dead ladies song

12/11/2024 — Onze Dead Ladies Song was gisteren in maar liefst 10 versies te horen tijdens de Dead ladies Show marathon in het Concertgebouw Brugge. Nogal wat mensen vroegen me naar de tekst. Hier is ‘ie. De muziek is van componist Annelies Van Parys, de vertaling van Rona Kennedy.

U hoorde gisteren Lieselot De Wilde, Els Mondelaers, Elise Caluwaerts, Naomi Beeldens, Lore Binon, Annelies Van Gramberen, Britt Truyts, Raphaële Green, Katerina Fotinaki, Noémie Schellens & Claron McFadden.
Meer & mooier ware ondraaglijk.

Dead Ladies Song

Although I do lead
a most interesting life
Everyone always
just calls me ‘his wife’
But there’s an advantage
to not being seen
It gives you the freedom
To follow your dream

So I travelled the world
And followed my voice
Drove through the desert
With my lover of choice
Out there in the bush
nobody cared
woman or man
It was passion we shared

I painted, I sculpted,
I danced and I wrote
Yes, my every sentence
Was a fabulous quote
You’ve never heard of me?
That’s your loss not mine
A woman’s misfortune
To be buried in time.

I climbed and descended,
Invented and built
I came and i conqured
flying full tilt
I did it, I am it
I made it, I own it
Transatlantic aircraft?
I’ve fucking flown it

The art I created
Was simply a joke
no one took it seriously
me not being a bloke
A female musician
A painter, a poet
It’s just handicrafts
When it’s women who do it

Philosophy, science,
All the boys’ games
At the top of the league
You’ll find only men’s names
They stole all my research
For the hard work I’d done
I got paid half their wage
And credits?: ha! None

We sparked revolutions
Stood up for our rights
We take it while standing
We kick back, we fight.
In this modern world
We keep getting framed
For thinking, my darling,
Is nothing for dames

Back from the dead
We have returned
To demand the respect
That we have earned
We are smart, we are sexy
And we’re here to have fun
Take a good look
For our time has come

Tonight is / welcome to
The dead ladies show

Thx to Passa Porta / KAAP / Concertgebouw Brugge