Il 3 ottobre 1970 Janis muore a 27 anni per overdose, dopo aver raggiunto la consacrazione prima al festival di Monterey nel 1967 e poi a Woodstock nel 1969.
Postumo, a pochi mesi dalla scomparsa, esce "
Pearl", disco che era in cantiere con la Full-Tilt Boogie Band, lavoro più rappresentativo e punto più alto della produzione dell'artista texana.
Lo apre "
Move Over", uno dei pochi pezzi scritti dalla stessa Joplin. E' blues-rock, acido, sguaiato, pestato. La band è in grande evidenza (e ottima forma), batteria a scandire il passo, chitarra a intonare la melodia, la voce della Joplin che si rompe a ogni frase, poi piano, basso e organo incendiario la lanciano su, su, fino a sfuocare, sempre più rotta. E' l'emblema di come un pezzo canonico per quanto di buona fattura viene trasfigurato (e nobilitato) dall'interpretazione della Joplin.
You say that it’s over baby, Lord,
You say that it’s over now,
But still you hang around me, come on,
Won’t you move over.
You know that I need a man, honey Lord,
You know that I need a man,
But when I ask you to you just tell me
That maybe you can.
Please dontcha do it to me babe, no!
Please dontcha do it to me baby,
Either take this love I offer
Or honey let me be.
I ain’t quite a ready for walking, no no no no,
I ain’t quite a ready for walking,
And whatcha gonna do with your life,
Life all just dangling ?
Oh yeah, make up your mind, honey,
You’re playing with me, hey hey hey,
Make up your mind, darling,
You’re playing with me, come on now!
Now either be my loving man,
I said-a let me honey, let me be, yeah!
You say that it’s over, baby, no,
You say that it’s over now,
But still you hang around me, come on
Won’t you move over.
You know that I need a man, honey, I told you so.
You know that I need a man,
But when I ask you to you just tell me
That maybe you can.
Hey! Please dontcha do it to me, babe, no!
Please dontcha do it to me baby,
Either take this love I offer,
Honey let me be.
I said won’t you, won’t you let me be ?
Honey, you’re teasing me.
Yeah, you’re playing with my heart, dear,
I believe you’re toying with my affections, honey.
I can’t take it no more baby,
And furthermore, I don’t intend to.
I’m just tired of hanging from the end of a string, honey,
You expect me to fight like a goddamned mule.
Wah, wah, wah, wah, honey...
"
Cry Baby" è la canzone più famosa del repertorio, ed è anche la migliore: un gospel in cui tutto lo smarrimento e la rabbia vengono letteralmente sputati fuori. I crescendo di piano e batteria fanno da preludio e accompagnano le urla dell'interprete che aggredisce il mondo (e il pubblico che ha di fronte, che lo incarna), pur senza avere la forza di vincerlo. "
Cry Baby" è un rituale, è una catarsi: è il corpo che prende possesso di sé e urla fino a distruggersi, finché non resta solo il silenzio a rimbombare in uno spazio vuoto.
Cry baby, cry baby, cry baby,
Honey, welcome back home.
I know she told you,
Honey I know she told you that she loved you
Much more than I did,
But all I know is that she left you,
And you swear that you just don’t know why,
But you know, honey I’ll always,
I’ll always be around if you ever want me
Come on and cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby,
Oh honey, welcome back home.
Don’t you know, honey,
Ain’t nobody ever gonna love you
The way I try to do ?
Who’ll take all your pain,
Honey, your heartache, too ?
And if you need me, you know
That I’ll always be around if you ever want me
Come on and cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby,
Oh daddy, like you always saying to do.
And when you walk around the world, babe,
You said you’d try to look for the end of the road,
You might find out later that the road’ll end in Detroit,
Honey, the road’ll even end in Kathmandu.
You can go all around the world
Trying to find something to do with your life, baby,
When you only gotta do one thing well,
You only gotta do one thing well to make it in this world, babe.
