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
This Is the Law of the Plague
Diamanda Galás Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When any man hath an issue out of his flesh,
because of his 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,
becomes unclean,
and he that be spat on by him, unclean
becomes unclean.
Strong bulls of Baasha do beset me round.
They gape upon me with their mouths
as a ravening and a roaring lion,
but thou, O Lord, shall bring them down.
Thou shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Greedy and deceitful men shall be exposed as vermin
and their days as iniquity,
and whosoever toucheth any thing under him
shall be 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 toucheth, unclean.
Deliver me from mine enemies.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
and save me from,
save me from bloody men,
for lo, they lie in wait for my soul.
The wicked are gathered against me,
not for my transgressions, not for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves without my help,
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 make a noise like a dog.
and go around 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,
break out the great teeth of the young lions,
and when they laugh at the trial of the innocent,
let them be cut as in pieces,
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
will be unclean,
and whosoever toucheth her will be unclean.
This is the law of the plague:
to teach when it is clean and unclean.
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 TV public operating room
of another man's misfortune,
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 that hath the plague.
He shall carry them forth to a place unclean.
He shall separate them in their uncleanness.
This is the law of the plague:
to teach when it is clean and when it is unclean.
Diamanda Galás's song "This is the Law of the Plague" is a haunting and powerful piece that brings forth the Old Testament's words and Galás's own reflections on the matter. The lyrics describe the ancient belief of uncleanness and cleanliness due to various bodily fluids' issues that would render everything and everyone they touched unclean as well. The song opens with excerpts from Leviticus and Psalms, which describe this concept in detail. Galás's lyrics highlight the unfairness and harshness of such a belief, where even those who touch or get spat on by an unclean person become unclean themselves. The song also references a group of men who beset the singer like "ravening and roaring lions" and asks the Lord to bring them down into the pit of destruction. The use of powerful imagery and metaphors invokes an eerie and ominous atmosphere, fitting with the lyrics' subject matter.
As the song progresses, Galás's lyrics shift toward a personal reflection on the evil that humans commit, referencing the "impotent homophobe and coward," who tries to make people uncertain and then calls them insane when they call him out. The lyrics, in a way, compare the ancient belief in the contagiousness of uncleanliness with modern society's follies, where toxic people commit sins and get away with them. The song ends with the priest described in Leviticus looking upon the plague and separating the unclean from the clean, highlighting again how the strife for purity and cleanliness has marked humans' entire history.
Line by Line Meaning
When any man hath an issue out of his flesh,
because of his issue, he is unclean.
If a man has a physical or sexual condition, he is considered unclean according to the laws.
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.
All objects touched or used by the unclean person, including their bed, are also considered unclean, and can make others unclean as well, including those who touch or come into contact with them.
Strong bulls of Baasha do beset me round.
They gape upon me with their mouths
as a ravening and a roaring lion,
but thou, O Lord, shall bring them down.
Thou shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction.
Greedy and deceitful men shall be exposed as vermin
and their days as iniquity,
The enemies of the singer are like fierce bulls or lions, surrounding and threatening them. But they have faith that God will bring down these men and expose their true nature as greedy and deceitful, bringing about their downfall.
and whosoever toucheth any thing under him
shall be 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 toucheth, unclean.
Anything that comes into contact with the unclean person or their belongings is also considered unclean and must be cleansed or destroyed.
Deliver me from mine enemies.
Deliver me from the workers of iniquity,
and save me from,
save me from bloody men,
for lo, they lie in wait for my soul.
The wicked are gathered against me,
not for my transgressions, not for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves without my help,
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,
The artist is praying for deliverance from their enemies, who seek to harm them despite their innocence. They ask God to intervene and protect them from these wicked, lying men who are armed with swords and seek to destroy them. The artist trusts in God's mercy to defeat their enemies.
and at evening, let them make a noise like a dog.
and go around 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,
break out the great teeth of the young lions,
and when they laugh at the trial of the innocent,
let them be cut as in pieces,
The singer desires retaliation against their enemies who will be reduced to wandering dogs begging for scraps and growling when unsatisfied. They pray for the young lions among them to be brought down and punished, especially those who take pleasure in seeing the innocent suffer and be falsely accused.
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
will be unclean,
and whosoever toucheth her will be unclean.
This is the law of the plague:
to teach when it is clean and unclean.
Any man who ejaculates semen is considered unclean, as well as anything that comes into contact with the semen, including clothing and skin. The woman he has sex with is also considered unclean, along with anyone who touches her. These laws teach about what is clean and unclean according to tradition.
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 TV public operating room
of another man's misfortune,
The artist criticizes the Devil as being impotent and deceitful, trying to make people doubt themselves and their beliefs. They see the Devil as a homophobe and coward who seeks to distract people from his true nature as an evil and harmful entity. The Devil is likened to a surgeon who operates on others' misfortune in public, helpless to do anything else.
