"Venus in Furs"

This is my version of the Velvets' "Venus in Furs". No way to I could do this song justice, but hell - I tried anyway in my own humble way. It's part of my ongoing "record amateur versions of all the classic V.U. songs" project.

John Cale version:




Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather
Whiplash girlchild in the dark
Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart

Downy sins of streetlight fancies
Chase the costumes she shall wear
Ermine furs adorn the imperious
Severin, Severin awaits you there

I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears

Kiss the boot of shiny, shiny leather
Shiny leather in the dark
Tongue of thongs, the belt that does await you
Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart

Severin, Severin, speak so slightly
Severin, down on your bended knee
Taste the whip, in love not given lightly
Taste the whip, now bleed for me

I am tired, I am weary
I could sleep for a thousand years
A thousand dreams that would awake me
Different colors made of tears

"Sunday Morning"

I'm slowly working my way through the major Velvet Underground songs. "Some Kinda Love", "Waiting for the Man", "Candy Says"... and now "Sunday Morning".



Original version:



Sunday morning, praise the dawning
It's just a restless feeling by my side
Early dawning, sunday morning
It's just the wasted years so close behind

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
It's nothing at all

Sunday morning and I'm falling
I've got a feeling I don't want to know
Early dawning, sunday morning
It's all the streets you crossed, not so long ago

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
It's nothing at all

Watch out, the world's behind you
There's always someone around you who will call
It's nothing at all

Sunday morning
Sunday morning
Sunday morning

"Candy Says" revisited.

...but obviously there are greater singers than me who've sung "Candy Says".... or should that be "There are people who are SINGERS who've sung it"

here's Beth Gibbons (of Portishead):



And Antony & The Johnsons:

"Candy Says"

(Candy Darling in Memoriam)

And one more Velvet Underground cover.... and once more you can watch me look stupid while I'm singing:

Candy says I've come to hate my body
and all that it requires in this world
Candy says I'd like to know completely
what others so discreetly talk about

I'm gonna watch the blue birds fly over my shoulder
I'm gonna watch them pass me by
Maybe when I'm older
What do you think I'd see
If I could walk away from me

Candy says I hate the quiet places
that cause the smallest taste of what will be
Candy says I hate the big decisions
that cause endless revisions in my mind

I'm gonna watch the blue birds fly over my shoulder
I'm gonna watch them pass me by
Maybe when I'm older
What do you think I'd see
If I could walk away from me

"Some Kinda Love"

This is me playing the Velvet Underground's "Some Kinda Love". I always liked this song. Trying to do a porn voice is fun!

Original version:


SOME KINDA LOVE

Some kinds of love
Marguerita told Tom
Between thought and expression
lies a lifetime

Situations arise
because of the weather
and no kinds of love
are better than others

Some kinds of love
Marguerita told Tom
like a dirty French novel
the absurd courts the vulgar

and some kinds of love
the possibilities are endless
and for me to miss one
would seem to be groundless

I head what you said
Marguerita heard Tom
And of course you're a bore
But at that you're not charmless

for a bore is a straight line
that finds a wealth in division
and some kinds of love
are mistaken for vision

Put jelly on your shoulder
Let us do what you fear most
That from which you recoil
but which still makes your eyes moist

Put jelly on your shoulder
lie down upon the carpet
between thought and expression
let us now kiss the culprit

I don't know just what it's all about
Put on your red pajamas and find out.

"Waiting for the Man"

My singing DOES seem to be improving at the moment. It's a complete mystery to me what causes this to happen. Well, obviously it helps that I'm practising... but why does it happen NOW and not months ago? Have I started doing something right? Anyway, this is probably not the best way to show off, it's completely sloppy, but I kinda like this laid back version of Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man"... but may not be amusing to anybody else. Ah well.

I'm waiting for my man
Twenty-six dollars in my hand
Up to Lexington, 125
Feel sick and dirty, more dead than alive
I'm waiting for my man

Hey, white boy, what you doin' uptown?
Hey, white boy, you chasin' our women around?
Oh pardon me sir, it's the furthest from my mind
I'm just lookin' for a dear, dear friend of mine
I'm waiting for my man

Here he comes, he's all dressed in black
PR shoes and a big straw hat
He's never early, he's always late
First thing you learn is you always gotta wait
I'm waiting for my man

Up to a Brownstone, up three flights of stairs
Everybody's pinned you, but nobody cares
He's got the works, gives you sweet taste
Ah then you gotta split because you got no time to waste
I'm waiting for my man

Baby don't you holler, darlin' don't you bawl and shout
I'm feeling good, you know I'm gonna work it on out
I'm feeling good, I'm feeling oh so fine
Until tomorrow, but that's just some other time
I'm waiting for my man

After Hours

I'd considered attempting to do a version of the Velvet Underground's "After Hours", but how could I ever hope to compete with this cute Chinese girl?