You got a woman waiting for you there,
All you ever gotta do is be a good man one time to one woman
And that’ll be the end of the road, babe,
I know you got more tears to share, babe,
So come on, come on, come on, come on, come on,
And cry, cry baby, cry baby, cry baby.
And if you ever feel a little lonely, dear,
I want you to come on, come on to your mama now,
And if you ever want a little love of a woman
Come on and baby baby baby babe babe baby now
Cry baby yeah.
In "
A Woman Left Lonely", retta dalle tastiere (piano e organo), con la band che si limita ad accompagnare, si può ravvisare una fonte di ispirazione per le canzoni di "Tapestry" di Carole King (che uscirà poco dopo): ma ancora una volta a fare la differenza (stavolta di tono più che di qualità, dato il livello, anch'esso molto alto, del disco della King) è la voce che urla, si strazia, si dispera: le canzoni di "Pearl" sono cammini in cerca di redezione.
A woman left lonely will soon grow tired of waiting,
She’ll do crazy things, yeah, on lonely occasions.
A simple conversation for the new men now and again
Makes a touchy situation when a good face come into your head.
And when she gets lonely, she’s thinking ‘bout her man,
She knows he’s taking her for granted, yeah yeah,
Honey, she doesn’t understand, no no no no!
Well, the fevers of the night, they burn an unloved woman
Yeah, those red-hot flames try to push old love aside.
A woman left lonely, she’s the victim of her man, yes she is.
When he can’t keep up his own way, good Lord,
She’s got to do the best that she can, yeah!
A woman left lonely, Lord, that lonely girl,
Lord, Lord, Lord!
Con "
Half-Moon" torna il blues-rock più classico, con percussioni alla Santana a fare da compagne di viaggio. Il pezzo può fregiarsi di uno dei ritornelli (ancora una volta scandito dal piano) più indovinati della carriera della Joplin. Il finale invece, con saliscendi di musica e voce è valore aggiunto (a valore).
Half moon, night time sky,
Seven stars, heaven’s eyes.
Seven songs on seven seas
Just to bring all your sweet love home to me.
Hey, you fill me like the mountains,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You fill me like the sea, Lord,
Not coming past but still at last
Your love brings life to me,
Your love brings life to me, hey!
Rings of cloud and arms aflame,
Wings rise up to call your name.
Sun rolls high, Lord, it burns the ground
Just to tell about the first good man I found.
Yeah, you fill me like the mountains,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You fill me like the sea, Lord,
Not coming past but still at last
Your love brings life to me,
Your love brings life to me.
Oh oh oh oh oh oh yeah!
Half moon on night time sky,
Seven stars, heaven’s eyes.
Seven songs on seven seas
Just to bring all your sweet love home to me.
Hey baby, you fill me like the mountains,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You fill me like the sea, Lord,
Not coming past honey still at last
Lord, you fill me like the mountains,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You fill me like the sea, Lord,
Not coming past but still at last
Hey, you fill me like the mountains,
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
You fill me like the sea, oh Lord,
You’re not coming past, honey, still at last
Your love brings life to me,
Your love brings life to me,
Your love... la la la la la, la
Won’t you bring life to me
I said you’re gonna ride around
When I’m on a little home babe,
Bring it on home, you bring it on home,
Bring it on home, bring it on home,
I said your love brings life to me, yeah.
"
Buried Alive in the Blues" è una strumentale* acida, con guizzi di chitarre e organo, di buona fattura, ad alto ritmo: accade però che paradossalmente è proprio quando gli strumenti divengono unici protagonisti (come nei vari assoli della band) che le cose si fanno meno interessanti.
