Galás is known for being a fiercely confrontational avant-garde performer and is noted for her wailing, four-octave vocal range. Galás was the daughter of Greek Orthodox parents and her singing was roundly discouraged, although her prowess as a classical pianist was nurtured; ultimately, her strict upbringing resulted in a reckless, drug-fueled youth prior to her entrance into the University of California's music and visual arts program. Galás made her performing debut in 1979 at France's Festival d'Avignon, which led to an invitation to assume the lead role in composer Vinko Globokar's politically charged opera Un Jour Comme un Autre. In subsequent solo performance art pieces like Wild Women with Steak Knives and Tragouthia Apo to Aima Exon Fonos, Galás further honed her unique, shattering vocal style, inspired by the Schrei ("shriek") opera of German expressionism (a form employing a system of four microphones and a series of echoes and delays).
She worked with many avant-garde composers including Phillip Glass, Terry Riley, John Zorn, Iannis Xenakis and Vinko Globokar. She made her performance debut at the Festival d'Avignon in France as the lead in Globokar's opera, Un Jour Comme Une Autre which deals with the death by torture of a Turkish woman. The work was sponsored by Amnesty International. She also contributed her voice to Francis Ford Coppola's film Dracula (1992) and appeared on the film's soundtrack.
Her work first garnered widespread attention with the controversial 1991 live recording of the album "Plague Mass" in the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine in New York. With it, Galás attacked the Catholic Church for its indifference to AIDS using biblical texts. In the words of Terrorizor Magazine, "The church was made to burn with sound, not fire." Plague Mass was a live rendition of excerpts from her same-titled trilogy which began as a response/homage/indictment to the multitudinous effects of AIDS upon the silent class - of which her brother was a member. During the period of these recordings, Galás had "We are all HIV+" tattooed upon her knuckles; an artistic expression of disillusionment and disgust with the ignorance and apathy surrounding the AIDS epidemic. Her brother, who died during the trilogy's final production, reportedly appreciated her efforts.
Susan McClary (1991) writes that Galás, "heralds a new moment in the history of musical representation," after describing her thus: "Galás emerged within the post-modern performance art scene in the seventies...protesting...the treatment of victims of the junta, attitudes towards victims of AIDS...Her pieces are constructed from the ululation of traditional Mediterranean keening...whispers, shrieks, and moans."
In 1994, Galás collaborated with Led Zeppelin bass guitarist John Paul Jones. The resultant record, "The Sporting Life", while containing much of Galás's trademark vocal gymnastics, is probably the closest she has ever come to rock music.
Galás also performs as a blues artist interpreting a wide range of songs into her unique piano and vocal styles. This aspect of her work is perhaps best represented by her 1992 album, "The Singer" where she covered the likes of Willie Dixon, Roy Acuff, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins while accompaning herself on piano. For that album, she also recorded several traditional songs as well as the rarely heard Desmond Carter-penned version of Gloomy Sunday. Many of her selections both within and outside of blues repertoire have sometimes been categorized as 'homicidal love songs'. She also focuses on the death penalty. One program of songs, "Frenzy", has been dedicated to Aileen Wuornos and features the work of Phil Ochs and Hank Williams Sr.
Her latest song cycle is an interpretation of songs by Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich.
