O Superman

Last updated
"O Superman"
OSuperman.JPG
Single by Laurie Anderson
from the album Big Science
B-side "Walk the Dog"
ReleasedOctober 1981 (UK) [1]
Recorded1981, The Lobby, New York City [2]
Genre
Length8:21
Label Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s) Laurie Anderson
Producer(s) Laurie Anderson
Laurie Anderson singles chronology
"O Superman"
(1981)
"Sharkey's Day"
(1984)

"O Superman", also known as "O Superman (For Massenet)", is a 1981 song by performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. The song became a surprise hit in the United Kingdom after it was championed by DJ John Peel, [3] rising to #2 on the UK Singles Charts in 1981. [10] Prior to the success of this song, Anderson was little known outside the art world. First released as a promotional single, the song also appeared on her debut album Big Science (1982) [11] and as part of her live album United States Live (1984).

Contents

In the 1981 Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll, critics voted "O Superman" the best single of the year. [12] [13]

Music

In writing the song, Anderson drew from the aria "Ô Souverain, ô juge, ô père" ("O Sovereign, O Judge, O Father") from Jules Massenet's 1885 opera Le Cid , that she had heard in the voice of tenor Charles Holland. [14] The first lines ("O Superman / O Judge / O Mom and Dad") echo the aria. Susan McClary suggests in her book Feminine Endings that "O Superman" may also have been inspired by Massenet's 1902 opera Le jongleur de Notre-Dame .

Anderson's lead vocals are overlaid on a sparse background of two alternating chords formed by the repeated spoken syllable "ha" created by looping with an Eventide Harmonizer. [15] A Roland VP-330 vocoder was used on Anderson's voice to sound "like a Greek chorus". [15] [16] A saxophone is heard as the song fades out, and a flute line and sample of bird calls appear at various points within the track. The two chords of the song are A major and C minor, the repeating "ha" syllable acting as a harmonic drone on C.

Lyrics

The song's introduction consists of a repetition of the "O Superman / O Judge / O Mom and Dad" stanza. The rest of the song's lyrics are loosely structured around a phone conversation between the narrator and a mysterious voice. At first, the voice leaves a message claiming to be the narrator's mother but, upon not receiving a response, reveals itself as someone whom the narrator "doesn't know" but who "knows" the narrator. The narrator finally responds, asking "who is this really?" The voice then identifies itself as "the hand that takes" and informs the narrator that the "American planes" are coming. The song concludes with the stanza "When love is gone, there's always justice / and when justice is gone, there's always force / and when force is gone, there's always mom", with the narrator pleading to be held in her mom's long petrochemical, military, electronic arms.

As part of the larger work United States, the text addresses issues of technology and communication, quoting answering machine messages and the United States Postal Service motto "Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" (which Anderson interprets into American Sign Language in the music video). In a 2022 60 Minutes interview, Anderson summarized the song as being about how "technology cannot save you". [17]

The lines "'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice / And when justice is gone, there's always force / And when force is gone, there's always Mom" derive from the fourth sentence of Chapter 38 of the Tao Te Ching : "When Tao is lost, there is goodness. When goodness is lost, there is kindness. When kindness is lost, there is justice. When justice is lost, there is ritual. Now ritual is the husk of faith and loyalty, the beginning of confusion."

In an interview with the Australian magazine Bulletin in 2003, Anderson erroneously stated that the song was connected to the Iran–Contra affair, [18] but she had meant to refer to the earlier Iran hostage crisis and the failure of Operation Eagle Claw in 1980. [19] [20]

Release

First released as a single by B. George's One Ten Records, the song's unexpected popularity led to Anderson signing a distribution contract with Warner Records, which would reissue the single and later release her debut album Big Science in 1982. A live version of the song also appears on Anderson's 1984 live album United States Live . [21]

With DJ John Peel frequently playing "O Superman" on BBC Radio 1, the song reached number two on the UK Singles Chart and was ranked among the top ten "Tracks of the Year" for 1981 by NME. [22] [23] [24]

"O Superman" did not appeal to all listeners. According to the 1982 book The Rock Lists Album, compiled by John Tobler and Allan Jones, polls conducted by several unidentified British newspapers saw "O Superman" voted readers' least favourite hit single of 1981. [24]

