For 30 years Allan Taylor has been considered as the consummate performer, a writer of literary gracefulness whose troubadour chronicles encapsulate the realism of otherwise unsung heroes, otherwise uncharted lives. His songs are faultlessly constructed and flawlessly performed, with his instantly recognizable voice, attractively dark and mellow, accompanied by his intricately detailed yet full-sounding guitar.
The Beat Hotel
Allan Taylor Lyrics
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Word is out and everybody's beating on the door
Madame Rachou will let you in, just smile and ring the bell
Welcome to Nirvana at the Beat hotel
The sweet smell of Pernod, a Gauloise cigarette
It's a cosmic congregation but you ain't seen nothing yet
It's an open invitation, an existential clientele
They looked for it in New York City and San Francisco Bay
They looked for in bebop jazz and it blew them all away
They tried out every avenue and then said "What the hell,
We'll look for it in Paris at the Beat hotel"
Burroughs came up from Tangiers, Ginsberg from New York
Kerouac came up from Italy and slept out in the park
Gregory Corso came and went and where he's at no one can tell
He's still looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel
Take me to your leader, take me to the man
Someone has got the answer, someone's got the perfect plan
If you're looking in the alleys, if you're looking in the bars
You'll find us in the gutter, looking at the stars
This ragged band of poets, Christians, Buddhists, Jews
A new Beat generation searching for the Muse
Some found it in the arms of a mystic mademoiselle
Looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel
The rooms count up to forty-one, but you can sleep out in the hall
For a few centimes you can get a drink and write your poems on the wall
And the marijuana mixes with the Tukish toilet smell
It's all part of Nirvana at the Beat hotel
Alex Campbell strums an old guitar someone picked up in Spain
Ginsberg's howling poetry and Kerouac's drunk again
The rent is overdue there must be something they can sell
Maybe they can sell Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Someone's taking photographs, Janine takes off her clothes
Marlene's meditating and concentrating on her toes
Jasmine hides in room sixteen and curls up in her shell
She's communing with Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Take me to your leader, take me to the man
Someone has got the answer, someone's got the perfect plan
If you're looking in the alleys, if you're looking in the bars
You'll find us in the gutter, looking at the stars
They did it for the journey and not for getting there
Fame is in a whisper when you pay the taxi fare
It's just this side of Heaven and a long, long way from Hell
It's somewhere in Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Nothing lasts forever, and forever's in a rhyme
It's a Buddha-like connection and everybody has their time
If you want to drink the water you've got to dig into the well
Maybe then you'll find Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
It was over by nineteen sixty-three and everyone had gone
But they'd opened up the road and the revolution was getting won
When the poems were painted over and they rang the final bell
It was goodbye to Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
The myth is stronger than the truth, and truth can sometimes lie
To see it all for what it was you need an uncorrupted eye
Was the journey worth it, only time will tell
Still looking for Nirvana, at the Beat Hotel
Take me to your leader, take me to the man
Someone has got the answer, someone's got the perfect plan
If you're looking in the alleys, if you're looking in the bars
You'll find us in the gutter, looking at the stars
Looking at the stars
We're looking at the stars
Allan Taylor's song "The Beat Hotel" takes its inspiration from a famous hotel in Paris - Hôtel de la Louisiane, or "The Beat Hotel". The lyrics paint a vivid picture of "Paris nineteen fifty-six, number nine rue Git le Coeur" where "Madame Rachou will let you in, just smile and ring the bell", and where the air is filled with the "sweet smell of Pernod, a Gauloise cigarette". The Beat Hotel, which became a haven for literary and artistic bohemians, welcomed a diverse clientele of poets, musicians, and travelers all looking for an escape from the mundane, and more importantly, a taste of Nirvana.
The song's lyrics are rich with references to the Beat Generation, a literary and cultural movement that emerged in the 1950s in the US, centered around writers such as Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg, who would all frequently stay at the Beat Hotel. The lyrics speak of how they "tried out every avenue and then said 'What the hell, We'll look for it in Paris at the Beat hotel'" and how the poet Gregory Corso "came and went and where he's at no one can tell, He's still looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel". The hotel and its bohemian inhabitants inspired Allen Ginsberg's poem "Kaddish", William S. Burroughs' "Naked Lunch", and a number of other works, making it a significant location in the history of the Beat Generation.
