Dale Martin Sings a Song Written by A.-J. Levine at SBL 2014
Ever wonder what Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" would sound like if rewritten by Amy-Jill Levine and performed by Dale Martin? Of course you have. Well wonder no more:
I haven't worked this hard to understand the lyrics since "Louie Louie" came out.
Here's what I've got. Please add and correct:
... say that scholarship must ... And there are ... that are diatribe. This is an ... to which I can't subscribe. Twixt text and time, I draw the line.
I tell the Christians Jesus was a Jew and what he said was often not so new. And there are ... of fossils [?] misconstrued. On what's divine, I hold the line.
I do believe that truth shall set you free, but who's constructing truth for you and me? So I'll insist that ... All this sublime, in ...
That ... Jesus ... is a perspective thoroughly obscene. Through scholarship this [vision? mission?] I believe, since it maligns, I write ...
I was working on this, too, and will incorporate your better readings into the following attempt at translation:
They say that scholarship must just describe And either they learn (?) that or diatribe. This is the Q to which I can’t subscribe Twixt text and sign, I draw the line
I tell the Christians Jesus was a Jew And what he said was often not so new And there are things apostles misconstrue On what’s divine, I pull the line
I do believe that truth shall set you free But who’s constructing truth for you and me? So I’ll insist that with sexuality All is sublime, in . . . time.
That you want Jesus the Jew must . . . Is a perspective thoroughly obscene. Through scholarship this position I glean, Since it maligns, I write my lines!
Lyrics, Anthony, I need lyrics! I'm doing my best to get them from the video, but I've got some lacunae here.
ReplyDeleteGail, my guess is that this is meant to be a mad libs. We should all try to fill in the blanks independently and see what we come up with.
Delete-anthony
I haven't worked this hard to understand the lyrics since "Louie Louie" came out.
ReplyDeleteHere's what I've got. Please add and correct:
... say that scholarship must ...
And there are ... that are diatribe.
This is an ... to which I can't subscribe.
Twixt text and time, I draw the line.
I tell the Christians Jesus was a Jew
and what he said was often not so new.
And there are ... of fossils [?] misconstrued.
On what's divine, I hold the line.
I do believe that truth shall set you free,
but who's constructing truth for you and me?
So I'll insist that ...
All this sublime, in ...
That ... Jesus ...
is a perspective thoroughly obscene.
Through scholarship this [vision? mission?] I believe,
since it maligns, I write ...
Maybe we need a few Dead Sea Scrolls specialists to help us here.
Delete-anthony
Larry, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI was working on this, too, and will incorporate your better readings into the following attempt at translation:
They say that scholarship must just describe
And either they learn (?) that or diatribe.
This is the Q to which I can’t subscribe
Twixt text and sign, I draw the line
I tell the Christians Jesus was a Jew
And what he said was often not so new
And there are things apostles misconstrue
On what’s divine, I pull the line
I do believe that truth shall set you free
But who’s constructing truth for you and me?
So I’ll insist that with sexuality
All is sublime, in . . . time.
That you want Jesus the Jew must . . .
Is a perspective thoroughly obscene.
Through scholarship this position I glean,
Since it maligns, I write my lines!
ah, now THAT's funny!
Delete