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
I'm Gonna Live the Life
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Nina Hagen)
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
I'm going to stand for right
And always shun the wrong
If I'm in the crowd
On the street or in my home
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
Every day, everywhere
On that busy thoroughfare
Folk may watch me, some may spot me
Say I'm foolish, but I don't care
I can't sing one thing
And then live another
Be a saint by day
And a devil undercover
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
I'm going to stand for right
And always shun the wrong
If I'm in the crowd
Or if I'm alone
On the street or in my home
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song, yes!
Every day, every night
I must always walk in the light
Some mistake me, underrate me
Because I want to do what's right
I can't go to church
And shout all day Sunday
Go out and get drunk
Stay Wasted all day monday
I've got to live the life
I sing about in my song
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
I'm going to live the life
I sing about in my song
The lyrics of "I'm Gonna Live the Life" by Diamanda Galás express a strong commitment to living a genuine life in accordance with the values expressed in the song. The singer proclaims that she will stand up for what is right, no matter what others may say or think. She believes in living her life consistently with her words and beliefs, without being a hypocrite. The lyrics suggest a desire for authenticity and integrity in one's life, as opposed to living a double life or pretending to be something one is not.
The lyrics also emphasize the importance of living in the light and avoiding darkness. The singer's commitment to living a genuine life means that she must always "walk in the light" and act in accordance with her values. She rejects a life of excess and indulgence, choosing instead to focus on what is right and true. By choosing to live the life she sings about in her song, the singer seeks to inspire others to do the same.
Overall, the lyrics of "I'm Gonna Live the Life" express a strong commitment to authenticity and integrity in one's life. The song encourages listeners to live in accordance with their beliefs and values, and to avoid living a double life or pretending to be something they are not.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm going to live the life
I am determined to embody the principles and values that are expressed in my music
I sing about in my song
The life I lead in reality will match the life I describe in my music
I'm going to stand for right
I will always advocate for what is just and virtuous
And always shun the wrong
I will reject immorality and avoid unethical behavior
If I'm in the crowd
Whether I am surrounded by others or not
Or if I'm alone
Regardless of whether I am by myself
On the street or in my home
Both out in public and within the confines of my own dwelling
Every day, everywhere
At all times and in all places
On that busy thoroughfare
Even on the most crowded and bustling streets
Folk may watch me, some may spot me
People may observe me and take notice of my actions
Say I'm foolish, but I don't care
Others may criticize me and call me naive, but I will not be deterred
I can't sing one thing
It is impossible for me to proclaim certain beliefs through music, but to act contrary to them in real life
And then live another
To be false or hypocritical goes against my core beliefs
Be a saint by day
To only display piety and virtue during certain hours or occasions
And a devil undercover
But to engage in sinful behavior behind closed doors is reprehensible
Every day, every night
Both day and night, without exception
I must always walk in the light
I will always choose to follow the path of righteousness
Some mistake me, underrate me
Others may misapprehend or undervalue my convictions
Because I want to do what's right
But my unwavering commitment to doing what is right inspires me to persist
I can't go to church
Simply attending church or performing religious rituals
And shout all day Sunday
Without actually implementing those teachings in my daily life
Go out and get drunk
Or engage in reckless or sinful behavior outside of church
Stay wasted all day Monday
Would be a disservice to the very principles that church is meant to instill in us
I've got to live the life
I am therefore obligated to embrace and exemplify the values I stand for
I sing about in my song
And that I express through my music.
Yes!
Indeed!
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.