Line by Line Meaning
Paris nineteen fifty-six, number nine rue Git le Coeur
The song describes the Beat Hotel located at 9 Rue Git Le Coeur in Paris, in the year 1956
Word is out and everybody's beating on the door
People are eager to explore the Beat Hotel and are lining up to get inside
Madame Rachou will let you in, just smile and ring the bell
Madame Rachou, the owner of the hotel, will allow entry only to those who make a good impression
Welcome to Nirvana at the Beat hotel
The Beat Hotel is Nirvana, a perfect place for the artistic and creative minds to come together
The sweet smell of Pernod, a Gauloise cigarette
The atmosphere in the Beat Hotel is filled with scents of Pernod and Gauloise cigarettes
It's a cosmic congregation but you ain't seen nothing yet
The gathering of creative minds at the Beat Hotel is truly out of this world
It's an open invitation, an existential clientele
The Beat Hotel is an open invitation for people who have an existential crisis and are looking for a way to express themselves
All looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel
People at the Beat Hotel are searching for the perfect place to find their own enlightenment and creative inspiration
They looked for it in New York City and San Francisco Bay
People have been searching for Nirvana in places like New York City and San Francisco Bay
They looked for in bebop jazz and it blew them all away
People turned to bebop jazz for inspiration, but it still didn't help
They tried out every avenue and then said "What the hell,
People tried every option but still couldn't find what they were looking for
We'll look for it in Paris at the Beat hotel"
People decided to look for Nirvana in the Beat Hotel in Paris
Burroughs came up from Tangiers, Ginsberg from New York
Writers like William Burroughs came from Tangiers and Allen Ginsberg came from New York City to find their inspiration in the Beat Hotel
Kerouac came up from Italy and slept out in the park
Jack Kerouac came from Italy and spent time sleeping in the park near the Beat Hotel
Gregory Corso came and went and where he's at no one can tell
Gregory Corso came to the Beat Hotel but left without anyone knowing where he had gone
He's still looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel
Gregory Corso is still searching for Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Take me to your leader, take me to the man
People at the Beat Hotel are looking for someone to lead them and offer guidance
Someone has got the answer, someone's got the perfect plan
People at the Beat Hotel believe that someone has the answer and can help them find their way
If you're looking in the alleys, if you're looking in the bars
People searching for Nirvana are checking every corner, including alleys and bars
You'll find us in the gutter, looking at the stars
People at the Beat Hotel are looking for enlightenment even in the darkest corners of life
This ragged band of poets, Christians, Buddhists, Jews
The Beat Hotel houses a group of people from various religions and backgrounds who share a love for art and expression
A new Beat generation searching for the Muse
The group at the Beat Hotel is part of a new generation of artists who are searching for the inspiration to create their art
Some found it in the arms of a mystic mademoiselle
Some people at the Beat Hotel found inspiration in the embrace of a mystical Mademoiselle
Looking for Nirvana at the Beat hotel
The Beat Hotel is the perfect place to find Nirvana and the inspiration to create art
The rooms count up to forty-one, but you can sleep out in the hall
The Beat Hotel has forty-one rooms, but people can sleep in the hallways if there are no rooms available
For a few centimes you can get a drink and write your poems on the wall
People can buy a drink for a few centimes and express themselves by writing their poetry on the walls
And the marijuana mixes with the Turkish toilet smell
The smell of marijuana mingles with the odor coming from the Turkish toilets
It's all part of Nirvana at the Beat hotel
Despite the smell, the Beat Hotel is still considered Nirvana because it allows people to express themselves freely
Alex Campbell strums an old guitar someone picked up in Spain
Alex Campbell is playing an old guitar that someone picked up in Spain
Ginsberg's howling poetry and Kerouac's drunk again
Allen Ginsberg is reciting his poetry loudly, while Jack Kerouac is drunk again
The rent is overdue there must be something they can sell
The people at the Beat Hotel are struggling to make rent and need to sell something
Maybe they can sell Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Despite their financial struggles, the people at the Beat Hotel still believe they can offer Nirvana to others
Someone's taking photographs, Janine takes off her clothes
People are taking photographs, while Janine is undressing and feeling free to express herself
Marlene's meditating and concentrating on her toes
Marlene is meditating and focusing on her toes, which allows her to connect with her inner self
Jasmine hides in room sixteen and curls up in her shell
Jasmine is hiding in room sixteen and is nervous to express herself
She's communing with Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Despite being nervous, Jasmine is still looking to connect with herself and find Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
Nothing lasts forever, and forever's in a rhyme
Nothing can last forever, but it can be captured in a rhyme
It's a Buddha-like connection and everybody has their time
The connection and inspiration found at the Beat Hotel is similar to that of a Buddha, and everyone can experience it in their own time
If you want to drink the water you've got to dig into the well
If people want to experience Nirvana, they must look deeper within themselves to find it
Maybe then you'll find Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
If people can dig deep enough within themselves, they will find the Nirvana that exists at the Beat Hotel
It was over by nineteen sixty-three and everyone had gone
By 1963, the Beat Hotel was closed and everyone had left
But they'd opened up the road and the revolution was getting won
Despite the Beat Hotel closing, its impact had already started a revolution that was continuing to grow
When the poems were painted over and they rang the final bell
Despite the hotel's impact, the poems written on the walls were painted over, and the hotel officially announced its closure
It was goodbye to Nirvana at the Beat Hotel
With the Beat Hotel's closure, it was goodbye to Nirvana for the people who had found it there
The myth is stronger than the truth, and truth can sometimes lie
The myth of the Beat Hotel is more significant than the truth, and sometimes the truth can be distorted
To see it all for what it was you need an uncorrupted eye
To truly understand the legacy of the Beat Hotel, people must look at it with an unbiased and unbiased perspective
Was the journey worth it, only time will tell
The merits of the journey people took to find their Nirvana at the Beat Hotel can be determined only with time
Still looking for Nirvana, at the Beat Hotel
Despite the closure of the Beat Hotel, people are still looking for Nirvana, which they had found there
We're looking at the stars
The song concludes by reiterating the idea that the people who had found Nirvana at the Beat Hotel are still looking for it, even now, and are finding inspiration by looking at the stars
Contributed by Cameron E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.