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The Byrds: He Was A Friend Of Mine

GLI EXTRA DELLE CCG / AWS EXTRAS / LES EXTRAS DES CCG
Language: English


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[1965]
The Byrds

Ho appena scoperto questa canzone; il sito AllMusic mi dice che è di McGuinn/Traditional; il sito in cui ho trovato il testo che è di McGuinn/Crosby. Non so dirvi quale sia la versione giusta. La canzone è nell'album "Turn! Turn! Turn!" del 1965 e ve la invio, qualunque sia il mio/vostro giudizio su JFK e sulla violenza dell'assassinio politico.

Penso che sia un adattamento di un traditional cantato anche da Dylan
L.




Una lunga, lunghissima riflessione prima di approvare la canzone seppure fra gli "Extra". Da un lato, certo, l'assassinio di JFK considerato generalmente un "uomo di pace" (crisi di Cuba ecc, new frontier ecc.; per dirla con Guccini, "i due Giovanni e pace un po' alla buona"); dall'altra il fatto che questo "uomo di pace" fu pur sempre quello che ordinò l'invasione della Baia dei Porci. Forse la cosa più corretta da dire è che JFK altro non fu che un...presidente. Non dico nemmeno "degli Stati Uniti"; un presidente. Quanto possano essere attinenti a questo sito dei presidenti, e nella fattispecie degli Stati Uniti, non resta che lasciarlo alla sensibilità, alla storia e alla coscienza politica di ciascuno.

Due parole per me doverose, però, sull' "assassinio politico". Mi sembra una definizione troppo generica, e anche troppo scontata. A Renato Stecca, che ha proposto questa canzone approvata dopo notevoli rovelli e, sinceramente, con dubbi piuttosto forti, vorrei porre questa domanda: qual è il confine dell' "assassinio politico"? Una canzone che stigmatizzasse l'eventuale assassinio di Pinochet (che purtroppo non c'è mai stato) avrebbe dovuto essere messa in quanto "assassinio politico"? E che cosa si vuole veramente vedere in quell'oramai lontano episodio? Tutte domande da porsi. In questo senso, seppure come "Extra", questa canzone può avere una sua ragion d'essere, una ragione di presenza; ma i dubbi restano. E ben vengano, ovviamente. [RV]
He was a friend of mine, he was a friend of mine
His killing had no purpose, no reason or rhyme
He was a friend of mine
He was in Dallas town, he was in Dallas town
From a sixth floor window a gunner shot him down
He was in Dallas town
He never knew my name, he never knew my name
Though I never met him I knew him just the same
Oh he was a friend of mine
Leader of a nation for such a precious time
He was a friend of mine.

Contributed by Renato Stecca - 2008/1/20 - 16:24


Completo il testo della canzone con le dichiarazioni di David Crosby prima e dopo la esecuzione dei Byrds al Monterey Pop Festival del 1967 ( v. video live )

David Crosby : “They’re shooting this for television. I’m sure they’re going to edit this out. I want to say it anyway, even though they will edit it out. When President Kennedy was killed, he was not killed by one man. He was shot from a number of different directions, by different guns. The story has been suppressed, witnesses have been killed, and this is your country, ladies and gentlemen.”

“Thank you. As I say, they will censor it I’m sure. They can’t afford to have things like that on the air. It’d blow their image.” ( David Crosby )

Pluck - 2023/2/21 - 21:54




Language: English

La versione del 1961 di Bob Dylan ,un arrangiamento da un noto canto tradizionale.
Album: The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991
HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time I think about him now
Lord I just can't keep from cryin'
'Cause he was a friend of mine

He died on the road
He died on the road
He never had enough money
To pay his room or board
And he was a friend of mine

I stole away and cried
I stole away and cried
'Cause I never had too much money
And I never been quite satisfied
And he was a friend of mine

He never done no wrong
He never done no wrong
A thousand miles from home
And he never harmed no one
And he was a friend of mine

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
Every time I hear his name
Lord I just can't keep from cryin'
'Cause he was a friend of mine.

Contributed by Pluck - 2023/2/21 - 22:18




Language: English

Le origini di “ He was a friend of Mine “.

"He Was a Friend of Mine"  è un brano tradizionale di musica folk nel quale il cantante lamenta la perdita di un amico.
La prima versione conosciuta della canzone si intitola “ Shorty George “ e venne registrata per la Libreria del Congresso dalla coppia di musicologi John A. e Ruby Terrill Lomax nel 1939  in una versione eseguita da Smith Casey,
( 1895 – 1950 ) un Afroamericano allora detenuto alla Clemens State Farm ,Brazoria , Texas.

Rolf Cahn è stato il primo “folk singer” professionale che ha registrato la traccia nel 1961 per un album della Folkways ove la canzone per la prima volta era stata intitolata “He was a friend of mine “

Bob Dylan si ispiro' alla versione di Cahn per comporre e registrare la traccia per il suo primo album proprio nel 1961.

( da Wikipedia mod. )
Smith Casey's "Shorty George" Lyrics

da Weenie Campbell ( mod. )
< https://weeniecampbell.com> 

mmmmm wonderin what's the matter now?
Lord, wonderin what's the matter now?
Now just all 'bout by myself

Yes, he died on the road
Yes, he died on the road
aaaa Had no money to pay his board.

Ahhhhh he was a friend of mine
Yes, he was a friend of mine
Every time I think now I just can't keep from cryin'.

I stole away and cried
Yes, stole away and cried
Never had no money, now I wasn't satisfied


I wonder what's the matter now
Lord, wonderin' what's the matter now
Can't get no letter, Lord, don't need no letter no how

I 'bout to lose my mind
I 'bout to lose my mind
Shouldn't've been tired 'bout this great long time.

Video :Smith Casey - Shorty George
caricato : randomandrare 3:25

 Smith Casey – Vocals and guitar. - April 16, 1939

Contributed by Pluck - 2023/2/22 - 09:34




Language: English

Il testo cantato da Dave Van Ronk nel 1976 al concerto in memoria di Phil Ochs ( un mese dopo la sua scomparsa ), è simile a quello di Bob Dylan ma ritengo doveroso segnalare la sua intensa e sincera interpretazione .

DAVE VAN RONK - " HE WAS A FRIEND OF MINE " 1976

Speaker:
“Our friend Phil Ochs is laid to rest but if we have the vision and the courage and the compassion his dream and his song will live in us “


He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
He never had no money
To pay for his fines.

He never done no wrong
He never done no wrong
Thousand miles from home
He never hurt no one.
He was a friend of mine

He died on the road
He died on the road
He never had no money for sufficient clothes
He was a friend of mine

I stole away and cried
I stole away and cried
Never had no money
And I can't be satisfied
He was a friend of mine

He was a friend of mine
He was a friend of mine
When I hear his name, you know,
I just can't keep from crying
He was a friend of mine

Contributed by Pluck - 2023/2/23 - 00:22




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