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 The live texts from

"Pieces for Light and Chance"

Vienna, night 3

 

SOLDIER

 

in the swimming pool
swam the soldier

the soldier
swallowed a good deal of the water in the swimming pool in which he was swimming

the soldier wore nothing
as he swam swam swam
swam in the swimming pool,
nobody knew
nobody said
nobody saw
nobody jumped up in surprise
nobody sat watching
nobody knew
the soldier was a soldier.

-------------------------

from way beneath
the blue skin
way beneath the coming in and the going out
way beneath the standing and the understanding
and the overstanding and the beside standing
and the dancing moment
way beside
way above
but now way below the blue miniscus
the swimming swallowing soldier heard
nothing at all;

heard only his future
played like memories
memories
memories leaving
memories arriving
memories kept here,
watch them now;

Biscuit and Green came back
came in the door
came in the big glass glass glass door
and heard the pumping heartbeat
of the motors bringing
new waters into the swimming pool;

they said you will hear no more about us we will away away away
the said we have bought a horse
away away no in the corner of some field
seeds spreading all around
when we dance awhile,
awhile but the while will be in the dark
and you will see nothing
but you will know you will see nothing
but you will know
but you will faint because you see more
than the soldier swallowing swimming pool water
like a fighting fish.

-----------------------

ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
..........

 

 

Kneeling down
kneeling down on two elbows
two knees
three legs four horses
no fruit no fruit just grass
grass like grass
brown grass
and what's this grass here? ­ red!
i do not believe what they saw grass red
oh yes - give me some more water from the swimming pool i'll spit or nothing;

 

i left my jacket here
...and she said soldier come on
(sings) holy holy water
holy water
holy water
holy water

i brought you some eggs from the village
i'm never going back
everything you say,
and everything you do,
i'm ready
but i'm just shit scared
and that's why i come swimming
and swallow half the damn pool
because i have sort of sneeking, slurping, sensual suspicion
that things could get - worse;

-----

'we understand each other
so well'
said the soldier to the water
and the water said,
'i am the only one who knows you are not as stupid as you seem'
and then Green and Biscuit said,
'right on -
and on -
and we'll be dancing for you'

----------------------

you are behind me
and this is mearly an illusion of being less frightened
of what will happen
when the soldier finishes his time in the swimming pool,
gets out, dresses himself
and decides
which
which
which costume to put on
which theatre to progress to
which song to spit from his lips
from his tongue
from what remains of his teeth;
dig dig soldier
dig dig dig dig dig dig
courage is fattening
dig dig dig dig dig dig
here is where it comes out
all over the world

 

here is where it comes in
coming in
ready ready ready
coming in hup! coming in
full to the brim Jim
full to the clavicle
two - the piano
two - the trumpet
two - to the bugle
two - the man
three - the horse
four - the water
the unknown country
shrinking like a family, forgotten.
There's room here
.come
you're all invited.

----------------

in the swimming pool
swam the soldier

the soldier
swallowed a good deal of the water in the swimming pool in which he was swimming

the soldier wore nothing
as he swam swam swam
swam in the swimming pool,
nobody knew
nobody said
nobody saw
nobody jumped up in surprise
nobody sat watching
nobody knew
the soldier was a soldier.

-------------------------

from way beneath
the blue skin
way beneath the coming in and the going out
way beneath the standing and the understanding
and the overstanding and the beside standing
and the dancing moment
way beside
way above
but now way below the blue miniscus
the swimming swallowing soldier heard
nothing at all;

heard only his future
played like memories
memories
memories leaving
memories arriving
memories kept here,
watch them now;

Biscuit and Green came back
came in the door
came in the big glass glass glass door
and heard the pumping heartbeat
of the motors bringing
new waters into the swimming pool;

they said you will hear no more about us we will away away away
the said we have bought a horse
away away no in the corner of some field
seeds spreading all around
when we dance awhile,
awhile but the while will be in the dark
and you will see nothing
but you will know you will see nothing
but you will know
but you will faint because you see more
than the soldier swallowing swimming pool water
like a fighting fish.

-----------------------

ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
ohivegottogettoanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
oivegottogoandgetanotherwar
..........

Kneeling down
kneeling down on two elbows
two knees
three legs four horses
no fruit no fruit just grass
grass like grass
brown grass
and what's this grass here? ­ red!
i do not believe what they saw grass red
oh yes - give me some more water from the swimming pool i'll spit or nothing;

 

i left my jacket here
...and she said soldier come on
(sings) holy holy water
holy water
holy water
holy water

i brought you some eggs from the village
i'm never going back
everything you say,
and everything you do,
i'm ready
but i'm just shit scared
and that's why i come swimming
and swallow half the damn pool
because i have sort of sneeking, slurping, sensual suspicion
that things could get - worse;

-----

'we understand each other
so well'
said the soldier to the water
and the water said,
'i am the only one who knows you are not as stupid as you seem'
and then Green and Biscuit said,
'right on -
and on -
and we'll be dancing for you'

----------------------

you are behind me
and this is mearly an illusion of being less frightened
of what will happen
when the soldier finishes his time in the swimming pool,
gets out, dresses himself
and decides
which
which
which costume to put on
which theatre to progress to
which song to spit from his lips
from his tongue
from what remains of his teeth;
dig dig soldier
dig dig dig dig dig dig
courage is fattening
dig dig dig dig dig dig
here is where it comes out
all over the world

 

here is where it comes in
coming in
ready ready ready
coming in hup! coming in
full to the brim Jim
full to the clavicle
two - the piano
two - the trumpet
two - to the bugle
two - the man
three - the horse
four - the water
the unknown country
shrinking like a family, forgotten.
There's room here
.come
you're all invited.

 

 

this text was composed during the performances in
'Tanzquartier' Vienna, Austria April 3,4,5 2003
and is here in its original and uncut version;
it does not include the text and sounds from Christian Reiner