“O Superman (For Massenet)” was initially released as a single from Laurie Anderson’s first studio album, Big Science. It became an unexpected pop hit, reaching #2 on the UK singles chart in 1981.
Originally, the single was a limited release of 1,000 copies that Anderson had only made because her f...
[Intro]
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha…
[Verse]
O Superman
O Judge
O Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad
Ah, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
O Superman
O Judge
O Mom and Dad
Mom and Dad
Ah, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Hi, I'm not home right now
But if you want to leave a message
Just start talking at the sound of the tone
Ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Hello? This is your mother, are you there?
Are you coming home?
Ah, ah, ah
Hello? Is anybody home?
Well, you don't know me, but I know you
And I've got a message to give to you
Here come the planes
So you better get ready, ready to go
You can come as you are, but pay as you go, pay as you go
Ah, ah ah ah ah
And I said: okay, who is this really? And the voice said:
This is the hand, the hand that takes
This is the hand, the hand that takes
This is the hand, the hand that takes
Here come the planes
They're American planes, made in America
Smoking or non-smoking?
Ah, ah
Ah, ah ah ah
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night
Shall stay these couriers from the swift completion
Of their appointed rounds
[Bridge]
'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice
And when justice is gone, there's always force
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!
Ah, ah
Ah, ah ah ah
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
In your automatic arms, your electronic arms
In your arms
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms
Your petrochemical arms, your military arms
In your electronic arms
O Superman (For Massenet) was written by Laurie Anderson.
O Superman (For Massenet) was produced by Roma Baran & Laurie Anderson.
Laurie Anderson released O Superman (For Massenet) on Sun Feb 01 1981.
In 1979, Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran. America went blazing in with helicopters to get the hostages out. But it backfired majorly. So I thought I’d write a song about all that and the failure of technology.
Inspired by the beautiful 19th-century aria by Massenet that began: “O...