MacDermot was born in Montreal, Quebec, the son of a Canadian diplomat. He was educated at Upper Canada College and Bishop's University (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada). He received a Bachelor of Music from Cape Town University, South Africa and made a study of African music his specialty. He also studied the piano privately with Neil Chotem.
MacDermot won his first Grammy Award for the Cannonball Adderley recording of his song "African Waltz" (the title track of the album of the same name) in 1960.
MacDermot moved to New York City in 1964 where, three years later, he wrote the music for the hit musical Hair, which he later adapted for the 1979 film. Its Broadway cast album won a Grammy Award in 1969. The song from the musical Hair "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" reached number one for six weeks in 1969. The song Hair reached number one on the charts in 1969. His next musicals were Isabel's a Jezebel (1970) and Who the Murderer Was (1970), which featured British progressive rock band Curved Air. MacDermot had another hit with the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona (1971), which won the Tony Award for Best Musical. For that show, MacDermot was nominated for a Tony for best music and won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music. His later musicals, however, including Dude and Via Galactica (both 1973) and The Human Comedy (1984), were not successful on Broadway.
MacDermot's film soundtracks include Cotton Comes to Harlem, a 1970 blaxploitation film starring Godfrey Cambridge, Raymond St. Jacques and Redd Foxx, based on Chester Himes' novel of the same name; Rhinoceros (1974) starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, and directed by original Broadway Hair director Tom O'Horgan; and Mistress (1992). MacDermot wrote his own orchestrations and arrangements for his theatre and film scores.
In 1979, MacDermot formed the New Pulse Band, which performs and records his original music. The band played as part of the on stage band in the 2009 Broadway revival of Hair. MacDermot's oeuvre also includes ballet scores, chamber music, the Anglican liturgy, orchestral music, poetry, incidental music for plays, band repertory and opera. In 2009 MacDermot was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame.
Film director Jeff Lunger is in the post-production phase of a documentary on the life and work of MacDermot. Galt Macdermot lived on Staten Island. He has a son, Vincent MacDermot, who plays the trombone and drums on some albums. He also has a daughter, Elizabeth MacDermot, who teaches English at Staten Island Technical High School.
On November 22, 2010, MacDermot was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by SOCAN at the 2010 SOCAN Awards in Toronto.
MacDermot's music is popular with collectors of jazz and funk. Working with jazz musicians such as Bernard Purdie, Jimmy Lewis and Idris Muhammad, MacDermot created pieces that prefigured the funk material of James Brown. In recent decades, his work has become popular with hip-hop musicians including Busta Rhymes, who sampled "Space" from MacDermot's 1969 record Woman Is Sweeter for chart-topper "Woo hah!!", and Run DMC, who sampled the Hair song "Where Do I Go?" for their Grammy Award-winning "Down with the King". Handsome Boy Modelling School ("The Truth"), DJ Vadim, DJ Premier and Oh No have all sampled the same segment from "Coffee Cold", from Shapes of Rhythm (1966). As part of his Special Herbs series, rapper MF Doom sampled three MacDermot songs from Woman Is Sweeter: "Cathedral" for his song "Pennyroyal", "Space" for "Cinqfoil", and "Princess Gika" for "Hyssop". In 2006, rapper, Oh No, released an album produced completely with MacDermot samples, titled Exodus into Unheard Rhythms. Spanish hip-hop group SFDK used MacDermot's "Coffee Cold" for their song "Ternera Podrida" off the 2006 album "Original Rap University". The indie rapper J-Dilla used a sample of MacDermot's song Golden Apples (Part II) on his last album Donuts for his song Mash in 2006.
