John Taggart

Love comes in spurts. RICHARD HELL & THE VOIDOIDS 1 And goes is gone cause for mourning head in hands in tears gonna be a long long wait for the resurrection of the dead. There are birds there is birdsong unmourning and unmournful at sunrise in the white light there is a garden with high walls around it jardin de plaisir of mint and lavender of hyssop in hedges glassy beads of water on velvet leaves purple-flaked lupin spikes above velvet pulmonaria there is a gardener la belle jardinière bare-breasted and bare-footed bouquets of all flowers in her arms and woven in her hair. 2 And it hurts not good but bad to see a man head in hands in tears it breaks you up to see a man come down in tears. There are birds there is birdsong having come through hunger and danger there is free song a free weaving of many songs song against song and other songs clustered/spun out in a blending of wavy pitches tant doucement the phrase means what the songs mean freshness that meaning so sweetly and freely as a gardener weaves flowers in her hair. 3 Can we stay in the weave of that meaning can we/should we attempt to stay to linger in a pleasure garden everlasting dream of love tomorrow its unseen/secret structure when our time remains a bad time and what time wasn’t bad wasn’t and isn’t a time of hunger and danger of young men and older men in tears our time a time of terror and counterterror can we/should we our time remaining a really bad time a really down and dirty time of terror what walls do not fall and who says they have no fear. 4 And boo-hoo-hoo like dolls hurts breaks you up like dolls get broken the visible human the visibly spastic plastic. There are birds there is birdsong unmourning and unmournful having come through there is a garden with swept gravel paths dream designed/bel et bon designed connecting and interconnecting non brisé where men and women are in contemplation in conversation in one another’s eyes there is a gardener holding her bouquets and holding her skirts like the light like so sweetly woven song like love never for sale.

1 Not sweet sixteen not even sweet sixteen and she’s moaning not even sixteen years old and she’s moaning not even sweet sixteen and she’s moaning the words moaning out the words to “Precious Lord” she says “ain’t no harm to moan” and she’s moaning it’s Aretha in the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit in 1956 words moaned out so that she becomes denuded no more little black dress she has nothing to hide no more little black dress she has nothing left to hide. Thomas Dorsey wrote the words wrote the words and the music Thomas Dorsey wrote the words and the music for “Precious Lord” Thomas Dorsey aka Georgia Tom wrote other songs one of the other songs “Deep Moaning Blues” Thomas Dorsey: “I like the long moaning groaning tone” Georgia Tom moaned “Deep Moaning Blues” with Ma Rainey Georgia Tom and Ma Rainey moan they moan and groan their moaning and groaning make you see moaning and groaning you’re made to see they have  nothing. 2 The first time Mahalia does it as one interconnected phrase she does it as three in one three words in one phrase three in one: “take-en-n—my-ah-aah—ha-an-nd” Mahalia does it in the same year in 1956 the same year as Aretha same but different the second time it is more aggressive it’s more aggressive: “take-ake my-ah han-and” Mahalia was a big fine woman Mahalia was denuded she sang “Precious Lord” at the funeral of Martin Luther King Aretha sang “Precious Lord” at the funeral of Mahalia. Thomas Dorsey met Mahalia met her for the first time in 1928 it was in 1928 that Georgia Tom moaned with Ma Rainey he moaned with Ma Rainey he moaned and he groaned with Ma Rainey he met Mahalia and he taught her how to moan “you teach them how to say their words in a moanful way” to say their words how to say his words Mahalia was a big fine woman Mahalia was denuded Dorsey knew the heavier the voice the better the singer Dorsey knew as any teacher knows the heavier the better. 3 Al Green has a softened voice he has a voice made softened he was made to sing softened by Willie Mitchell in 1972 softened and softened and softened Al Green became Rev. Al Green of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in 1980 a tabernacle is a fixed or movable habitation habitation where you stay together with the lord Al Green has a softened voice he has a voice made softened he was made to sing softened on “Let’s Stay Together” in 1982 he was made to sing softened on “Precious Lord.” Photograph of Thomas Dorsey photograph of a smooth operator photograph of Georgia Tom photo of a smooth operator the photo smoothed out retouched softened one side of the face completely light one side of the face all dark one side merges into the light smoothed out softened one side merges into the dark smoothed out made softened in the photograph a smooth operator is lighting a cigarette slender fingers hold a matchbox hold a match slender fingers hold a softened flame against the softened dark. 4 “Lead me” sing “lead me” they move with a repetitive rhythm Dom Mocquereau: “rhythm is the ordering of the movement” repetitive rhythm orders them to move on “lead” they move with all their weight on “lead” it sounds like “feed” it’s the Soul Stirrers it’s the most rhythmic music you ever heard repetitive rhythm it sounds like “feed me” S.R. Crain tenor A.L. Johnson baritone J.J. Farley bass Edmond Jabès: “can we be healed by repetition?” the Soul Stirrers move with a repetitive rhythm sing “feed me.” Thomas Dorsey came to Chicago came looking for deliverance Georgia Tom came in 1916 the Soul Stirrers in 1937 to get deliverance you have to wait on the movements of providence he played piano he sang at buffet flats at rent parties he was a smooth player and he sang softly a smooth player they called him “the whispering piano player” the most popular dance at the parties was the slow drag he learned how to drag easy how to sing softly how to drag easy how to wait on the movements of providence. 5 Soul Stirrers move with a repetitive rhythm sing “feed me” repetitive rhythm orders them to sing “feed me” R.H. Harris sings lead he sings the essential word R.H. Harris taught Sam Cooke and Sam Cooke taught Johnny Taylor Johnny Taylor “Who’s Making Love” 1968 R.H. Harris: “they got a touch of me even if they don’t know me” what they got a touch of touch of tongue love R.H. Harris taught them to study the essential word the word brings it to a picture it’s the lord making love. Thomas Dorsey wrote the words wrote the words and the music Thomas Dorsey wrote the words wrote the essential word wrote “precious” not “blessed” the essential word is “precious” this was to be enshrined as a moment of epiphany moment when he wrote the better-sounding word moment of épiphanie epiphania epiphano epiphaneia epiphanies moment of epiphany essential word shining picture Dorsey: “that thing like something hit me and went all over me” that thing must be that same thing went all over him. 6 Clara Ward’s real nasal her nasality makes her a real moaner she moans the three in one three words in one word she moans so that one word becomes three one becomes three: “thru-uuu-uah” double-clutches just like Aretha: “thru-ah thru-uuu-uah the night” sounds just like Aretha because Aretha sounds just like her Aretha followed Clara Ward note for moaning note denuded Aretha followed denuded Clara and did Aretha follow her to the lord to the lord to the light. Thomas Dorsey was invited to Philadelphia by Gertrude Ward Mrs. Gertrude Mae Murphy Ward the mother of Clara in 1931 Mrs. Ward was told in a vision was told to go and to sing Dorsey was invited to teach the Wards how to sing how to say his words in a moanful way Dorsey liked the long moaning groaning tone Mrs. Ward was told in a vision a vision from the lord Dorsey taught Clara and Clara taught Aretha how to say his words in a moanful way all through the night. 7 Sounds like “feed me” doesn’t sound like the Soul Stirrers it’s not the Soul Stirrers it’s the Kings of Harmony the Kings of Harmony with Carey Bradley on lead Carey Bradley was taught by Silas Steele the first hard lead Silas Steele sang lead for the Blue Jay Singers those singers recorded the first quartet version of a Dorsey song Silas Steele sang hard with a repetitive rhythm question is can we be healed by repetition over “feed me” Carey Bradley sings hard: “take-ah my hand.” Blue Jay Singers the first quartet to record a Dorsey song in 1931 those singers recorded “If You See My Saviour” those singers: “if you see my saviour tell him that you saw me” in 1931 Georgia Tom recorded “Please Mr. Blues” Georgia Tom recorded in 1931 with Tampa Red Georgia Tom and Tampa Red recorded a low moaning blues “Please Mr. Blues” is a deep low-down moaning blues those singers: “please be careful handle me like a child” if you saw their saviour you would see Mr. Blues. 8 Brother Joe May has a big voice has a big and loud voice Brother Joe May the thunderbolt of the Middle West the way he sang “pra-aaa-aaa-aaa-shus” is like thunder he was taught to sing “pra-aaa-aaa-aaa-shus” by Mother Smith he was taught to sing by Mother Willie Mae Ford Smith she was called Mother he called her Mother Mother Smith: “the lord just anoints me while I’m singing” when you’re anointed something goes all over you must be that same thng went all over her went all over her son. Mrs. Willie May introduced “If You See My Saviour” in 1930 this was before she was called Mother twenty years before Brother Joe May sang “pra-aaa-aaa-aaa-shus” in 1930 in Chicago at the National Baptist Convention during the morning devotions at the convention she sang “you saw me” during the morning devotions in 1930 in Chicago Georgia Tom recorded “She Can Love So Good” in 1931 in Chicago Georgia Tom recorded “Please Mr. Blues” if you saw her you’d see Mr. Blues loving her so good. 9 Way past sixteen way past sweet sixteen and she’s moaning she says “when I don’t feel like singing I moan” it’s Sister Rosetta Tharpe at The Hot Club de France in 1966 Sister Rosetta had dyed her hair red played a hollow-body jazz guitar Sister Rosetta has a resonating vibrato she moans “ho-oo-oo-oo-meh” with a resonating vibrato she moans out “ho-oo-oo-oo-meh” becomes resonant “when I don’t feel like singing I moan” she becomes completely resonant she has nothing left to hide. Thomas Dorsey wrote the words wrote the words and the music Thomas Dorsey wrote the words and the music for “Precious Lord” the song is an answer song to another song answer to George Nelson Allen’s “Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?” George Nelson Allen thought the answer was no a cross for everyone “there’s a cross for everyone” Thomas Dorsey thought the answer was no “see you got to be susceptible for whatever comes in the ear” he got Sister Rosetta to be susceptible got everyone susceptible.

