John Prine - Lake Marie
Foto: Tom Hill
Stajali smo kraj mirnih voda
Jedan od najvećih gubitaka koji je muzički svet pretrpeo u 2020, a bilo ih je podosta u pola godine koliko je tek prošlo, bila je smrt Johna Prinea. Pet decenija je ovaj kantautor beležio priče i borbu “običnih” ljudi u svojim pesmama i na taj način zauvek izmenio lice američke roots muzike. Njegovu poetiku odlikuje jednostavan jezik, obogaćen smislom za humor i snažnom simbolikom. Jedan od najzanimljivijih primera njegovog muzičkog izraza je numera “Lake Marie”, koja ne samo da se ističe u njegovom opusu, već je sigurno jedna od najboljih folk pesama svih vremena.
Priča o ovoj pesmi počinje na tonskoj probi, koju je John imao u Wudstock Opera Houseu. Načuo je da tonac pominje Lake Marie i, pošto je jezero bilo udaljeno nekih dvadesetak minuta vožnje, odlučio je da ode kako bi se podsetio vikenda koje je tamo provodio kasnih 50ih. Obzirom da su Twin Lakes letnje atrakcije, kada je otišao tamo, jedno od retkih mesta koje je bilo otvoreno je bila biblioteka. John je hteo da sazna više o istoriji tog kraja, pa mu je bibliotekar dao broj istoričara koji je već nekoliko godina istraživao tu materiju. Prine ga je pozvao i kada je od njega dobio nekoliko članaka, koji su opisivali sestre Elizabeth i Mary po kojima su jezera dobila imena i indijanska plemena koja su bila starosedeoci, shvatio je da je ustvari pronašao material za pesmu.
Foto: Chris Felver
Inače, ovo predstavlja samo prvi deo slagalice. Magija je sakrivena u načinu postavljanja naracije. Kao iskusni tekstopisac, Prine je predstavio tri perspektive. Iz prve opisuje indijanski mit po kome su jezera dobila ime, druga je lična priča u kojoj je pomešao naivni izlet sa devojkom i pozni put pomirenja sa suprugom, dok je treća sumorna priča o ubistvima u predgrađu kasnih pedesetih. Kontrast je pojačan rečima “standing by pieceful waters” i “we gotta go now”, gde se dočarava nevinost i gubljenje iste, te povratak u surovu realnost koju nam kantautor pruža. Na početku indijanci pronalaze dve bebe, da bi na kraju policajci pronašli dva tela. John Prine je kreirao jednu slikovitu posvetu Americi, od mita, preko nevinosti koju mladost nosi sa sobom do otrežnjenja i surove realnosti trenutne situacije, koja krije previše skeleta u ormarima. Sve to uz nostalgiju italijankih kobacica na grilu i “Louie, Louie” na usnama...
“Lake Marie” je objavljena 1995. godine na albumu Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings i često je na koncertima svirana kao poslednja pesma, kojom se šou završavao. Zbog toga, ovde je predstavljena devetominutna verzija sa koncertnog filma Live from Sessions at West 54th.
Inače, Bob Dylan je više puta izjavio kako mu je ovo omiljena Prineova pesma.
"Lake Marie" by John Prine
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa wah oh wha oh
Many years ago along the Illinois Wisconsin border
There was this Indian tribe
They found two babies in the woods
White babies
One of them was named Elizabeth
She was the fairer of the two
While the smaller and more fragile one was named Marie
Having never seen white girls before
And living on the two lakes known as the Twin Lakes
They named the larger and more beautiful lake Lake Elizabeth
And thus the smaller lake that was hidden from the highway
Became known forever as Lake Marie
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa wah oh wha oh
Many years later I found myself talking to this girl
Who was standing there with her back turned to Lake Marie
The wind was blowing especially through her hair
There was four Italian sausages cooking
On the outdoor grill
And they were sizzlin'
Many years later we found ourselves in Canada
Trying to save our marriage
And perhaps catch a few fish
Whatever came first
That night she fell asleep in my arms
Humming the tune to "Louie Louie"
Aah baby, we gotta go now
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa wah oh wha oh
The dogs were barking as the cars were parking
The loan sharks were sharking
The narcs were narcing
Practically everyone was there
In the parking lot by the forest preserve
The police had found two bodies
Nay, naked bodies!
Their faces had been horribly disfigured
By some sharp object
Saw it on the news
The TV news
In a black and white video
Do you know what blood looks like in a black and white video?
Shadows, shadows!
That's what it looks like
All the love we shared between her and me was slammed
Slammed up against the banks of old Lake Marie
Marie!
We were standing
Standing by peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Whoa wah oh wha oh
Peaceful waters
Standing by peaceful waters
Aah baby, we gotta go now
