William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an Amer… Read Full Bio ↴William Seward Burroughs II (February 5, 1914 – August 2, 1997) was an American novelist, essayist, social critic and spoken word performer. Much of Burroughs' work is semi-autobiographical cut-up stories. He saw all his writing as a single, vast book.
He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".
Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.
He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".
Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.
More Genres
No Artists Found
More Artists
Load All
No Albums Found
More Albums
Load All
No Tracks Found
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found
William S. Burroughs Lyrics
A One God Universe You're one of God's better people And you don't know That's …
A Thanksgiving Prayer For John Dillinger In hope he is still alive Thanks for …
Apocalypse APOCALYPSE! Mariners sailing close to the shores of Tuscany …
Curse Go Back One in the morning when the mood started shifting All the…
Dinosaurs Hey man them ain't high heeled sneakers And they sure don't…
Excerpts In this conversation Kanye West and Pharrell Williams candid…
Firecracker Once we rode together In a metal firecracker You told me I…
From Here to Eternity Life can be strange, somethings we forget Or rearrange in ti…
Hymn Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of…
Interlude 2 Well, this is insane Yes, insane Yes, this is insane…
Interlude 2: This Is Insane Well, this is insane Yes, insane Yes, this is insane…
Interview Part 2 Can we pretend that airplanes In the night sky Is like shoot…
Is Everybody In I think I'd like to go back home And take it…
Kill The Badger! At Los Alamos Ranch School, Where they later made the atom…
Last words How many times must a newspaper call Tryin' to persuade me…
Love Your Enemies You can't sleep at night You can't dream your dream Your fin…
MacDougal Street Blues Won't you come along with me To the Mississippi We'll take a…
No More Stalins No More Hitlers Well, you're just in time to be too late I tried…
Old Western Movies A Jedge in the West comin from the South with ruby…
Sexual Conditioning My first reading tonight is an extension and amplification o…
Spare Ass Annie When I became captain of the town, I decided to…
The Brooklyn Bridge Blues Sunrise on Brooklyn bridge The glittering as a promise of an…
The Do Rights Trying to do right But he don't understand Prays every night…
The Do-Rights Take me to heart and I'll always love you And nobody…
The Last Words Of Dutch Schultz That is what caused the trouble. Look out. Please let…
The Lord's Prayer Our Father Who art in Heaven Hallowed be Thy name Thy kingdo…
The Market [Chours] There is no target. mHm What's hot on the market. M…
The Moon Moon river, wider than a mile I'm crossing you in style…
The Purple Better One All my life is falling down (Woah) I got to hold…
The Sermon On The Mount 1 Where the disciples were assembled in fear Of the soldiers,…
Towers Open Fire Chestnuts roasting on an open fire Jack Frost nipping at you…
Twilight's Last Gleamings Ah this text written in collaboration with Kels Elvens in…
Untitled it is too late to feel like a numb skin…
Where You Belong I've been captured by a love I can't explain And…
William's Welcome What are you here for? We're all here to go We're all…
Woman Oh, the measure of her man Is in a woman's eyes She…
Words Of Advice For Young People I am sometimes asked if I have any words of…