Darkened not completely dark let us walk in the darkened field trees in the field outlined against that which is less dark under the trees are bushes with orange berries dark green leaves not poetry’s mixing of yellow light blue sky darker than that darkness of the leaves a modulation of the accumulated darkness orange of the berries another modulation spreading out toward us it is like the reverberation of a bell rung three times like the call of a voice the call of a voice that is not there. We will not look up how they got their name in a book of names we will not trace the name’s root conjecture its first murmuring the root of the berries their leaves is succoured by darkness darkness like a large block of stone hauled on a wooden sled like stone formed and reformed by a dark sea rolling in turmoil.

1 Those who hear the train they had better worry worry those who hear they had better worry worry. 2 No disgrace to worry to have the worried life blues might do some good to be worried in the hour of our need. 3 Run run run away going to run run run away there are those who think they’re going to run away. 4 To hear and to be facing and to be facing what is heard to hear and to be face to face with what is heard. 5 Run run run away they’re going to run run run away there are those who think they’re going to run away from the train. 6 Fort built to protect the community from desert raiders community thought to protect itself from raiders. 7 Those who hear the train they had better worry worry better worry worry about a gift of tears. 8 Those who are gathered in the fort had better learn they had better learn how to cure their wounds. 9 The train with its poison and its tongue the lurking train with its poison and its tongue. 10 Those who are gathered better learn to be insensitive learn how to put on a show of being insensitive. 11 Danger of its poison and of its tongue danger of its poison and of its tongue against our teeth. 12 Had better break the habit the habit of prayer better let the jokes come back to us when we’re at prayer. 13 What really kills me is standing in the need of prayer standing in a gathering in the need of prayer. 14 Don’t if we don’t if we don’t break the habit we will be made to climb all the steps of the ladder. 15 Brood over someone else’s dream: three-story red tower beneath the tower the train is always departing. 16 Danger of its tongue for those gathered like a group gathered like a group of all virgins with their downcast eyes. 17 There is this problem with cutting off the prayer hand there is this problem with the other hand. 18 How insensitive is how those who hear better be how insensitive how unmoved and cold they had better be. 19 You can call him you can call him up and ask him if we had only asked for “Sleep Walk by Santo & Johnny. 20 Red tower green sky three-story tower against green sky beneath the tower the train is always departing. 21 Don’t break it be made to climb all the steps we don’t break it we’ll be made to climb all the steps. 22 Ant on the floor the small ant on the kitchen floor the small ant anticipates by sound or shadow. 23 Light turns out in the kitchen when somebody pulls on the string those gathered not able to anticipate the danger. 24 If we had only stayed in the school of the prophets in the school of the prophets who catch thoughts from words. 25 Ant on the floor the small ant on the kitchen floor those gathered not able to anticipate the danger. 26 Those who are gathered are fondled and taken by the hand taken by the hand and made to climb all the steps. 27 Perfectly built fort bound to make the community unhappy bound to make those in the community unhappy. 28 What really kills me is standing in the need of prayer I’m standing in the need of jokes that come back. 29 Standing in the need of prayer in a perfectly built fort bound to make you unhappy bound to make me unhappy. 30 Not broken the habit of prayer not been broken those who are gathered better learn how to cure their wounds.