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 that hath the plague.
He shall carry them forth to a place unclean.
He shall separate them in their uncleanness.
This is the law of the plague:
to teach when it is clean and when it is unclean.
Priests inspect those with plagues, looking for signs of infection like bumps, scabs, or bright spots. Those with the plague are to be quarantined, separated from others who are clean, and taken to a place deemed unclean. These laws instruct on how to identify and contain infections and diseases.
Contributed by Ella F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
InfiniteSpiral112358
Olivier R, you are right... it doesn't get much darker than this. i am a nurse, and have had many many patients who were dying of AIDS. (in Plague Mass, the plague she means is AIDS, she watched her brother die from it) it is one of the most horrible diseases to die from that i have seen... most people do not know just how awful and disturbing it is, and knowing you can do nothing but try to keep them as comfortable as possible can be frustrating and really sad... this piece expresses the darkness and horror of that perfectly. it should disturb you... Diamanda is not afraid to enter that darkness, and express it exactly as it is. most people can not handle such things... i mean, if you become severely depressed, you WILL lose friends, and even family members, because they are so consciously or subconsciously terrified of even just sitting with someone who is suffering... they will abandon you, avoid you, stop calling, fail to offer support, etc... i am not comparing depression to AIDS. it is just an example, to show how far people will go to avoid being anywhere near suffering. Diamanda has a very talented way of expressing that suffering, and the horror of it. very few would go anywhere near suffering of that magnitude.
(edit) -- also, in a comment i saw (i am sorry that i forgot your username), it was pointed out that 'Plague Mass' is not only about the suffering in the many forms it can take... it is also about Justice. when AIDS was first being seen, and doctors did not even know what they were dealing with, those who had the disease were being treated almost like criminals. unfortunately it was not really paid much attention to. no large scale research, or funding, or proper treatment, etc... it was basically being almost ignored, especially since it seemed to be occurring only in homosexual men and unfortunately, religious extremists were saying that it was God's punishment on them for living a life of sin. oh but how they started to fund research and find better treatments when it started affecting everyone else... parents of children with hemophilia, or people who for whatever reason needed blood transfusions, etc... Diamanda was among the first of those who were very vocal, and devoted to the cause, as she still is now. 'Plague Mass' does bring up a very real sense of justice, for those that suffered it before anyone cared, and who the true criminals were.
and as far as the comments that presume she is just screeching, and screaming, she has one of the most extraordinary voices out there. her vocal range is something like 4 1/2 octaves... which is very rare. her voice is very highly trained. do not for a moment that if you were given a microphone, that you could just scream into it and sound anything like her. too many people still feel that 'music' is just entertainment, and everything is supposed to be hunky dory all of the time. this woman can break that illusion just by singing one jarring note.
funny how fundamentalists have no problem talking about and describing the unspeakable torment, and horrors of 'hell' (to children even), yet, they would never be able to handle Diamanda's expression of it.
Cyndi Crawford
*****: if you like it so much, then why don't you go volunteer at a hospital that specializes in AIDS patients and see how "great" it is for yourself?
Cyndi Crawford
JulesStarr7: first of all, you shouldn't choose to let somebody's comments "dishonor" the memory of your loved one by whining at them to remove their posts. to do so suggests that the memory was too weak to begin with if it can't handle a little bit of "dishonor".
secondly, Ted censored himself, so I don't see how he's being profane. I also fail to see how I was being "profane" by telling WalrusDoom to go to a hospital with AIDS patients to see how "fantastic" he thinks it is.
so no, I'm not going to delete or edit my post. :)
Ted Lewis
JulesStarr7 I will not censor myself. Just as Diamanda Galas and other warriors like her did not censor themselves when they fought against the intolerant, hateful people that demonized those that were suffering. I am sorry that someone you loved perished from the disease but calling Cyndi and my posts dishonorable while saying nothing regarding WalrusDoom's post stating that "AIDS is fantastic" and that "everyone should die from it" is really misguided.
Wolves
Ted Lewis tldr
sex6cult9revolution
There is art that is done to "shock" and usually, its facade wears out over time. And there is art that is shocking because it paints a picture so real, you can barely stand to witness it. And that art will remain. Diamanda Galas does not cease to be frightening and impressive.
Egor Tilpunov
Well, probobly cause Manson and other shockers do it with a deliberate intention to shock. Galas did it to cope with her own problems - to channel her own pain.
Geoffrey Feldman
I have been listening her and this piece in particular for over 30 years. It doesn't lose a thing over time for me.
Justin Dawson
She screamed for the ones who suffered and died of HIV in the 80s
Midnight Witch
I love her, Manson, Alice cooper and shock artists like them are just "idols" who tweenies think are "so goth" and it dose wear off over time, but dimandia is on a whole different level 😍