Although Anderson had dropped the song from her performance repertoire almost two decades earlier, she revived the piece in 2001 during a concert tour that included a retrospective look at some of her older pieces, an idea conceived by her romantic partner Lou Reed. A live performance of "O Superman" was recorded in New York City shortly after the September 11 attacks, which some, including Anderson, felt gave the song's lyrics a new topical resonance. [25] This performance would appear on Anderson's 2002 album Live in New York . [26]

The B-side of the original single was a spoken word piece titled "Walk the Dog", which would also appear on United States Live. The studio version of the track was included on the Warner Bros. compilation Attack of the Killer B's (1983), [27] but was never issued on any studio album until the twenty-fifth anniversary reissue of Big Science in 2007. [28]

The 2018 interactive film Black Mirror: Bandersnatch includes an ending scored by "O Superman". [29]

In November 2023, an audio clip from "O Superman," centered on the lyrics "Well, you don’t know me / But I know you,” went viral as a sound on TikTok. [30]

In Italy, the song became popular thanks to its usage in a series of HIV prevention television commercials by the Italian Ministry of Health running from 1988 to the early 90's.

Recording details

Words and music written by Laurie Anderson.

Charts

Chart (1981)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [35] 28
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [36] 19
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [37] 9
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [38] 10
Ireland (IRMA) [39] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [40] 21
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [41] 16
UK Singles (OCC) [42] 2

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurie Anderson</span> American artist and musician (born 1947)

Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting, Anderson pursued a variety of performance art projects in New York during the 1970s, focusing particularly on language, technology, and visual imagery. She achieved unexpected commercial success when her song "O Superman" reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1981.

<i>Reggatta de Blanc</i> 1979 studio album by the Police

Reggatta de Blanc is the second studio album by British rock band the Police, released on 5 October 1979 by A&M Records. It was the band's first release to top the UK Albums Chart and features their first two UK number-one singles: "Message in a Bottle" and "Walking on the Moon". In early 1980, the album was reissued in the United States on two 10-inch discs, one album side per disc, and as a collector's edition with a poster of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Christgau</span> American music journalist (born 1942)

Robert Thomas Christgau is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for The Village Voice, during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for Esquire, Creem, Newsday, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Billboard, NPR, Blender, and MSN Music, and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pazz & Jop</span> Annual poll of top musical releases

Pazz & Jop was an annual poll of top musical releases, compiled by American newspaper The Village Voice and created by music critic Robert Christgau. It published lists of the year's top releases for 1971 and, after Christgau's two-year absence from the Voice, each year from 1974 onward. The polls are tabulated from the submitted year-end top 10 lists of hundreds of music critics. It was named in acknowledgement of the defunct magazine Jazz & Pop, and adopted the ratings system used in that publication's annual critics poll.

<i>Raise!</i> 1981 studio album by Earth, Wind & Fire

Raise! is the eleventh studio album by the American band Earth, Wind & Fire, released on November 14, 1981, by ARC/Columbia Records. The album spent 11 weeks atop the Billboard Top R&B albums chart and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart. Raise! has been certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA, Gold in the UK by the BPI and Gold in Canada by Music Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Postal Service creed</span> Informal motto of American letter carriers

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" is a phrase long associated with the American postal worker. Though not an official creed or motto of the United States Postal Service, the Postal Service does acknowledge it as an informal motto along with a slightly revised version of Charles W. Eliot's poem "The Letter".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sign o' the Times (song)</span> 1987 single by Prince

"Sign o' the Times" is the lead single from American musician Prince's 1987 studio album of the same name. The song was originally intended for two separate Prince studio albums meant to be released in 1986, both shelved: Dream Factory and Crystal Ball. Prince performed all vocals and instruments on the song. "Sign o' the Times" was reportedly written and composed on a Sunday, when Prince usually wrote his most introspective songs.

<i>Big Science</i> (Laurie Anderson album) 1982 studio album by Laurie Anderson

Big Science is the debut studio album by American performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. It was the first of a seven-album deal Anderson signed with Warner Bros. Records. The album consists of a selection of musical highlights from her eight-hour production United States Live, which was itself released as a 5-LP box set and book in 1984.

