Many of the key features of his music –radical discontinuity, the self-contained brevity of each gesture, an attraction to wide intervals– owe much to Bailey's early fascination with Anton Webern, an influence most audible on Bailey's earliest available recordings, Pieces for Guitar (1966-67, issued on Tzadik).
Playing both acoustic and electric guitars (although more usually the former), Bailey was able to extend the possibilities of the instrument in radical ways, obtaining a far wider array of sounds than are usually heard. He explored the full vocabulary of the instrument, producing timbres and tones ranging from the most delicate tinklings to fierce noise attacks. (The sounds he produced have been compared to those made by John Cage's prepared piano.)
Typically he played a conventional instrument, in standard tuning, but his use of amplification was often crucial. In the 1970s, for instance, his standard set-up involved two independently controlled amplifiers to give a stereo effect onstage, and he often would use the swell pedal to counteract the "normal" attack and decay of notes. He also made highly original use of feedback, a technique demonstrated on the album String Theory (Paratactile).
Laura
Derek Bailey Lyrics
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Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Laura is the face in the misty light
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
The laugh that floats on a summer night
That you can never quite recall
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
She gave your very first kiss to you
That was Laura but she's only a dream
In the lyrics of Derek Bailey's "Laura," the singer speaks of a familiar feeling of memories that never happened or memories that are half-forgotten yet remain etched in his mind. He talks about recognizing someone who he has never met, but it feels like he has known them for a long time. This is a common experience, which is often attributed to déjà vu. Laura, as described by the singer, is a mysterious woman whom he seemingly knows like the back of his hand. She is the face that emerges from the mist, the footsteps that echo down the hallway, the laughter that drifts through summer nights but can never quite be recalled.
Laura, the woman whom the singer speaks of throughout the song, is a manifestation of a dream, an illusion that he cannot quite grasp. It is clear that the singer is deeply enamoured by Laura, and he sees her presence constantly, even where she does not exist. He thinks back to his very first kiss and thinks that it was given to him by this elusive and unattainable Laura. But ultimately, it is clear that this dream of Laura is nothing more than a figment of the singer’s imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
You know the feeling of something half remembered
The sensation of recalling an experience or memory, but only partially.
Of something that never happened, yet you recall it well
Remembering an event that never actually occurred, but it feels like it did.
You know the feeling of recognizing someone
The feeling of being familiar with someone's appearance or presence.
That you've never met as far as you could tell, well
Despite the sense of familiarity, you have never actually met this person.
Laura is the face in the misty light
Laura is a metaphor for a person who is difficult to see or understand, much like a face in a foggy atmosphere.
Footsteps that you hear down the hall
Sensing a presence or activity nearby, but not knowing what it is or where it is coming from.
The laugh that floats on a summer night
A distant sound that evokes a sense of nostalgia and familiarity but is not easily identifiable or located.
That you can never quite recall
Despite the familiarity of the experience, the details of the sound or the memory are not entirely clear or accessible.
And you see Laura on the train that is passing through
Laura is again a symbol for a fleeting presence or passing moment that is not fully comprehensible.
Those eyes, how familiar they seem
Despite not knowing the person or understanding the situation, there is a sense of recognition and comfort related to the appearance of the eyes.
She gave your very first kiss to you
A memory or experience that has great significance, even if it is not entirely clear or well-defined.
That was Laura but she's only a dream
The idea of Laura is a symbolic representation of all the intangible and hard-to-define impressions and memories that one encounters in life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Raksin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind