TRACK TALK #231 The Wicked Messenger

THE WICKED MESSENGER
ALBUM : John Wesley Harding (1967)
Recorded : 29 Novembre 1967
Released : 27 Décembre 1967

The song title appears to be derived from Proverbs 13:17: "A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.".[3] [In the song] the character first appears in public, unbidden, as an obsessive[...] The wicked messenger is the artist, the prophet, the protest singer. (Mike Marqusee)

Première performance live : East Rutherford (12 Juillet 1987)
Dernière performance live : Dublin (6 Mai 2009)
Total : Environ 125 fois



Lyrics
There was a wicked messenger
From Eli he did come
With a mind that multiplied the smallest matter
When questioned who had sent for him
He answered with his thumb
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter

He stayed behind the assembly hall
It was there he made his bed
Oftentimes he could be seen returning
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand which read
“The soles of my feet, I swear they’re burning”

Oh, the leaves began to fallin’
And the seas began to part
And the people that confronted him were many
And he was told but these few words
Which opened up his heart
“If ye cannot bring good news, then don’t bring any”

voici mes 5 versions live favorites :

- turin 13/09/87
- indiana 22/04/97
- london 05/10/00
- london 25/11/03
- verona 20/04/05

Voici la version de Patti Smith parue sur son album "gone again" de 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqui9Mm4Y18

et celle des black keys sur la b.o d' I'm not there en 2007

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3klNNSrDJw

dan65 a écrit:

Voici la version de Patti Smith parue sur son album "gone again" de 1996

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqui9Mm4Y18

Pour moi, une des meilleures reprises de Smith. On se prend l'essence de la chanson en pleine tronche. Une chanson que j'écoute différemment depuis, la version de JWH me paraît trop "blanche", trop gentille comparé à la dureté des lyrics. Je l'adore tout de même.

La version de Brixton 2005 est sympa aussi