Patti Smith: Pissing in a River, Live on Spinning on Air in The Greene Space

Singer, songwriter and poet Patti Smith opened an evening of music and poetry in The Greene Space by reading these lines from T.S. Eliot's poem, "The Wasteland":
April is the cruelest month, breeding / Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing / Memory and desire, stirring.
"We are going to speak of, this evening, the things that stir us," Smith said. The April 23 event, Mixing Memory and Desire: An Evening of Music, Poetry, Sound and Remembrance, was presented by WNYC's Spinning on Air and hosted by David Garland.
Smith was joined on stage by composer-musicians Jesse Paris Smith and Eric Hoegemeyer (of Brooklyn's Tree Laboratory). Their mission that evening: to honor the chaos and transformation of spring through performances of both original pieces and interpretations of works by Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, W.G. Sebald and more.
WATCH THE FULL SHOW HERE: bit.ly/1fv4eFi

[@harmoniabalanza]

She sings better now than she did 40 years ago. God, I fell out of love with her and now I'm back in love again.

[@Lady_in_the_Radiator]

harmoniabalanza Why would you ever fall out of love with her?

[@maramatic6075]

and again and again...life comes

[@Starkardur]

She sings it a bit more conventionally now than she did back then.

[@augenklick9570]

So true!

[@Maurizio9016]

Listen in religious silence, with mystical devotion. The girl at the grand piano, playing intentionally with disarming simplicity, the drums keeping a soft rhythmic background, and the guitar playing simple, so simple! You can hear the nylon of the strings... And Patti Smith, who's using a voice firm and controlled, but showing the tremendous power that is loading the voice, and that is the core of this song. Devastating, crushing all limits like no other song from Patti. From all the above comes the devotion, from all the above comes the prayer that we make listening to this song.

[@michaeljamesjoiner]

Thanks for sharing this Maurizio. Every time I hear Patti Smith she just leaves me speechless.

[@Maurizio9016]

Mike Joiner You're welcome, Mike! These gems are some of the few true treasures deserving to be kept with love by us. Life would not be the same without them.

[@pabloplath]

Sounds a little like something i wrote under 'Ain't it strange?' from Montreaux. Peace&Love. And merry christmas hahahahaha!

[@MacEoin]

The girl at the piano is Patti's daughter Jessie.

[@maramatic6075]

my great channel, loved Patti. I'll remember your words. Hugs.

[@momforpeace]

I first saw Patti in a small club in the early 70's. She was mesmerising and I was completely awestruck! Absolutely amazing. My first female crush. I still am in love with her! This is one of my favorite songs! Such power!

[@fishfingers3024]

I was too young when patty smith started but I heard this song in the movie All Over Me and I’m still obsessed decades later

[@carljensen333]

I'm crying. I'm so glad this is here and I can't stop crying.

[@ChristineJSmith16]

Ya really feel the passion and pathos. Didn't ever imagine pissing in the title would ever become one of my favorite songs.

[@mariclaraoliveira1339]

Always deeply touching. Crying/ I hope to live time enough to see alive a concert of hers.

[@justicelut]

She's still got it

[@hillbillypunkgirl]

This song just guts me. It's my go-to when I need to cry

[@diddeskaarup4211]

3:09 so much emotion, so much expression. Such art.

[@julie-anneweller3137]

I absolutely love you 💙

[@ellielovesbands]

I love this woman so much!

[@lauriejanes6511]

God, I love her. 💕

[@trevorrobinson56254]

Damn!! I've always liked Patty Smith but that surprised me. She's just getting better and better.

[@alessandram.7373]

strepitosa. E dire che l'ho conosciuta solo grazie al film L'heure de la sortie. capolavoro, è di un altro mondo

[@joelspringman523]

I love ya, Patti!

[@VolkerKorn-jx8fd]

So beautiful

[@geekbot22]

I was engulfed in something as boring as codes for import declaration when I got to "HS 310210 Urea" and through association had the insight that I must listen to "pissing in the river" again, one of the best songs ever!

