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
Heaven Have Mercy
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No more prayers no more fears
Nothing left, why go on
When your lover is gone
Shout with one, ring the bells
Through the towns and the farms
With the shouts and the bells
Bringing him back to my arms
While some loner woman stands empty heart empty hands
When the time came to part
And he kissed me goodbye
From the depths of my heart came a great lonely cry
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven hae mercy"
Once again they carved his name upon a cross
I remember the dance where we first fell in love
How we walzed around and around
While the stars danced above
We would walk by the shore
Watch the sheeps sail away
Lovers need nothing more
Just a new dream each day
So we dreamed of a home
With a garden so fine
And a son with his eyes
And a nose just like mine
Now its done why be grave?
Why should I live like this?
Shall I wait by the grave for my lost lovers kiss?
Stop the bell, stop the bell!
I have no tears left to cry
Must I stay here in hell?
Lord above let me die
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
"Heaven have mercy"
The lyrics of Diamanda Galás's song Heaven Have Mercy delve into the grief and sorrow experienced by a woman who has lost her lover. The lyrics express her despair, as she contemplates a future without her loved one. There is a sense of anger and frustration too as she questions why men must continue to go to war and why women must be left alone to suffer. She remembers moments of joy, like the time they fell in love and danced under the stars, but these memories only serve to increase her pain. The chorus "Heaven have mercy" is a plea for release from this world of suffering and pain.
The song's haunting lyrics are enhanced by the intense, almost primal style of Diamanda Galás's vocals. Her voice ranges from soft whispers to guttural growls, conveying the deep emotions of the lyrics. The sparse yet poignant arrangement of the piano melody and haunting church bells intensify the sense of loss and despair in the song. The lyrics and music of "Heaven Have Mercy" come together to create a deeply emotional and powerful piece of art that speaks to the struggles of heartbreak and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
No more smiles no more tears
I am emotionally depleted and incapable of expressing joy or sadness.
No more prayers no more fears
I have lost faith and feel hopeless about the future.
Nothing left, why go on
My life has lost its meaning without my lover.
When your lover is gone
The absence of my lover has left a void in my life.
Shout with one, ring the bells
I express my grief through vocalizations and sounds.
Through the towns and the farms
My cries of sorrow are heard far and wide.
With the shouts and the bells
My cries of grief are accompanied by the sound of church bells.
Bringing him back to my arms
I hope that my cries of grief will bring my deceased lover back to me.
Must each man go to war ever more ever more
I question the perpetual cycle of war and loss, and the impact it has on loved ones left behind.
While some loner woman stands empty heart empty hands
I empathize with other women who are left alone in grief and despair.
When the time came to part
I am reminded of the moment when I had to say goodbye to my lover.
And he kissed me goodbye
I am reminded of the bittersweet moment when my lover bid me farewell.
From the depths of my heart came a great lonely cry
The pain of separation from my lover is overwhelming and suffocating.
"Heaven have mercy"
I pray for divine intervention to ease my suffering.
Once again they carved his name upon a cross
I am reminded of the death of my lover and the grief is reignited.
I remember the dance where we first fell in love
I hold onto memories of happier times with my lover.
How we walzed around and around
I recall the joy of dancing with my lover.
While the stars danced above
The beauty of the night sky added to the magic of the moment.
We would walk by the shore
We spent peaceful moments by the water's edge.
Watch the sheeps sail away
We enjoyed serene scenes of nature together.
Lovers need nothing more
Our love was enough to sustain us in those moments.
Just a new dream each day
Our hopes and dreams for the future kept us motivated and fulfilled.
So we dreamed of a home
We had plans to build a future together.
With a garden so fine
We wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature in our own backyard.
And a son with his eyes
We dreamed of starting a family together.
And a nose just like mine
We wanted to see our physical features reflected in our future child.
Now its done why be grave?
With my lover gone, there seems to be little reason to carry on and be serious.
Why should I live like this?
I am questioning the value of life without my lover.
Shall I wait by the grave for my lost lovers kiss?
I am considering joining my lover in death.
Stop the bell, stop the bell!
I am overwhelmed by the sound of the church bells which serve as a constant reminder of my grief.
I have no tears left to cry
My grief is so deep that I have run out of tears to shed.
Must I stay here in hell?
My life without my lover feels like an unbearable hell.
Lord above let me die
I plead with God to take me out of my misery.
"Heaven have mercy"
I continue to pray for divine intervention to ease my suffering.
Contributed by Kayla K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.