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"Henri Matisse" -- a lyric I've had hanging around


LCK

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I wrote this about 10 years ago. Never wrote a tune.

Anything here? I'm thinking something along the lines of "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" ...

I was inspired by learning about the relationship between Picasso and Matisse during World War II. The Nazi's occupied France, and declared both men degenerate artists. They were good friends, and had heavily influenced one another's work, but were prevented from seeing each other by the S.S.

Oddly enough, during this perioed they created works very similar to what the other had been doing, almost as if they were communicating with one another telepathically.

 

"Henri Matisse"

 

A slice of life, a mere caprice,

Henri Matisse in

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Oswlek wrote:

 

 

Sure, why not?  In some ways it reminds me of this cool Knopfler tune.

 

He sounds like James Taylor on this tune.

That's a great song!

My great, great, great (etc.) grandfather came to America in 1719. He sailed to Philadelphia from Belfast.

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LCK wrote:

 

I'm thinking something along the lines of "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" ...

 

It's a technique that David Wilcox has used; wrinting new words to an existing  song; then throwing away the melody and find a new one. Never tried it myself.

I like the flow of this. Might be a little wordy. But a good rhytm and melodic line can make that flow like butter. 

I like the payoff at the end. It doesn't build much throughout, though. There's not a sense of the evilness or tragedy of war. I don't feel the tension of them being apart. I do like thier calmness though. And I like the moral ending. 

There's something here. 

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LCK wrote:

 

I wrote this about 10 years ago. Never wrote a tune.

Anything here? I'm thinking something along the lines of "So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright" ...

I was inspired by learning about the relationship between Picasso and Matisse during World War II. The Nazi's occupied France, and declared both men degenerate artists. They were good friends, and had heavily influenced one another's work, but were prevented from seeing each other by the S.S.

Oddly enough, during this perioed they created works very similar to what the other had been doing, almost as if they were communicating with one another telepathically.

 

"Henri Matisse
"

 

A slice of life, a mere caprice,

Henri Matisse in

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Lee Knight wrote:

 


 

I feel it getting bogged down with words like caprice and languorous. Beaujolais and Pythagoras. The aura coming off those words feels at odds with these men. And more in line with puffed up critics. This feels like it is speaking to the museum and not the men.

 

 

I'm right there with you.  I am not as educated with the subject matter as I'd like to be, but I feel what you're saying.

I think this is a wonderful theme for a song.

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Lee Knight wrote:

 

So... was Picasso really a man of peace? Or, was he a selfish son of a bitch? Was he a man ideals? Or a man of opportunity? Was he pulling the wool over or off our eyes? And just what did Matisse teach him? To be human? To have a heart?

 

 

 

Yeah, that got me. My small knowledge of modern masters tells me Picasso was an asshole. But maybe Matisse (of whom I know nothing) was a warm fuzzy guy. Maybe he was Picasso's taming spirit. Maybe the last verse should just focus on Matisse. Him we'll belive in. Picasso as a peaceful character is swimming up stream. 

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My brother in arms, LK, said he needs more of a handle on the story. After contemplating the sparse, sideways form of storytelling I'm using I thought I might add a few things (in bold) to round out the lyric.

Here's the latest version.

 

"Henri Matisse"

 

A1

A slice of life, a mere caprice,

Henri Matisse in

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Unfortunately, I am not Tom Stoppard. Would be nice. ;)

 

I guess a better description is that I keep getting them talking, and talking, and talking - discussing ideas about art and politics and Paris in the 20''s and the role of the artist in society and life in Provence and problems with women and problems with sales and problems with aging. And then I pull out the art books and realize that I need to research their catalogs and then I remember that I had wanted to read that Picasso biography but two volumes seems like a lot of reading ....

 

None of which is making YOUR idea and lyric any better. :(

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