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
Deliver Me From Mine Enemies
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because of that issue he is unclean
Every bed whereon he lieth is unclean
And everything whereon he sitteth, unclean.
And whosoever toucheth his bed shall be unclean,
And he that sitteth whereon he sat shall be unclean.
And he that toucheth the flesh of the unclean becomes unclean,
And he that be spat on by him unclean becomes unclean.
And he that beareth any of those things shall be unclean.
And what saddle soever he rideth upon is unclean
And the vessel of earth that he touches, unclean.
And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, he is unclean.
Every garment, every skin whereon is the seed, unclean.
And the woman with whom this man shall lie with will be unclean.
And whosoever toucheth her will be unclean.
This is the law of the plague,
To teach when it is clean and when it is unclean.
And the priest shall look upon the plague.
For a rising and for a scab and for a bright spot.
And the priest shall shut up he who hath the plague.
He shall carry them forth to a place unclean.
He shall separate them in their uncleaness.
This is the law of the plague:
To teach when it is clean and when it is unclean.
Excerpt from Psalm 22
Many bulls have compassed me;
Strong bulls of Bã'-shân have beset me round.
They gape upon me with their mouths,
As a ravening and roaring lion.
But thou, O Lord, shall bring them down,
Thou shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction
Greedy deceitful men shall be exposed as vermin
And their days as iniquity.
Excerpt from Psalms 58 and 59
Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God:
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and
Save me from bloody men.
For lo, they lie and wait for my soul:
The mighty are gathered up against me;
Not for my transgressions, not for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves without my fault:
Awake to help me and behold.
Swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
But thou, O Lord, shall laugh at them. The God
Of my mercy shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
And at evening let them return, and let them
Make a noise like a dog, and go round about
The city. Let them walk up and down for meat, and
Grudge if they be not satisfied.
Break out the great teeth of the
Young lions, o lord and when he
Bendeth his bow to shoot his
Arrows, let them be cut in pieces!
Bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
Text by Diamanda Galas
The Devil is an impotent man
He says it nice and plays himself off as the friend
He tries to make you uncertain
So your hands shake
And then he tells you you're insane
When you call him by his rightful name:
Impotent homophobe and coward!
So you will miss when you aim at this evil man
Who cannot get it up
Except
In the T. V. public operating room of another man's misfortune
The lyrics to Diamanda Galás's song "Deliver Me From Mine Enemies" are a combination of excerpts from the Bible, specifically Leviticus and Psalms, and original text by Galás herself. The Leviticus excerpts describe the many ways a person can become unclean, whether it be through bodily fluids or contact with an unclean surface. The Psalms excerpts describe the singer's enemies, who are depicted as strong and ravenous like lions, but ultimately will be brought down and exposed as deceitful vermin. Galás's original text speaks directly to the Devil, whom she calls an impotent homophobe and coward, and warns against underestimating his ability to manipulate and deceive.
The use of biblical text in the song is not uncommon for Galás, who often incorporates religious themes in her work. The Leviticus passages in particular highlight the idea of impurity and the ways in which societal taboos around bodily fluids and sexuality can be used to ostracize and shame individuals. The Psalms passages emphasize the singer's need for divine intervention and protection from their enemies, who are depicted as cruel and merciless.
Galás's original lyrics, on the other hand, call out the Devil directly and paint him as a manipulative figure who thrives on making others feel uncertain and unstable. By referring to him as an impotent homophobe, Galás also seems to be critiquing the ways in which societal norms around masculinity and sexuality are often used to exert power over others.
Overall, the lyrics of "Deliver Me From Mine Enemies" are a complex mix of biblical references and original text that highlight themes of impurity, divine protection, and the insidious nature of evil.
Line by Line Meaning
When any man hath an issue out of his flesh,
If any man has a bodily discharge, he is considered unclean.
Because of that issue he is unclean
This makes him impure or unclean.
Every bed whereon he lieth is unclean
Any bed that he lies on becomes impure or unclean.
And everything whereon he sitteth, unclean.
Anything that he sits on also becomes impure or unclean.
And whosoever toucheth his bed shall be unclean,
Anyone who touches his bed becomes impure or unclean.
And he that sitteth whereon he sat shall be unclean.
Anyone who sits where he sat becomes impure or unclean.
And he that toucheth the flesh of the unclean becomes unclean,
Anyone who touches him becomes impure or unclean.
And he that be spat on by him unclean becomes unclean.
Anyone who is spat on by him becomes impure or unclean.
And whosoever toucheth anything under him shall be unclean.
Anyone who touches anything under him becomes impure or unclean.
And he that beareth any of those things shall be unclean.
Anyone who carries those things also becomes impure or unclean.
And what saddle soever he rideth upon is unclean
Any saddle he rides on becomes impure or unclean.
And the vessel of earth that he touches, unclean.
Any clay pot he touches becomes impure or unclean.
And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, he is unclean
If a man ejaculates, he becomes impure or unclean.
Every garment, every skin whereon is the seed, unclean.
Any clothing or skin that has come into contact with his semen becomes impure or unclean.
And the woman with whom this man shall lie with will be unclean.
Any woman who has sex with him becomes impure or unclean.
And whosoever toucheth her will be unclean.
Anyone who touches her becomes impure or unclean.
This is the law of the plague,
These are the rules for when someone is considered impure or unclean.
To teach when it is clean and when it is unclean.
To help people understand when something or someone is pure or impure.
Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God:
God, please save me from my enemies.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and
Save me from those who do evil.
Save me from bloody men.
Save me from violent and ruthless people.
For lo, they lie and wait for my soul:
They wait and plot to harm me.
The mighty are gathered up against me;
Powerful people have joined together to harm me.
Not for my transgressions, not for my sin, O Lord.
I have not sinned or done anything wrong.
They run and prepare themselves without my fault:
They are preparing to attack me for no reason.
Awake to help me and behold.
God, please help me and see what is happening to me.
Swords are in their lips: for who, say they, doth hear?
They use their words like swords to harm others, and they think no one will challenge them.
But thou, O Lord, shall laugh at them. The God
God, you will show them that their actions are foolish.
Of my mercy shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.
God, because of your mercy, I will see what I desire to happen to my enemies.
And at evening let them return, and let them
Let them go home.
Make a noise like a dog, and go round about
Let them bark like dogs and wander around.
The city. Let them walk up and down for meat, and
Let them wander around in search of food.
Grudge if they be not satisfied.
Let them complain if they don't find enough to eat.
Break out the great teeth of the
God, destroy the power of my enemies like
Young lions, o lord and when he
you would against young lions.
Bendeth his bow to shoot his
When they pull back their bowstrings and
Arrows, let them be cut in pieces!
May their arrows be ineffective and broken apart!
Bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
God, please bring down our enemies and protect us.
The Devil is an impotent man
The Devil is weak and powerless.
He says it nice and plays himself off as the friend
He pretends to be friendly and kind.
He tries to make you uncertain
He tries to make you doubt yourself.
So your hands shake
So you become nervous and unsure.
And then he tells you you're insane
And then he convinces you that you're crazy.
When you call him by his rightful name:
When you expose the Devil for who he truly is.
Impotent homophobe and coward!
Weak, fearful, and hateful.
So you will miss when you aim at this evil man
You will miss your target when trying to fight against his evil.
Who cannot get it up
Who cannot gain power or strength.
Except
Unless it's in a public display of someone else's pain and misfortune on TV.
In the TV public operating room of another man's misfortune
By exploiting others and their misery, he gets a sense of power.
Contributed by Addison L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.