Dead END
Galt Macdermot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't walk
Keep out
Red light
Steep cliff
Beware
Mad dog
Warning land mine
High voltage line
Don't make a pass
Keep of the grass
Detour
Wet paint
Hands off
Dead end
Sharp curve
Steep hill
Danger
One-way
Emergency
Exit
Only
Only
Warning markers hidden
Loitering forbitten
All trespassers will be shot
Claude loves Sheila-- he better love her not
Wet paint
Hands off
Keep out
Dead end
Men working
Dead end
No standing
Dead end
No parking
Dead end
No smoking
Dead end
No joking
Dead end
My friend
The lyrics to "Dead End" by Galt MacDermot present a series of warnings and prohibitions, inviting the listener to a world of danger and restriction. The repeated refrain "Dead End" reinforces the idea that there is no way out or forward, the path is blocked and the only choice is to retreat. The song starts with a series of concrete objects and situations: "Red light," "Steep cliff," "Mad dog," "Blind man," "Warning land mine," and "High voltage line." These items are followed by a set of more abstract warnings, such as "Don't make a pass," "Keep off the grass," and "All trespassers will be shot." The wordplay on "Dead end" is cleverly used throughout the song, often combined with other phrases, such as "Wet paint, Dead end," or "Emergency exit, Only Only." The final lines of the song seem to offer a hint of hope, with the line "Claude loves Sheila-- he better love her not," suggesting that there are still choices and decisions to be made, even in a world of restrictions.
The lyrics of "Dead End" can be interpreted in many ways, depending on the context and the listener's own experiences. On one level, the song can be read as a commentary on the oppressive nature of modern society, with its incessant rules and regulations. On another level, the song can be seen as a playful meditation on the nature of limits and boundaries, and the creative possibilities that arise from working within them. Finally, the song can be read as a warning about the dangers of ignoring the signs and signals that life presents us with, and the need to remain alert and conscious in order to make the most of our opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
Don't walk
Walking down this path is not advised.
Keep out
This area is restricted, do not enter.
Red light
Stop, do not proceed any further.
Steep cliff
A high and steep drop-off is ahead.
Beware
Be cautious and watchful, there may be danger ahead.
Mad dog
A dog that may be aggressive or dangerous is present.
Blind man
A person with limited or no vision is present and may need assistance.
Warning land mine
An explosive device may be present and this area should be avoided.
High voltage line
Electricity may be present and caution should be exercised.
Don't make a pass
Do not attempt to pass through this area.
Keep off the grass
Do not step or walk on the grass in this area.
Detour
An alternate route needs to be taken.
Wet paint
Fresh paint has been applied and should not be touched.
Hands off
Do not touch, this may be dangerous or hazardous.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
Sharp curve
A sharp or abrupt turn is ahead.
Steep hill
A steep or difficult incline is ahead.
Danger
This area poses a significant risk and should be avoided.
One-way
This path goes in only one direction.
Emergency
This area should only be entered in an emergency situation.
Exit
This is the way out or the only exit available.
Only
This is the only way to proceed or the only option available.
Warning markers hidden
Caution should be taken as warning markers may be difficult to see or are hidden.
Loitering forbitten
Standing around or hanging out in this area is not allowed.
All trespassers will be shot
Unauthorized individuals who enter this area may be subject to violence or harm.
Claude loves Sheila-- he better love her not
This is a humorous or sarcastic message without any real significance.
Wet paint
Fresh paint has been applied and should not be touched.
Hands off
Do not touch, this may be dangerous or hazardous.
Keep out
This area is restricted, do not enter.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
Men working
Men are working in this area and caution should be used near heavy machinery or equipment.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
No standing
Standing in this area may be dangerous or is not allowed.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
No parking
Parking vehicles in this area is not allowed.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
No smoking
Smoking is not allowed in this area.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
No joking
This is a serious area or situation and should not be joked about.
Dead end
This path leads to a dead end, there is no way forward.
My friend
A friendly, lighthearted message.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Galt Mac Dermot, James Rado, Gerome Ragni
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SKOT FREE
Whew don't like this version at all,or maybe i just like the slower more soulful version on DisinHAIRited a bit better.