CAJA DE MÚSICA. MORPHINE O LA INVENCIÓN DEL 'LOW ROCK'

Si no conocíais a Morphine hasta ahora, os envidio. Sigo considerando que se trata de una de las mejores bandas de rock de todos los tiempos, pero añoro la sorpresa que me llevé la primera vez que escuché su música. ¡Joder, aquello tenía de todo: la energía del rock, la compleja intensidad del jazz, unas letras de inspiración entre beat y blues que bien podrían haber firmado Kerouac o Ferlinghetti, aunque Sandman decía preferir a Jim Thompson o James Ellroy, y todo compactado en una minúscula formación triangular de putos genios! Tenía de todo y, sin embargo, la virtud de no parecerse a nada ni a nadie.

Hace exactamente un par de días que se cumplió el octavo aniversario de la muerte de Mark Sandman, el responsable de todo esto. Cayó fulminado en un escenario de Palestrina, en el Lazio italiano, el 2 de julio de 1999. Las causas del deceso no las tengo claras, pero, según el informe médico, fue el resultado de un certero ataque al corazón. Sandman había nacido en el seno de una familia judía en septiembre del cincuenta y dos, así que le quedaban unos meses para cumplir los cuarenta y siete. Demasiado viejo para convertirse en un mártir rentable del rockanrol; demasiado discreto para que se lo percibiese siquiera entre los aspavientos de los últimos rebeldes del espectáculo. ¿Por otro lado, era rockanrol eso que hacía Morphine? La blank generation, en cualquier caso, ya disponía del referente de Cobain, que la había diñado hacía poco más de un lustro.

Sandman había hecho un poco de todo antes de dedicarse a la música. Había trabajado como albañil, como pescador y como taxista, un empleo –este último- que estuvo a punto de costarle la vida cuando un flipao lo cosió a puñaladas para robarle la recaudación del día. En 1984 fundó Treat Her Right, una banda de blues del área de Boston en la que tocaría la guitarra y con la que publicaría tres LPs. Cinco años después Sandman unió una voz en la que se fundían las tonalidades del blues, el country y el crooning y su bajo de dos cuerdas al saxo retorcido de Dana Colley, que procedía de Three Colors, y a la batería de Jerome Dupree para formar un grupo al que darían un nombre de opiáceo: Morphine. Su primer disco, Good, se publica en 1991. Le seguirían cuatro más, hasta llegar al póstumo y oscuro The Night en el año 2000. Por el camino se había incorporado Billy Conway, que también se había encargado de la percusión en Treat Her Right.

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THE SADDEST SONG

On my first day back my first day back in town

My first day my first day back in town

The clouds up above they were humming our song

Humming humming our song

My biggest fear is if I let you go

You'll come and get me in my sleep

My biggest fear is if I let you go

You'll come and get me in my sleep

Come and get me

I set my course sailed away from shore

Steady steady as she goes

I crash in the night two worlds collide

But when two worlds collide no one survives no one survives and

The reddest of reds the bluest of blues

The saddest of songs I'll sing for you and

My biggest fear is if I let you go

You'll come and get me in my sleep

My biggest fear is if I let you go

You'll come and get me in my sleep

Come and get me come and get me in my sleep(x2)

(Mark Sandman)

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BUENA

I hear a voice from the back of the room

I hear a voice cry out you want something good

Well come on a little closer let me see your face

Yea come on a little closer by the front of the stage

I said come on a little closer I got something to say

Yea come on a little closer wanna see your face

You see I met a devil named Buena Buena

And since I met the devil I ain't been the same oh no

And I feel all right now I have to tell ya

I think it's time for me to finally introduce you to the

Buena buena buena buena good good good

It's coming to me yea it's coming to me

Now I I think I know what it is you need

I know some people want to make you change

Well I I know how to make'm go away

You see I met a devil named Buena Buena

And since I met the devil I ain't been the same oh no

And I feel all right I have to tell ya

I think it's time for me to finally introduce you to the

Buena buena buena buena good good good

(Mark Sandman)

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CURE FOR PAIN

Where is the ritual

And tell me where where is the taste

Where is the sacrifice

And tell me where where is the faith

Someday there'll be a cure for pain

That's the day I throw my drugs away

When they find a cure for pain

Where is the cave

Where the wise woman went

And tell me where

Where's all that money that I spent

I propose a toast to my self control

You see it crawling helpless on the floor

Someday there'll be a cure for pain

That's the day I throw my drugs away

When they find a cure for pain (x2)

When they find a cure find a cure for pain

(Mark Sandman)

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HONEY WHITE

Honey white (x3)

Made a deal for some angel food

Honey white (x2)

Everybody told her it was sweet and good yea

Oh honey (x4)

She said you'll see me later yea you'll see me later

Will you see me later seemed all too soon

And then he smiles he knows honey's coming back

Honey's going to want some more angel food

Devil made of honey (x4)

She said you'll get me when I'm old and wizened

And not a day before that

The devil said honey it won't be that long

Besides I like to see a little more fat

Yea I like to see a little more fat

You know I like to see a little more fat

Honey white (x4)

Uh tell me how is your angel food

Honey white oh honey white

She says it's sweet and good

Honey white honey white uh honey white

The sweetness starts to fade

Honey white (x2)

Thought you could get awayPoor honey (x4)

(Mark Sandman)

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SUPER SEX

Taxi taxi hotel hotel

I got the whiskey baby

I got the whiskey I got the cigarettes

Automatic taxi stop

Electric cigarette love baby

Hotel rock'n'roll the discoteque

Electric super sex

Automatic taxi stop

Electric cigarette love baby

Hotel rock'n'roll the discoteque

Electric super sex

I got the whiskey baby I got the whiskey

I got the cigarettes

You are a super ultra maxi Mega super funkie love baby

Oh I need the super star

I need a candy bar

Automatic taxi stop

Electric cigarette love baby

Hotel rock'n'roll the discoteque

Electric super sex

Automatic taxi stop

Electric cigarette love baby

Hotel rock'n'roll the discoteque

Electric super sex

You want a super ultra maxi funkie American

Love baby (x3)

Hey there mama hey there pa

Got sexy googoo baby talk

Got california baby dolls

All right yes hello my name is Mark

And I'm super rich no super star

Did you know the president is super super super sexy

Automatic taxi stop

Electric cigarette love baby

Hotel rock'n'roll the discoteque

Electric super sex

Did you know the president has super super super sex

Ah wooh uh

I got it all year long ha ha

(Mark Sandman)

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EARLY TO BED

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

One drink call it a early night

Soon you're curled up beneath the reading light

Or you bathe in the TV's blue tint

On your pillow an after-dinner mint

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

Early to bed so you can wait

For three buses a trolley and a train

I think it's worth it for you to stay awake

Maybe tomorrow you'll be a little late

But early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

Early to bed and early to rise

Makes a man or woman miss out on the night life

You'll miss out on the night life (x2)

(Mark Sandman)

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- MÁS MORPHINE EN LA RED.

- ANTES EN CAJA DE MÚSICA.