i have probably made the weirdest mix CD to date, as i pointed out to the other day. among the wackiness co-existing on this little disc: ella fitzgerald, the cowboy junkies, sarah brightman singing a wonderful breakup song by andrew lloyd-webber, the rolling stones, nat king cole, yvonne elliman, “nothing,” one of the funniest broadway songs ever recorded, from “A chorus line,” the eagles, foreigner, arlo guthrie, woody guthrie, johnny nash, and of course, a wonderful song from the broadway show “hair.” it’s a mellow CD, to be sure.

it reminds me how much i love the Broadway musical “hair.” i HATEDHATEDHATED the film with Treat Williams. it was so strangely contrived. better to see it on stage. i did, in 3rd grade, on Broadway. i went with my parents and a whole bunch of teachers who taught with my mom at my elementary school. i think the crowning moment was the end of the first act, where every cast member strips nekkid on stage. one of the teachers, shocked because i was present, whispered to my mom that is was not so good that i was there. my mom replied that i was staring at the floor, too embarrassed to look at anyone, so no worries.

my parents were always cool that way. i mean, i used to lovelovelove singing along with the record “hair” — and one song i loved to sing was called “sodomy.” the rest of the words are even more shocking. however, i sang it at the top of my lungs regularly as a child. i asked my mom later – why did you let me run around singing words like that? she said, once again correctly, that when i was old enough, i would learn what those words meant and would probably decide then whether it was a good idea to run around singing that song. she was right 🙂

geez, i love that hippie shit. cos i’m a genius, genius. i believe in G-d. and i believe that G-d believes in claude — that’s me.

Manchester England

Manchester England England
Across the Atlantic Sea
And I’m a genius genius
I believe in God
And I believe that God
Believes in Claude
That’s me that’s me

Claude Hooper Bukowski
Finds that it’s groovy
To hide in a movie
Pretends he’s Fellini
And Antonioni
And also his countryman Roman Polanski
All rolled into one
One Claude Hooper Bukowski

Now that I’ve dropped out
Why is life dreary dreary
Answer my weary query
Timothy Leary dearie

Oh Manchester England England
Across the Atlantic Sea
And I’m a genius genius
I believe in God
And I believe that God
Believes in Claude
That’s me (that’s he)
That’s me (that’s he)
That’s me (that’s he)
That’s me