let's surprise them
We'll drop the big one and pulverize them

Asia's crowded and Europe's too old
Africa is far too hot and Canada's too cold
And South America stole our name
Let's drop the big one there'll be no one left to blame us

We'll save Australia
Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo
We'll build an All American amusement park there
They got surfin', too

Boom goes London and boom Paree
More room for you and more room for me
And every city the whole world round
Will just be another American town

Oh, how peaceful it will be
We'll set everybody free
You'll wear a Japanese kimono
And there'll be Italian shoes for me

They all hate us anyhow
So let's drop the big one now

Let's drop the big one now

TITLE: Tibby Dunbar　（ティビー・ダンバー）
AUTHOR: Robert Burns　（ロバート・バーンズ）
PERFORMER: Luke Kelly　（ルーク・ケリー）

18世紀後半に活躍したスコットランドの詩人ロバート・バーンズ(Robert Burns)の詩集の中に"Sweet Tibbie Dunbar"というのがあり、このTibby Dunbarと2番までが同じなのです。

それ以降の歌詞については、無責任ではありますが、不勉強にてバーンズのものなのか、それとも、よくあるように後で誰かが加えたのかが分かりません。

YouTubeから、ルーク・ケリーと、ロバート・バーンズと同じくスコットランドを代表するコリーズ(The Corries)のものを掲載してあります。

O, wilt thou go wi' me, sweet Tibby Dunbar
O, wilt thou go wi' me, sweet Tibby Dunbar
Wilt thou ride on a horse or be drawn in a cart
Or walk by my side, sweet Tibby Dunbar

I care na thy daddie, his land or his money
I care na thy kin, sae high and sae lordly
But say that thou'lt hae me for better or waur
And come in your coatie, sweet Tibby Dunbar

I offer you nay thing in siller or land
What man could determine the price of your hand
But give me your consent we'd be richer by far
O, wilt thou go wi' me, sweet Tibby Dunbar

O, wilt thou be known as a poor beggar's lady
And sleep in the heather rolled up in my plaidie
The sky for a roof and your candle a star
My love for a fire, sweet Tibby Dunbar

O, wilt thou go wi' me, sweet Tibby Dunbar
O, wilt thou go wi' me, sweet Tibby Dunbar
Wilt thou ride on a horse or be drawn in a cart
Or walk by my side, sweet Tibby Dunbar

TITLE: Don't Get Married　（ドント・ゲット・マリード）
AUTHOR: Leon Rosselson　（レオン・ロッセルソン）
PERFORMER: The Dubliners　（ザ・ダブリナーズ）

こんな曲を聴いたら、結婚なんかしたくなくなるだろう、と思わせるような曲です。でも、結婚生活を重ねた夫婦だったら、分からなくもないな、と思わせるような曲です。

何の因果か結婚したのに、気づいてみたら愚痴だらけ。まあ、愚痴も愛情表現のひとつですから、無理もありません。

給料が安いだの、勤務時間が長いだの、部長が性格悪いだの、愚痴をこぼしている間は愛社精神満タンの社員と何らの変わりません。

こんな愛情たっぷりの曲をダブリナーズのショーン・キャノン(Sean Cannon)が淡々と歌っています。

Don't get married girls you'll sign away your life
You may start off as a woman but you'll end up as the wife
You could be a vestal virgin take the veil and be a nun
But don't get married girls for marriage isn't fun

Oh, it's fine when you're romancing and he plays the lover's part
You're the roses in his garden you're the flame that warms his heart
And his love will last forever and he'll promise you the moon
But just wait until you're wedded then he'll sing a different tune

You're his tapioca pudding you're the dumplings in his stew
But he'll soon begin to wonder what he ever saw in you
Still he takes without complaining all the dishes you provide
For you see he's got to have his bit of jam tart on the side

So don't get married girls it's very badly paid
You may start off as the mistress but you'll end up as the maid
Be a daring deep sea diver be a polished polyglot
But don't get married girls for marriage is a plot

Have you seen him in the morning with a face that looks like death
With dandruff on his pillow and tobacco on his breath
And he needs some reassurance with his cup of tea in bed
For he's worried by the mortgage and the bald patch on his head

And he's sure that you're his mother lays his head upon your breast
So you try to boost his ego iron his shirt and warm his vest
Then you get him off to work the mighty hunter is restored
And he leaves you there with nothing but the dreams you can't afford

So don't get married girls men they're all the same
They just use you when they need you you'd do better on the game
Be a call girl, be a stripper, be a hostess, be a whore
But don't get married girls for marriage is a bore

When he comes home in the evening he can hardly spare a look
All he says is what's for dinner, after all you're just the cook
But when he takes you to a party well, he eyes you with a frown
For you know you've got to look your best you mustn't let him down

And he'll clutch you with that look-what-I've-got twinkle in his eyes
Like he's entered for a raffle and he's won you for the prize
Ah, but when the party's over you'll be slogging through the sludge
Half the time a decoration and the other half a drudge

So don't get married it'll drive you round the bend
It's the lane without a turning it's the end without an end
Take a lover every Friday, take up tennis, be a nurse
But don't get married girls for marriage is a curse

Then you get him off to work the mighty hunter is restored
And he leaves you there with nothing but the dreams you can't afford