<i>United States Live</i> 1984 live album by Laurie Anderson

United States Live is the first live album and third overall album by avant-garde singer-songwriter Laurie Anderson. Released as a 5-record boxed set, the album was recorded at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City in February 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land of Confusion</span> 1986 single by Genesis

"Land of Confusion" is a song by the English rock band Genesis from their 1986 album Invisible Touch. The music was written by the band, while the lyrics were written by guitarist Mike Rutherford. The song was the third track on the album and was the third track released as a single, reaching No. 14 in the UK in December 1986 and No. 4 in the U.S. in January 1987. It also reached the top 10 in several other countries including Canada, Ireland, West Germany and the Netherlands. The song's video featured puppets from the 1980s UK sketch show Spitting Image.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Wonder If I Take You Home</span> 1985 single by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force

"I Wonder If I Take You Home" is a song recorded by Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam with Full Force in 1984. Record Producer Kenny Beck discovered the song in a "discard bin" at Personal Records while looking for songs to include on his debut album with the label. He was so impressed that he created a compilation break-dancing album, CBS/SuzyQ, just to include the song. He released the album in Europe on CBS Records, and it immediately gained popularity as a dance hit with club DJs there. Soon American DJs began playing the song in the United States on Columbia Records. After the song received heavy play from these DJs, "I Wonder If I Take You Home" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart for one week in June 1985. On other US charts, it peaked at No. 6 on the R&B chart and reached No. 34 on the Hot 100. In 1991, the single was certified gold in the US by the RIAA. Overseas, it charted at No. 12 on the UK Singles Chart and number 41 in the Netherlands.

<i>Totally Krossed Out</i> 1992 studio album by Kris Kross

Totally Krossed Out is the debut studio album by American hip hop duo Kris Kross. It was produced and largely written by Jermaine Dupri and Joe "The Butcher" Nicolo and released on March 31, 1992, by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. After developing a musical concept for the duo, Dupri and Nicolo spent two years writing and producing the album.

<i>Real People</i> (album) 1980 studio album by Chic

Real People is the fourth studio album by American R&B band Chic, released on Atlantic Records in 1980. It includes the singles "Rebels Are We", "Real People", and "26".

<i>Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology</i> 2000 greatest hits album by Laurie Anderson

Talk Normal: The Laurie Anderson Anthology is a retrospective of the seven albums recorded by American experimental music composer Laurie Anderson for Warner Bros. Records. All tracks had been previously released. This was the final Anderson release on the main Warner Bros. label before moving to the subsidiary Nonesuch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chewing Gum (song)</span> 2004 single by Annie

"Chewing Gum" is a song by Norwegian singer Annie from her debut studio album, Anniemal (2004). Written by Richard X and Hannah Robinson, the song is based on a metaphor which likens men to chewing gum.

<i>Whokill</i> 2011 studio album by Tune-Yards

Whokill is the second full-length release by Merrill Garbus' project Tune-Yards. It was released on 4AD Records on April 19, 2011.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King Kunta</span> 2015 single by Kendrick Lamar

"King Kunta" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kendrick Lamar, taken from his third album, To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). It was released as the album's third single on March 24, 2015. Lamar co-wrote the song with Thundercat, while Terrace Martin, Michael Kuhle, and Sounwave served as producers. The song features interpolations and references to lyrics written by Michael Jackson, James Brown, Fred Wesley, John Starks, Ahmad, Redfoo, and Johnny Burns, who are all credited as songwriters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seasons (Waiting on You)</span> 2014 song by Future Islands

"Seasons (Waiting on You)" is a song by American synthpop band Future Islands. It is the opening track on their fourth studio album Singles, and was released as the album's lead single on February 4, 2014. The song received much critical acclaim, topping The Village Voice's annual year-end Pazz & Jop critics' poll and also being named the best track of 2014 by publications such as NME, Pitchfork, and Spin. In 2019, it was named the 34th best song of the 2010s by Pitchfork, and was ranked 94th on Rolling Stone's 100 Best Songs of the 2010s.