*(La canzone è strumentale perche Janis morì la notte prima di registrare la traccia vocale)
All caught up in a landslide, bad luck
pressing in from all sides
Just got knocked off of my easy ride,
Buried alive in the blues
Sunday morning everybody’s in bed, I’m
On the street, I’m talking out of my head,
This dumb brick wall ain’t heard a word
That I’ve said,
I’m buried alive in the blues
I’m buried alive, oh yeah, in the blues
I’m buried alive, somebody help me, in the blues
I beg for mercy, I pray for rain,
I can’t be the one to accept all this blame,
Something here’s trying to pollute my brain,
I’ buried alive in the blues.
It’s real hard you know, it’s real hard being buried alive
It’s real hard being buried alive
When you’re buried alive they walk right on by you.
When you’re buried alive they never care about you.
When you’re buried alive, oh, you reach out for somebody,
And when you’re buried alive you get can’t seem to press on through
Being buried alive is a bad condition; it’s a real weird situation
Being buried alive in the blues, it’s a real weird situation
Being buried
Being buried
Being buried
Being buried
Being buried alive in the blues,
It’s a real weird situation.
Oh, yeah
Una paradisiaca cascata di note di piano e organo con contrappunto di chitarra aprono "
My Baby", che una melodia, certo non da meno, trascina in un coro gospel immortale, con la roca, grezza e ancor più struggente leader a conferire momenti di pura religiosità al tutto.
And when I work hard all day long
I tell you what, it don’t bother me nohow,
‘Cause how could anything ever go wrong
When I got my baby, Lord, yes,
When I got my baby, oh Lord!
And when they tell me love is pain
I said it might be true for you, honey,
But not for Janis no more, no no no no.
All I’ve ever got to do is call my daddy’s name
Yeah and I got m-my baby, Lord, yeah,
Yes I got my baby, good good God,
Honey, I wanna tell you something that I do.
Deep down, h-honey, in the dark of the night,
When I lay my head down, I wanna go to sleep,
And I know everything is gonna be alright,
Yeah I got my baby, Lord yeah,
‘Cause I got m-my baby, oh yeah.
And when I wanna call the names
Or the things to be that wanna be to you.
And when I wanna reach out my hand
It always seems you hold me, dear,
Love, don’t you know how long I looked for you
Daddy, daddy, daddy.
Love, don’t you know how hard I tried,
But now I got my baby, Lord, yeah,
Now I got my baby, yeah.
Attraverso la rivisitazione di "
Me and Bobby McGee", che guadagna parecchio in fatalismo, si prosegue quella strada verso la redenzione fino a giungere così a una tappa fondamentale, ovvero "
Mercedes Benz". Una preghiera per sola voce e con le mani che tengono il tempo, durata due minuti scarsi. La Joplin chiama tutti a intonarla con lei ("everybody") ma l'unica voce che risuona è la sua. Praticamente un testamento.
ME AND BOBBY MCGEE:
Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train
And I’s feeling nearly as faded as my jeans.
Bobby thumbed a diesel down just before it rained,
It rode us all the way to New Orleans.
I pulled my harpoon out of my dirty red bandanna,
I was playing soft while Bobby sang the blues.
Windshield wipers slapping time, I was holding Bobby’s hand in mine,
We sang every song that driver knew.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don’t mean nothing honey if it ain’t free, now now.
And feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues,
You know feeling good was good enough for me,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
From the Kentucky coal mines to the California sun,
Hey, Bobby shared the secrets of my soul.
Through all kinds of weather, through everything that we done,
Hey Bobby baby kept me from the cold.
One day up near Salinas, Lord, I let him slip away,
He’s looking for that home and I hope he finds it,
But I’d trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holding Bobby’s body next to mine.
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing, that’s all that Bobby left me, yeah,
But feeling good was easy, Lord, when he sang the blues,
Hey, feeling good was good enough for me, hmm hmm,
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee.
La la la, la la la la, la la la, la la la la
La la la la la Bobby McGee.
La la la la la, la la la la la
La la la la la, Bobby McGee, la.
La La la, la la la la la la,
La La la la la la la la la, hey now Bobby now Bobby McGee yeah.
