A BIT CULTURE!!

ladies and gentlewomen... today is the 50th anniversairy of death of mr. berthold brecht. a genius! so we have to sit back for a short while and breathe a bit culture... whoever owns a brecht-song please be so nice to listen to it today. my favourite one is pirate jenny... i'm sorry, the german version.. but i am kind and post the english translation just for you here... well for all of you who might not know it. i've heard cindy lauper and allan cummings are playing the three penny opera together... i would love to hear miss lauper sing this song... but i always loved to listen to the versions of hildegard knef and of course nina hagen... most breathtaking (as always) when miss frost sang it... unfourtunately a pleasure that was never pressed on vinyl or plastic *sigh

anyway... think of mr. brecht today, and if any time is left think of magnolia too, because it's her birthday =D

"wir freuen uns das du geboooooooren bist und haaaaast gebuhurtstaaaaag heut... wir freuen uns das du geboooooren bist, wir hätten dich sonst schwer vermisst, wir freuen uns das du geboooooren biiiiiiiiiiiist und hahast gebuhurtstaaaag heeeeeeeuuuuuuuut!"

and here is the song from mr. brecht

written by: berthold brecht and kurt weil
song: pirate jenny
piece: the three penny opera

you people can watch while i'm scrubbing these floors
and i'm scrubbin the floors while youre gawking
maybe once ya tip me and it makes ya feel swell
in this crummy southern town
in this crummy old hotel
but youll never guess to who youre talkin.
no. you couldnt ever guess to who youre talkin.

then one night theres a scream in the night
and youll wonder who could that have been
and you see me kinda grinnin while Im scrubbin
and you say, whats she got to grin?
i'll tell you.

theres a ship
the black freighter
with a skull on its masthead
will be coming in

you gentlemen can say, hey gal, finish them floors!
get upstairs! whats wrong with you! earn your keep here!
you toss me your tips
and look out to the ships
but i'm counting your heads
as i'm making the beds
cuz theres nobody gonna sleep here, honey
nobody
nobody!

then one night theres a scream in the night
and you say, whos that kicking up a row?
and ya see me kinda starin out the winda
and you say, whats she got to stare at now?
i'll tell ya.

theres a ship
the black freighter
turns around in the harbor
shootin guns from her bow

now
you gentlemen can wipe off that smile off your face
cause every building in town is a flat one
this whole frickin place will be down to the ground
only this cheap hotel standing up safe and sound
and you yell, why do they spare that one?
yes.
thats what you say.
why do they spare that one?

all the night through, through the noise and to-do
you wonder who is that person that lives up there?
and you see me stepping out in the morning
looking nice with a ribbon in my hair

and the ship
the black freighter
runs a flag up its masthead
and a cheer rings the air

by noontime the dock
is a-swarmin with men
comin out from the ghostly freighter
they move in the shadows
where no one can see
and theyre chainin up people
and they're bringin em to me
askin me,
kill them now, or later?
askin me!
kill them now, or later?

noon by the clock
and so still by the dock
you can hear a foghorn miles away
and in that quiet of death
i'll say, right now.
right now!

then they'll pile up the bodies
and i'll say,
thatll learn ya!

and the ship
the black freighter
disappears out to sea
and
on
it
is
me