<i>Bruised Music, Volume 1</i> 2015 compilation album by Tenement

Bruised Music, Volume 1 is a compilation album by Appleton, Wisconsin rock group Tenement, released by Grave Mistake Records and Toxic Pop Records. It is composed of singles and rarities from the band's first four years. The album was ranked #1170 by The Village Voice on their 2015 Pazz & Jop critics poll.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Holland (singer)</span>

Charles Holland was an American tenor singer and actor.

References

  1. Bacon, Tony (2006). Singles. Backbeat UK. p. 195. ISBN   978-1-871547-73-3.
  2. 1 2 Big Science (Media notes). Warner Bros. 1982.
  3. 1 2 Murphy, Ben. "Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' Re-Released!". DJ Magazine . Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  4. Bychawski, Adam (November 14, 2011). "The Big Pink sample Laurie Anderson's 'O Superman' on new track - listen". New Musical Express .
  5. Hermes, Will (June 25, 2010). "Electronic Expressions in the Service of the Soul". The New York Times .
  6. Rodgers, Jude (2015-03-15). "Mother's Day 2015: the 10 best songs about mothers". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  7. Derry, Mark (1989). "Laurie Anderson: On the Jagged Edge". Elle. Retrieved November 29, 2020.
  8. "About the Piece: O Superman (tape)". LA Philharmonic . Archived from the original on 26 August 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  9. Lester, Paul (11 July 2008). "What's the weirdest chart hit of all time?". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  10. "The Official Charts Company - Laurie Anderson - O Superman". Official Charts . Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  11. O Superman by Laurie Anderson-Topic on YouTube
  12. Robert Christgau: Pazz & Jop 1981: Critics Poll
  13. 1981 Pazz & Jop: The Year the Rolling Stones Lost the Pennant|The Village Voice
  14. Folkart, Burt A. (November 12, 1987). "Obituaries: Charles Holland; Singer Fled Bias, Found Success". Los Angeles Times.
  15. 1 2 Simpson, Danny (April 19, 2016). "How we made Laurie Anderson's O Superman". theguardian.com. Retrieved January 6, 2023.
  16. "Selective Synthesis: "O Superman"". Roland Cloud. Retrieved 2023-12-27.
  17. "Laurie Anderson: The 60 Minutes Interview". 60 Minutes. July 25, 2022. Retrieved January 27, 2024.
  18. Wiesel, Al (January 22, 2003). "Sound Zero". The Bulletin. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2007.
  19. "'It has never been more pertinent' – Margaret Atwood on the chilling genius of Laurie Anderson's Big Science". the Guardian. 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2021-04-20.
  20. "Featured Audio - 98.7WFMT - Classical and Folk Music Radio Streaming Online". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2013-02-19.
  21. O Superman (Live) by Laurie Anderson-Topic on YouTube
  22. Official Singles Chart Top 75, 18 October 1981 - 24 October 1981
  23. "Albums and Tracks of the Year". NME. 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  24. 1 2 Tobler, John; Jones, Allan (1982). The Rock Lists Album. Methuen. ISBN   0458969001.
  25. Klein, Joshua (August 2, 2007). "Laurie Anderson Big Science". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  26. "September 11th Anniversary Coverage". WNYC. September 3, 2004. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  27. "Attack Of The Killer B's (Volume One)". Discogs. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  28. Barton, Laura (April 19, 2021). "Laurie Anderson - Big Science". Uncut. Retrieved October 9, 2021.
  29. "All The Songs In 'Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,' So You Can Marvel At The Sheer Amount Of '80s Details". Bustle. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  30. https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/playboi-carti-sky-number-1-tiktok-billboard-top-50-mariah-carey-rises-1235540206/
  31. O Superman (For Massenet) (Remastered) by Laurie Anderson-Topic on YouTube
  32. "Bill Kipper Discography". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  33. "The Lobby - CDs and Vinyl". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  34. "Laurie Anderson - O Superman (Vinyl)". Discogs.com. 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
  35. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   978-0-646-11917-5.
  36. "Laurie Anderson – O Superman" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  37. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Laurie Anderson" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  38. "Laurie Anderson – O Superman" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  39. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – O Superman". Irish Singles Chart.
  40. "Laurie Anderson – O Superman". Top 40 Singles.
  41. "SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Songs M-O" . Retrieved 1 April 2018.
  42. "Laurie Anderson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.

Listening