Na na na na na na na na, na na na na na na na na na na na
Hey now Bobby now, Bobby McGee, yeah.
Lord, I’m calling my lover, calling my man,
I said I’m calling my lover just the best I can,
C’mon, where is Bobby now, where is Bobby McGee, yeah,
Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee, Lord!
Yeah! Whew!
Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lordy Lord
Hey, hey, hey, Bobby McGee.
MERCEDES BENZ:
I’d like to do a song of great social and political import.
It goes like this:
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends.
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Dialing For Dollars is trying to find me.
I wait for delivery each day until three,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a color TV ?
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town ?
Everybody!
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
My friends all drive Porsches, I must make amends,
Worked hard all my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So oh Lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz ?
That’s it!
Prosieguo migliore dell'eterea (ancora una volta è il piano a determinare l'effetto) "
Trust Me" non poteva essere concepito. E' la canzone più aperta del disco e con essa la Joplin, anziché urlare al (contro il) mondo, si concede, tenera.
Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, um gimme time.
I heard somebody say, oh, “The older the grape,
Sweeter the wine, sweeter the wine.”
Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It’s growing stronger day by day, yeah,
That’s the price you’ve got to pay.
Trust in me, baby, give me time, gimme time, please, a little more time.
Takes a road runner just a little bit uh-longer, dear,
Oh, to make up my mind, I gotta make up my mind.
Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It’s growing stronger day by day,
That’s the price that we both got to pay.
I gotta know, know that I’m ready, oh ready to settle down,
‘Cause I think too much of your loving, baby,
Yeah, I don’t wanna mess your life around!
So if you love me like you tell me that you’re doing, dear,
You shouldn’t mind paying the price, any price, any price.
Love is supposed to be that special kind of thing,
Make anybody want to sacrifice.
Oh, my love is like a seed, baby, just needs time to grow,
It’s growing stronger day by day,
That’s the price we both gotta pay.
Trust in me baby, trust in me baby,
Trust in my love, in my heart.
Keep the faith, baby, keep the faith in me, dear, in my love.
Don’t turn your face away from me, dear, oh you leave a lost girl,
Oh, don’t turn your love away, no no no no no no no,
You gotta believe in me, baby, yeah, trust me dear, oh...
Chiude il tutto "
Get It While You Can", epica, con la voce che trova in sé il suo rilancio, la sua forza, mentre la band amalgamata la sospinge, la innalza (si può sentire anche una chitarra sempre più acuta, alla Verlaine, circa un minuto, minuto e mezzo prima del gran finale) e la porta in cielo. Dove tuttora, a oltre trent'anni di distanza risiede.
In this world, if you read the papers, Lord,
You know everybody’s fighting on with each other.
You got no one you can count on, baby,
Not even your own brother.
So if someone comes along,
He’s gonna give you some love and affection
I’d say get it while you can, yeah!
Honey, get it while you can,
Hey, hey, get it while you can,
Don’t you turn your back on love, no, no!
Don’t you know when you’re loving anybody, baby,
You’re taking a gamble on a little sorrow,
But then who cares, baby,
‘Cause we may not be here tomorrow, no.
And if anybody should come along,
He gonna give you any love and affection,
I’d say get it while you can, yeah!
Hey, hey, get it while you can,
Hey, hey, get it while you can.
Don’t you turn your back on love,
No no no, no no no no no.
Oh, get it while you can,
Honey get it when you’re gonna wanna need it dear, yeah yeah,
Hey hey, get it while you can,
Don’t you turn your back on love,
No no no, no no no no, get it while you can,
I said hold on to somebody when you get a little lonely, dear,
Hey hey, hold on to that man’s heart,
Yeah, get it, want it, hold it, need it,
Get it, want it, need it, hold it,
Get it while you can, yeah,
Honey get it while you can, baby, yeah,
Hey hey, get it while you can!
Recensione by ondarock.it
