Life Short Call Now (2006)
Rumours of Glory - box set Disc 7 (2014) [compilation album]
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Life Short Call Now (2006) |
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Rumours of Glory - box set Disc 7 (2014) [compilation album] |
This is the lead-in to Mystery, transcribed from the Blackheath Halls show in South London:
audience calls outs for Peggy's Kitchen Wall .... lots of laughter and Bruce saying, "so many songs so little time",
with more calling of song titles, and Bruce responds, "in order not to play favorites",
"I am gonna do something none of you know, I am not even sure I know this one, it's quite new."
"This is called Mystery."
"I went to Baghdad back in January, it was a pretty short visit but it was packed with meeting of people
and I think I came away with at least as much understanding of the situation as your basic CNN person,
perhaps more, having a different agenda to start with.
And I labored for a long time to get a song about Baghdad. You know, you can't go to a place like Baghdad looking for song material, its obscene.
But, of course every time I go anywhere I always hope that there will be a song come out of it.
And eventually there was one, but I haven't learned to play it so I'm not gonna do it for you.
(laughter)
But, right after I wrote it, I had been sort of feeling creativly constipated, for these many months, like trying to write this song about Baghdad.
When it finally came, it paved the way, unleashed a torrent even, of a, (laughter) that's a very, sort of, unfortunate metaphor, sorry about that.
This song was one of the songs that followed the writing of that song,
I might try it after, so I'll play this one, as I know it a little better.
But, it's called Mystery, it's kind of about that."
-- from a live concert statement, transcribed by Bobbi Wisby, from the 26 May 2004, Blackheath Halls show in South London.
After much yelling of requests, Bruce said "While there have been many worthy requests, and they have been noted, I'm going to sing one... (pause) I might have heard someone ask for this, but I'm not sure. (laughter from audience) So I'm going to treat it as if I did. (loud audience laughter) I'm not sure how that happened, well I guess I do. This is a new song (audience laughter again). I have sung it in front of people before, and I'm sure it has turned up out there in the ether of the internet somewhere, since somebody knew enough to ask for it. This is called "Mystery" (Victoria Bouffard, the requester, calls out "Thank you!!") and that is what it is about."
-- from a live concert transcribed by Eric, from the 29 October 2004, State Theatre in Ithaca, NY show