[@shorelineboy]

Absolutely brilliant 😎

[@sarahpotter4008]

Beyond words...🖤

[@MaryenCairns]

Powerful as hell!!! ❤❤❤

[@Noodleydoo]

My favorite Patti song--I love funeral dirges

[@vladanvelimirovic646]

SUPER !!!

[@justicelut]

Brilliant

[@GodmadeConscious]

Fav Patti smith

[@Maplelust]

she's a great punk Singer!

[@pamzavada5269]

Amazing!!!

[@amosfabienmerignac6049]

Pissing in a river, watching it rise Tattoo fingers shy away from me Voices voices mesmerize Voices voices beckoning sea Come come come come back come back Come back come back come back Spoke of a wheel, tip of a spoon Mouth of a cave, I'm a slave I'm free. When are you coming? Hope you come soon Fingers, fingers encircling thee Come come come come come come Come come come come come come for me oh My bowels are empty, excreting your soul What more can I give you? Baby I don't know What more can I give you to make this thing grow? Don't turn your back now, I'm talking to you Should I pursue a path so twisted? Should I crawl defeated and gifted? Should I go the length of a river Everything I've done, I've done for you Oh I give my life for you. Every move I made I move to you, And I came like a magnet for you now. What about it, you're gonna leave me, What about it, you don't need me, What about it, I can't live without you, What about it, I never doubted you What about it? What about it? What about it? What about it? Should I pursue a path so twisted? Should I crawl defeated and gifted? Should I go the length of a river, What about it, what about it, what about it? Oh, I'm pissing in a river.

[@alessandram.7373]

😍👍👍👍

[@nathaliesaur6072]

Magique

[@cosmicmauve]

That was awesome. Awesome is an overused word, but this really was.

[@karinabarbo]

Eu te amo patti

[@UKMoench]

😍🌹

[@hotliss100]

Ti amo mulher.

[@brenangeltorres]

[@solangecamilotti1776]

muito loka!! ameiiii rs

[@lowe-quay-shush]

At 14y.o. got Radio Ethiopia in the 70's. The song title intrigued me. Knew nothing about Patti or Lust for Life/Iggy Pop when buying both together!

[@ivancervi1825]

Adesso canta con la testa..allora con il cuore!

[@alessandram.7373]

Came came cane.came back cane back came back...

[@souji3407]

I can feel the emotions in this breathtaking song but I can’t quite figure out the lyrics (English is not my first language of course) I wish someone could explain it to me or talk with me about it.

[@michaelcollins3993]

Its about a partner leaving as far as i can tell. But feels so much more raw and in your face than your average heartbreak song.

[@FirstnameLastname-jz2oq]

lyrics: Pissing in a river, watching it rise Tattoo fingers shy away from me Voices voices mesmerize Voices voices beckoning sea Come come come come back come back Come back come back come back Spoke of a wheel, tip of a spoon Mouth of a cave, I'm a slave I'm free. When are you coming? Hope you come soon Fingers, fingers encircling thee Come come come come come come Come come come come come come for me oh My body is aching, excreting your soul What more can I give you? Baby I don't know What more can I do here to make this thing grow? Don't turn your back now, ‘cause I'm talking to you Should I pursue a path so twisted? Should I crawl defeated and gifted? Should I go the length of a river The royal, the throne, the cry-me-a-river Everything I've done, I've done for you Oh I give my life for you. Every move I made I move to you, And then I came like a magnet for you now. What about it, you're gonna leave me, What about it, you don't need me, What about it, I can't live without you, What about it, I never doubted you (Take me back) What about it? (Take me back) What about it? (Take me back) What about it? What about it? Should I pursue a path so twisted? Should I crawl defeated and gifted? Should I go the length of a river, The royal, the throne, the cry-me-a-river What about it, what about it, what about it? Oh, I'm pissing in a river.

[@grahamchapple3552]

maybe not about a lost lover maybe about god life pissing in a river

[@storphstorph8064]

Beautiful. I had something clever in mind, but then realized that I'm just a mostly talentless ass, and should shut up, and play the song again.

[@WATERMELONZZZ123]

Beautiful tribute to John Lennon. Very moving.

[@cromecast7810]

Takin and friends

[@Shawn-et1pn]

ll