Official Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/songsofexile
Cris D'aveugle
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
L′oeil tué n'est pas mort
Un coin le fend encor
Encloué je suis sans cercueil
On m′a planté le clou dans l'oeil
L'oeil cloué n′est pas mort
Et le coin entre encor
Deus misericors
Deus misericors
Le marteau bat ma tête en bois
Le marteau qui ferra la croix
Deus misericors
Deus misericors
Les oiseaux croque-morts
Ont donc peur à mon corps
Mon Golgotha n′est pas fini
Lamma lamma sabacthani
Colombes de la Mort
Soiffez après mon corps
Rouge comme un sabord
La plaie est sur le bord
Comme la gencive bavant
D'une vieille qui rit sans dent
La plaie est sur le bord
Rouge comme un sabord
Je vois des cercles d′or
Le soleil blanc me mord
J'ai deux trous percés par un fer
Rougi dans la forge d′enfer
Je vois un cercle d'or
Le feu d′en haut me mord
Dans la moelle se tord
Une larme qui sort
Je vois dedans le paradis
Miserere, De profundis
Dans mon crâne se tord
Du soufre en pleur qui sort
Bienheureux le bon mort
Le mort sauvé qui dort
Heureux les martyrs, les élus
Avec la Vierge et son Jésus
O bienheureux le mort
Le mort jugé qui dort
Un Chevalier dehors
Repose sans remords
Dans le cimetière bénit
Dans sa sieste de granit
L'homme en pierre dehors
A deux yeux sans remords
Ho je vous sens encor
Landes jaunes d'Armor
Je sens mon rosaire à mes doigts
Et le Christ en os sur le bois
A toi je baye encor
O ciel défunt d′Armor
Pardon de prier fort
Seigneur si c′est le sort
Mes yeux, deux bénitiers ardents
Le diable a mis ses doigts dedans
Pardon de crier fort
Seigneur contre le sort
J'entends le vent du nord
Qui bugle comme un cor
C′est l'hallali des trépassés
J′aboie après mon tour assez
J'entends le vent du nord
J′entends le glas du cor
Text by Diamanda Galas
Dios, porque me has condendado?
Mavpes apakvuthes!
Lamma sabacthani!
Esta es mi sangre
Este es mi cuerpo
Estas son mis venas
Estoy siego
Dios, no puedo ver!
Mavpes apakvuthes!
Lamma sabacthani!
Aves de la muerte
Quiten me la vida!
Lamma lamma
Sabacthani!
Translation by Kenny Koch & George Guy:
Blind Man's Cry
The Murdered eye is not dead
A spike still splits it
Nailed up I am coffinless
They drove the nail in my eye
The nailed eye is not dead
And the spike still splits it
Deus misericors
Deus misericors
The hammer pounds my wooden head
The hammer that will make the cross
Deus misericors
Deus misericors
The undertaker birds
Are thus afraid of my body
My gologotha is not over
Lamma lamma sabacthani
Doves of Death
Be thirsty for my body
Red as a gun-port
The sore is on the edge
Like the drooling gum
Of a toothless laughing old woman
The sore is on the edge
Red as a gun-port
I see circles of gold
The white sun bites me
I've two holes pierced by an iron bar
Reddened in the forge of hell
I see a circle of gold
The sky′s fire bites me
In the marrow twists
A tear which comes out
I see inside paradise
Miserere de profundis
In my skull twists
A sulfur tear which comes out
Blessed the good dead man
The saved dead man who sleeps
Happy the martyrs the chosen
With the Virgin and the Jesus
Oh blessed the dead man
The judged dead man who sleeps
A knight outside
Reposes without remorse
In the hallowed cemetery
In his granite siesta
The man of stone outside
Has two eyes without remorse
Oh, I feel you still
Yellow moors of Armor
I feel my rosary in my fingers
And Christ in bore on the wood
I gape at you still
O dead Armor Sky
Pardon for praying hard
Lord, if it is fate
My esyes two burning holy-water fonts
The devil puts his fingers inside
Pardon for crying loud
Lord against fate
I hear the northwind
Which bugles like a horn
It is the hunting call for the kill of the dead
I bay enough on my own
I hear the northwind
I hear the horn′s knell
The song "Cris D'aveugle" is a hauntingly beautiful and deeply emotional piece by Diamanda Galás, composed of lyrics by Tristan Corbière (1983). The song speaks of a murdered blind man who can still feel and see the pain inflicted upon him. The lyrics use strong imagery of the crucifixion and the passion of Christ to describe the torture inflicted upon the blind man. Galás's intense emotional delivery of the lyrics, accompanied by piano, creates a deeply moving and powerful experience for the listener.
