Tuesday, January 6, 2015

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:


Or if you'd prefer youtube:


-anthony

6 comments:

  1. Lyrics, Anthony, I need lyrics! I'm doing my best to get them from the video, but I've got some lacunae here.

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    Replies
    1. Gail, 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.

      -anthony

      Delete
  2. 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 ...

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    Replies
    1. Maybe we need a few Dead Sea Scrolls specialists to help us here.

      -anthony

      Delete
  3. Larry, thanks!

    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!

    ReplyDelete