People who died

“People who died” es un frenético Rock and Roll que trata sobre la vida y la gente que vive al límite. Es un homenaje a todas esas personas que viven deprisa sin saber lo que ocurrirá mañana, situados permanentemente en la fina línea que divide vida y muerte. “People who died” trata sobre la cultura de las drogas, pero también es Rock and Roll clásico, directo, honesto, vibrante, emotivo y salido de las tripas. Su autor es Jim Carroll, un personaje fascinante, nacido en 1950, jugador de baloncesto profesional en el instituto, Yonkie precoz, escritor y poeta desde los 17, colaborador de Andy Warhol, superviviente en las duras calles de Nueva York, ferviente admirador de la generación Beat encarnada en Kerouac o Burroughs, estrella del Rock and Roll y amigo íntimo de Patti Smith y Lou Reed. Si queréis conocer más sobre Jim Carroll no os perdáis su autobiografía titulada “Bascketball diaries” (Aquí titulado “Diario de un rebelde”), que fue editada en 1978, pero disponible con relativa facilidad en edición barata.

Jim Carroll antes de ganarse la vida con el “Spoken word” publicó varios discos, pero sin duda el mejor es el primero, “Catholic Boy”, donde está incluida la anfetamínica “People who died”. Publicado en 1980, es uno de esos increíbles álbumes que ya no se hacen, con robusto sonido, contundentes guitarras y unas composiciones de Jim Carroll que se abren camino entre la poesía y el mejor Rock and Roll.“People who died” es el mejor y más emotivo tributo que Carroll podía rendir a sus amigos fallecidos, todos ellos desaparecidos a muy temprana edad. En “People who died” caminan los fantasmas de Teddy, caído desde un tejado a los 12 mientras esnifaba pegamento, Cathy electrocutada, Bobby muerto de leucemia a los 14, a Georgie se lo llevó la hepatitis, Bobby se ahorcó y Judy se tiró al metro. Todos ellos caminaron por el lado más salvaje e indomable de la vida. Aquí tenéis el texto íntegro original:

Teddy sniffing glue, he was 12 years old
Fell from the roof on East Two-nine
Cathy was 11 when she pulled the plug
On 26 reds and a bottle of wine
Bobby got leukemia, 14 years old
He looked like 65 when he died
He was a friend of mine

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

G-berg and Georgie let their gimmicks go rotten
So they died of hepatitis in upper Manhattan
Sly in Vietnam took a bullet in the head
Bobby OD'd on Drano on the night that he was wed
They were two more friends of mine
Two more friends that died

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Mary took a dry dive from a hotel room
Bobby hung himself from a cell in the tombs
Judy jumped in front of a subway train
Eddie got slit in the jugular vein
And Eddie, I miss you more than all the others
And I salute you brother

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Herbie pushed Tony from the Boys' Club roof
Tony thought that his rage was just some goof
But Herbie sure gave Tony some bitchen proof
"Hey," Herbie said, "Tony, can you fly?"
But Tony couldn't fly, Tony died

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Brian got busted on a narco rap
He beat the rap by rattin' on some bikers
He said, "Hey, I know it's dangerous, but it sure beats Riker's"
But the next day he got offed by the very same bikers

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Teddy sniffing glue, he was 12 years old
Fell from the roof on East Two-nine
Cathy was 11 when she pulled the plug
On 26 reds and a bottle of wine
Bobby got leukemia, 14 years old
He looked like 65 when he died
He was a friend of mine

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

G-berg and Georgie let their gimmicks go rotten
So they died of hepatitis in upper Manhattan
Sly in Vietnam took a bullet in the head
Bobby OD'd on Drano on the night that he was wed
They were two more friends of mine
Two more friends that died

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Mary took a dry dive from a hotel room
Bobby hung himself from a cell in the tombs
Judy jumped in front of a subway train
Eddie got slit in the jugular vein
And Eddie, I miss you more than all the others
And I salute you brother

Those are people who died, died
They were all my friends, and they died

Esta entrada está dedicada a una persona que nos dejó hace algunos años. Siempre rondaba por el centro de mi ciudad, y nos quería mucho a mí y a mí familia. Era un gran bebedor, pero siempre se buscaba muy bien la vida a base de “chapucillas” para otros. Jamás nos hizo desplante ni “feo” alguno, siempre amable, divertido, y lo poco que tenía lo compartía. Todavía recuerdo ese vino barato que compartíamos en algún bar de la zona, con su humanidad y fascinante conversación. Todo el mundo en el barrio le quería, no podía ser de otro modo, solo era malo para él. Kike tenía un corazón de oro, y le recuerdo muy a menudo con su eterna simpatía y su sonrisa de adolescente.

"People who died" en todo su esplendor