In no particular order some of my favourite music moments. No37 O Superman by Laurie Anderson.
Eight minutes long and performed by a then little known American street artist, Laurie Anderson‘s O Superman is perhaps one of the unlikeliest UK chart hits of all time.
Written in response to Operation Eagle Claw, a disastrous 1980 attempt by the American military to rescue hostages being held by Iranian students at the US embassy in Tehran, the song addresses the failure of technology.
Featuring one of the earliest uses on record of a vocoder – first developed as a spy tool to disguise voices – it was heavily influenced by a 19th century operatic aria by Massenet called Le Cid.
Described by Anderson as a one-way conversation – a sinister prayer to God – it juxtaposes mundane and complex imagery, with the US motherland cast as the very opposite of a nurturing and natural maternal influence.
With its cold repetitive ha, ha, ha, ha loop running through like a robotic heartbeat, the challenging song was picked up by John Peel, leading to a Warner Brothers distribution deal, which saw it reach No2 in the UK singles chart in 1981.
It was given a live revival by Anderson in 2001, when the 9/11 attacks on America added a new resonance to lyrics like “This is the hand, the hand that takes/Here come the planes/They’re American planes/Made in America/ Smoking or non-smoking?.
David Bowie also covered the song during his 1997 Earthling tour.
*Got a Great Musical Moment you’d like to share? Send me your suggestion via the contact form and if I like it, I’ll feature it and give you a mention. Looking forward to hearing from you.