TITLE: I Never Will Marry　（アイ・ネバー・ウィル・マリー）
AUTHOR:
PERFORMER: The Carter Family　（ザ・カーター・ファミリー）

カーター・ファミリー(The Carter Family)は、1920年代後半からトリオで活動をはじめました。当初のメンバーはA.P.カーター(A.P. Carter)とその夫人であるサラ・カーター(Sarah Carter)、そしてA.P.の義理の妹であり、かつ、サラのいとこであるメイベル・カーター(Maybelle Carter)の3人でした。

A.P.カーターが暮らしていたアメリカ合衆国のバージニア(Virginia)州の村は家もほとんどなく、非常にさびしい集落だったそうです。

今回のI Never Will Marry（アイ・ネバー・ウィル・マリー）は「絶対に結婚はしません」が文字通りの日本語訳ですが、愛する人に先立たれた女性が身を投じる、という内容の曲です。

カーター・ファミリーが録音した曲は数多く、そうした曲をカバーした歌手も数多くいます。

One morning as I rambled all down the seashore
The wind it did whistle and the waters did roar
I heard a fair damsel make a pitiful sound
It sounded so lonesome in the waters around

I never will marry or be no man's wife
I expect to live single all the days of my life
The shells in the ocean shall be my death bed
The fish in deep water swim over my head

She plunged her fair body in the waters so deep
She closed her blue eyes in the waters to sleep
My love's gone and left me the one I adore
She's gone where I never will see her anymore

I never will marry or be no man's wife
I expect to live single all the days of my life
The shells in the ocean shall be my death bed
The fish in deep water swim over my head

TITLE: The Lady Came From Balitmore　（ザ・レディー・ケーム・フロム・ボルチモア）
AUTHOR: Tim Hardin　（ティム・ハーディン）
PERFORMER: Tim Hardin　（ティム・ハーディン）

アメリカ合衆国はメリーランド(Maryland)州ボルチモア(Baltimore)という地名は、アイルランド語の"baile na tithe mór"（ボィリナチモー）が元になっているようです。文字通り訳すと「大きい家々の町」となります。

ティム・ハーディン(Tim Hardin)は1960年代後半にデビューしたアーチストで、"If I Were A Carpenter"、"Reason To Believe"、"Don't Make Promises"、"Red Baloon"などはいろいろな人にカバーされています。

その中でも特に好きなのが、今回のThe Lady Came From Baltimore（ザ・レディー・ケーム・フロム・ボルチモア）です。

歌詞に出てくるスーザン・ムーア(Susan Moore)は実際にティム・ハーディンの奥さんになった人です。

ティムはその後薬物依存になり、1980年も年の瀬がせまるころに39歳という若さで旅立っていってしまいました。

Lady came from Baltimore
All she wore was lace
She didn't know that I was poor
She never saw my place

I was there to steal her money
Take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none

The lady's name was Susan Moore
Her daddy read the law
She didn't know that I was poor
And lived outside the law

Her daddy said I was a thief
And didn't marry her for love
I was Susan's true belief
Married her for love

I was there to steal her money
To take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none

The house she lived in had a wall
To keep the robbers out
She'd never stop to think at all
If that's what I'm about

I was there to steal her money
Take her rings and run
Then I fell in love with the lady
Got away with none

TITLE: Country Comfort　（カントリー・コンフォート）
AUTHOR: Elton John / Bernie Taupin　（エルトン・ジョン／バーニー・トーピン）
PERFORMER: Elton John　（エルトン・ジョン）

何の目的もなく車を走らせていると、面白そうな狭い道に入ることがあります。ふと気づくとのどかな田園風景、今回のカントリー・コンフォート(Country Comfort)はそんな風景を思い起こさせてくれるのにぴったりの曲です。

作詞・作曲はそれぞれバーニー・トーピン(Bernie Taupin)とエルトン・ジョン(Elton John)の名コンビで、1970年に発売された『タンブルウィード・コネクション(Tumbleweed Connection)』に収録されています。

Soon the pines will be falling everywhere
Village children fight each other for a share
And the 6:09 goes roaring past the creek
Deacon Lee prepares his sermon for next week

I saw grandma yesterday down at the store
Well she's really going fine for eighty four
Well she asked me if some time I'd fix her barn
Poor old girl she needs a hand to run the farm

And it's good old country comfort in my bones
Just the sweetest sound my ears have ever known
Just an old-fashioned feeling fully-grown
Country comfort's in a truck that's going home

Down at the well they've got a new machine
The foreman says it cuts man-power by fifteen
Yeah but that ain't natural well so old Clay would say
You see he's a horse-drawn man until his dying day

And it's good old country comfort in my bones
Just the sweetest sound my ears have ever known
Just an old-fashioned feeling fully-grown
Country comfort's in a truck that's going back home

And it's good old country comfort in my bones
Just the sweetest sound my ears have ever known
Just an old-fashioned feeling fully-grown
Country comfort's in a truck that's going back home

Now the old fat goose is flying 'cross the sticks
The hedgehog's done in clay between the bricks
And the rocking chair's a-creaking on the porch
Across the valley moves the herdsman with his torch

And it's good old country comfort in my bones
Just the sweetest sound my ears have ever known
Just an old-fashioned feeling fully-grown
Country comfort's in a truck that's going home
Country comfort's in a truck that's going back home
Yes it is, country comfort's in a truck that's going back home