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
Let My People Go
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And is waiting to be sure
Plenty of his black sheep died
Before he finds a cure
Oh Lord Jesus
Do you think I served my time?
The eight legs of the devil now
The firm hand
Of the devil now
Is rocking me to sleep
I force my blind eyes open Lord
But I'm sinking in the day
Oh Lord Jesus
Do you think I served my time?
The eight legs of the devil now
Are crawling up my spine
I go to sleep each evening now
Dreaming of the grave
I see the friends I used to know
Crawling up my leg
Oh Lord Jesus
Do you think I served my time?
The eight legs of the devil now
Are crawling up my spine
Oh Lord Jesus
Do you think I served my time?
The eight legs of the devil now
Are crawling up my spine
Oh Lord Jesus
Here's the news from the fires below
The eight legs of the devil will not
Let my people go
The lyrics of Diamanda Galás's song "Let My People Go" speak to the singer's struggle with persecution and death at the hands of the devil. The first stanza sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer notes that the devil is carefully monitoring her situation, waiting for the moment when she can be taken down. Despite the many other victims who have fallen before her, she remains desperate for a cure, asking Jesus if she's "served her time." The metaphorical eight legs of the devil are a haunting image, crawling up her spine and leaving her helpless to resist.
In the second stanza, the singer seems to give in to the devil's grasp, saying that she is being rocked to sleep by his firm (and inescapable) hand. She tries to force her "blind eyes" open, but the "light" of day only seems to pull her further down. By the third stanza, the singer's thoughts turn to death, and she recounts a dream in which her old friends are crawling up her leg, a vivid reminder of her own impending demise. Even in the face of all this terror, the singer still asks Jesus if she has served her time, though the eight legs of the devil will not let her (or her people) go.
Overall, this song is a haunting testament to the power of fear and persecution, and the singer's struggle to find hope in the face of overwhelming darkness. The repeated refrain of the devil's eight legs crawling up her spine is a masterful use of vivid imagery to create a sense of horror and helplessness, while the notes of desperation and pleading in the singer's voice ("Oh Lord Jesus") add an emotional depth to the lyrics that is difficult to ignore.
Line by Line Meaning
The devil has designed my death
I am facing death and it feels like the devil is behind it.
And is waiting to be sure
The devil is waiting for confirmation that I am going to die.
Plenty of his black sheep died
Many people have already suffered the same fate as me.
Before he finds a cure
The devil seems to be searching for a cure or reason for my death.
Oh Lord Jesus
A plea to God for help.
Do you think I served my time?
Asking God if they have paid their dues or deserve this death.
The eight legs of the devil now
Referring to the devil's grasp or hold on them.
Are crawling up my spine
The feeling of being overtaken by the devil's power.
The firm hand
The devil's grip on them.
Of the devil now
The devil's control over their fate and life.
Is rocking me to sleep
Being lulled into a sense of security by the devil, perhaps in the face of death.
I force my blind eyes open Lord
Trying to see the truth or reality surrounding the situation with the help of God.
But I'm sinking in the day
Feeling overwhelmed and consumed by the reality of what is happening.
I go to sleep each evening now
Sleep being a metaphor for death or surrender to the devil's power.
Dreaming of the grave
Facing the inevitability and reality of death.
I see the friends I used to know
Those who have already succumbed to the same fate.
Crawling up my leg
The feeling of being overtaken and consumed by the devil's power.
Here's the news from the fires below
Something ominous or dangerous is coming from the depths of the unknown.
The eight legs of the devil will not
The devil's power and control will not let go.
Let my people go
A plea for release or freedom from the devil's grasp for not only themselves, but for others in the same position.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HUGH THOMAS MORGAN, DAVID ALASTAIR KING, CHRISTOPHER L. SCIANNI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@metronomic1
The way she channeled the pain and anger of her brother dying of AIDS and watching our government and the CDC do nothing is breathtaking and heart-wrenching.
@velvetblood8763
True true I agree with that statement 💯
@saoirsecruise6713
She is amazing! Have you seen Coil's version of tainted love?
@brossraska3139
It is so important that these videos remain available. The library of Alexandria burned but digital can be taken down just as easily. Thank you for keeping this up.
@vex5130
Agreed…except I bet they have that library under the house of Vatika
@estherwarkov
She was a friend in college in the 1970s. She's the real deal and a courageous artist.
@tarokeefe7722
The usual expressions of interest seem trite, yet i am truly expressing interest
@johncitizen4870
Come-on she's friggin Burlesque histrionic
You people gush at everything .
@lostinphil
She is performing at The Cannibal Club in LA, a "restaurant" that serves human flesh. Who needs friends like that
@estherwarkov7547
@@lostinphil recommend taking up your concern, if you're serious, with the public health department.