Å andra sidan

Å andra sidan finns sådant som låten Clay Pigeons i USA. Tog den till mitt hjärta för inte så länge sen, som det perfekta uttrycket för ensamhet och melankoli; inte helt okända stämningslägen för min del. Clay pigeons betyder ordagrant bokstavligen “lerduvor”, ni vet såna där runda lerplattor som kastas ut av en maskin och som skytten skjuter ner i flykten. Metaforiskt, bildligt, lär uttrycket i amerikansk slang stå för en “lätt sårbar person i en utsatt position”, en person som är lätt att skjuta ner, precis som en lerduva.

Låten skrevs av singer-songwritern Blaze Foley, men jag hörde den först med John Prine, också han sångare, gitarrist och låtskrivare inom country-genren. Låter så här:

Clay Pigeons

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound Station, gonna buy a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me ’bout two or three times
Smokin’ cigarettes in the last seat
Sing this song for the people I meet
And get along with it all
Go where the people say “y’all”
Sing a song with a friend
Change the shape that I’m in,
And get back in the game,
And start playin’ again

I’d like to stay but I might have to go to start over again
I might go back down to Texas,
Might go to somewhere that I’ve never been
And get up in the mornin’ and go out at night
And I won’t have to go home
Get used to bein’ alone
Change the words to this song
And start singin’ again

I’m tired of runnin’ ’round lookin’ for
Answers to questions that I already know
I could build me a castle with memories just to have somewhere to go
Count the days and the nights that it
Takes to get back in the saddle again
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
And start talkin’ again, when I know what to say

I’m goin’ down to the Greyhound Station, gonna buy a ticket to ride
Gonna find that lady with two or three kids and sit down by her side
Ride ’til the sun comes up and down around me ’bout two or three times
Smokin’ cigarettes in the last seat
Sing my song for the people I meet
And get along with it all
Where the people say “y’all”
Feed the pigeons some clay
Turn the night into day
Start talkin’ again
When I know what to say

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