The song begins with the line "The murdered eye is not dead, a spike still splits it", which is a clear metaphor for the victim's ongoing physical and emotional pain. The blind man then speaks of his crucifixion and pleads for mercy from God. The undertaker birds are afraid of his body, and the wound on his eye is described as red as a gun-port. He can see circles of gold and the white sun bites him. The song ends with the blind man hearing the north wind, which bugles like a horn, and feels the pain of the dead.
Overall, "Cris D'aveugle" is a fascinating and deeply moving song that speaks to the pain of the human condition.
Line by Line Meaning
The murdered eye is not dead
Despite being killed, the eye remains alive
A spike still splits it
A spike is still piercing the eye
Nailed up I am coffinless
I am crucified without a coffin or proper burial
They drove the nail in my eye
A nail was hammered into my eye as a form of torture
The nailed eye is not dead
The eye remains alive despite being nailed
And the spike still splits it
The eye remains split by a spike
Deus misericors
God have mercy
The hammer pounds my wooden head
My head is being beaten with a hammer
The hammer that will make the cross
The hammer that will be used to make the cross for crucifixion
The undertaker birds are thus afraid of my body
Birds that typically feed on the dead are afraid to approach my body
My gologotha is not over
I am still being tortured and will not die yet
Lamma lamma sabacthani
The traditional Aramaic phrase meaning 'why have you forsaken me?'
Doves of Death be thirsty for my body
I am condemned to death and my body will be consumed by death
Red as a gun-port
My wound is bleeding heavily
The sore is on the edge
The wound is open and close to the edge of my skin
Like the drooling gum of a toothless laughing old woman
The wound resembles the drooling gum of an old woman with no teeth who is laughing
I see circles of gold
I am experiencing visions of circles made of gold
The white sun bites me
The heat of the sun is causing me pain
I've two holes pierced by an iron bar
I have two wounds caused by iron piercing my body
Reddened in the forge of hell
The wounds are burning and painful
The sky's fire bites me
The heat of the sky is causing me pain
In the marrow twists a tear which comes out
A tear is twisted in the marrow of my bones and comes out of my wound
I see inside paradise Miserere de profundis
I am experiencing a vision of the Miserere de profundis, or 'have mercy on us'
In my skull twists a sulfur tear which comes out
I have a sulfuric tear in my skull that is causing pain
Blessed the good dead man The saved dead man who sleeps
Those who die in a state of grace are considered fortunate to rest in eternal sleep
Happy the martyrs the chosen With the Virgin and the Jesus
Martyrs chosen by God have the privilege of spending eternity with the Virgin Mary and Jesus
Oh blessed the dead man The judged dead man who sleeps
Those who die in a state of grace and are judged as such are lucky to rest in eternal sleep
A knight outside Reposes without remorse In the hallowed cemetery In his granite siesta The man of stone outside Has two eyes without remorse
A knight is resting in peace in a cemetery, his stone statue having no emotions including remorse, and his eyes are empty
Oh, I feel you still Yellow moors of Armor
The artist feels the presence of the yellow moors of Armor
I feel my rosary in my fingers, And Christ in bore on the wood
The singer is holding a rosary and visualizing Christ on the cross
I gape at you still O dead Armor Sky
The singer is staring at the sky of Armor in disbelief
Pardon for praying hard Lord, if it is fate My eyes two burning holy-water fonts The devil puts his fingers inside
The artist prays earnestly for forgiveness and mercy, as their suffering has brought them closer to the devil
Pardon for crying loud Lord against fate
The artist asks for forgiveness for crying out against their fate
I hear the northwind Which bugles like a horn It is the hunting call for the kill of the dead I bay enough on my own I hear the northwind I hear the horn's knell
The cold wind signals the artist's inevitable death, and they accept it quietly
Writer(s): Diamanda Helena Galas
Contributed by Gabriella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.