[Jandek] Anthology show

[Robertson Davis]

That's some pretty intense anti-poetry. Really emphasizes Jandek's existentialist aspects.

Seth Tisue <seth at tisue.net> wrote:
Here's as much of the lyrics as I got. It was hard to understand the
words to the first few songs, but then the sound mix got fixed.

(1)

I can't escape the weight of these days
It's a swamp I'm stuck in
??? steep sides
??? difficult terrain

Even success is not success
Even failure is not failure

Struggle to survive, of course
The whole state of affairs is unsustainable

(2)

I can't see a reason to continue
It's always been this way
And I knew about it as soon as I could reflect
and understand

It's all so useless
Why do it

It's always put one foot in front of the other
And carry on

Self-inflicted stimulation (?) is the (deathbed?)
Investigate, calculate, complicate

Find a way to get past time
Mark a future spot
And just get past that time

Conjure up a violent means to the end

Gratitude for the passing of time
Perhaps anon some life returns

Dead things rot
Seeds sprout
It all continues

Why am I so empty
Why
The proverbial question
The quandary

(3)

I remember once when I was about eleven years old
I was aware of the nothingness in life
I told my mother
She said, go outside and find something to do
I went outside and did things

There is more to do inside than outside

Manufactured circumstances and the resulting activity
Besides that, what is there

The contemplation of beauty
Is it enough?
To build a fire and just watch it burn
Why jump into the folly of the human mainstream

Construction and deconstruction

(4)

Just don't care
Can't think up a reason to do anything
Too early too drink
Sun too strong
Started to go someplace
Had to come back
Just a dead mental pervasive feeling
Like no feeling

They have hope, creators
No creation here
Record a falling erection
The edifice of me
Can't get up a care

Depression is consoling
At least it's mine
The scary world of losing control is far worse

No reason to be is something I know
I don't ??? myself
I don't care

The only interesting thing is nothing
Nothing is interesting

(5)

Just go outside, you'll find something to do
It appears we make the things to do
We create objectives of dubious value

If we didn't accumulate objects around us
We wouldn't have to think about them
Or do anything with them

So is it stare at the wall and see God?
Is that simply another invention of what to do?

If I don't do anything it's just despair
And I want to die

(6)

I ask, watching myself move
Can I always be here and watch?
I know I'll ???
But I forgot who I am

Taking orders
Delivering things

(7)

Taken away, the catapult
Springboard to the next thought
All indexed
The slow steps of orderly pursuit
The unfolding execution
The small parts of the day spent not remembering

Quantity does not exist
We forgot to count

Crammed in a canister
All the power contained
Such an even keel
Constant, controlled
The happiness of contentment

It's not necessary to continue
Try to find something lost
Try to find something new

You have all you want
The worship of God
Undirected by a plan
Glorious

Thank you for the courage
I didn't die for the wrong bets
Hey, just maybe know (no?) (?)
And so this is what I'm living for
I didn't know it was so comfortable
All the clock watching adolescents
Waiting until they can be free

The feel of you through my body
The magic your (grace? embrace?) bestows

-- 
Seth Tisue - seth at tisue.net - http://tisue.net

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