(1) John Coolidge Adams
(born February 15, 1947) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer with strong roots in minimalism. He learned the clarinet from his father and played in marching bands and community orchestras during his formative years. He began composing at the age of ten and heard his first orchestral pieces performed while still a teenager. The intellectual and artistic traditions of New England, especially the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Harvard University, helped shape him as an artist and thinker. After earning two degrees from Harvard University, he moved to Northern California in 1971 and has ever since lived in the San Francisco Bay area.
Adams taught for ten years at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music before becoming Composer in Residence with the San Francisco Symphony (1982-85) and the creator of the orchestra's highly successful and controversial “New and Unusual Music" series. Several of Adams’s landmark orchestral works were written for and premiered by the San Francisco Symphony, including Harmonium (1981), Grand Pianola Music (1982), Harmonielehre (1985) and El Dorado (1992).
His well-known operas include 'Nixon in China' (1987), which recounts Richard Nixon's 1972 visit to China 1972, and 'Doctor Atomic' (2005), which covers Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the building of the first atomic bomb.
John Adams' music is published by Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishing, www.boosey.com/adams.
Adams' official site is www.earbox.com.
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(2) John Adams is a Dallas-based jazz bassist and band-leader.
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(3) John Adams, Dutch country singer who gained international popularity from 1988 onwards, after winning the televized talent show 'Henny Huisman's Soundmix Show'.
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(4) John Adams is a Trombonist with old swan band.
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(5) John Adams is a Welsh singer-songwriter. He went on to appear on the 2012 X Factor as a Maths Teacher, where he made it through to the last 12 boys. His audition was featured heavily and his rendition of Cannonball by Damien Rice received a huge response from both judges and audience.Being on the show kicked started his career.
"The Pavement Is My Stage" his first album, has been recently released on Sep 25th, 2013
Chorus of Exiled Jews
John Adams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had no money left
And, of course, no luggage
My empty hands shall signify this passion
Which itself remembers
O Daughter of Zion
When you lay upon my breast
Who lies beneath the earth of his homeland, resolved
You said:
"I am an old woman,
I thought you were dead.
I have forgotten how often
We betrayed one another.
My hide is worn thin,
Covered with scars and wrinkles.
Now only doctors gather at my bedside
To tell what the Almighty has prepared for me.
A woman comes in to keep the place looking occupied."
Let us, when our lust is exhausted for the day
Recount to each other all we endured since we parted
There is so much to get through
It will take until night
Then we shall rise, miraculously
Virgin, boy and bride
To me you are a land of Jerusalem stone
Your scars are holy places
There, under my hand, the last wall of the Temple
There, the Dome of the Rock
And many apartments
The forest planted in memory
The movie houses picketed by Hasidim
The military barracks
The orchard where a goat climbs among branches
Your neighbor, the one who let me in
She was brought up on stories of our love
The song Chorus of Exiled Jews, composed by John Adams, is a powerful and moving piece that explores themes of loss, longing, and memory. Through its haunting lyrics, the song captures the experiences of exiled Jews and their yearning for a homeland long gone.
The first stanza of the song speaks of a man who has just paid off a taxi, and finds himself with nothing left - no money, and no luggage. His empty hands symbolize the passion he feels, a passion that is itself a memory. In the next stanza, we hear the voice of a woman, the Daughter of Zion, who speaks of a time when she lay upon the man's breast. She compares this to a soldier lying beneath the earth of his homeland, resolved to fight for it. She speaks of betrayal and weariness, and of doctors gathering at her bedside to tell her of the Almighty's plans.
As the song progresses, we hear of the lovers' plans to recount their experiences to each other, and of their hope of rising anew - as virgin, boy, and bride. The man speaks of Jerusalem and the holy places there, including the last wall of the Temple and the Dome of the Rock. He also speaks of other landmarks, such as the movie houses picketed by Hasidim, the military barracks, and the orchard where a goat climbs among the branches. Finally, we hear of the woman's neighbor, who was brought up on stories of the couple's love.
Overall, this song is a poignant tribute to the experiences of exiled Jews, and to the power of memory and longing. It speaks of loss, betrayal, and weariness, yet it also offers hope and the possibility of new beginnings.
Line by Line Meaning
When I paid off the taxi
After paying the fare for the taxi ride, I was left without any money
I had no money left
All of my funds were spent on the taxi ride, leaving me destitute
And, of course, no luggage
As a result of having no money, I was unable to carry any baggage or belongings with me
My empty hands shall signify this passion
My lack of possessions is a symbol of my love and commitment to this cause
Which itself remembers
The passion I have for this cause is inherent to my being and cannot be forgotten
O Daughter of Zion
A reference to the Jewish people or the city of Jerusalem
When you lay upon my breast
When I hold you close to me
I was like a soldier
I was brave and resolute in my commitment to the cause
Who lies beneath the earth of his homeland, resolved
Like a soldier buried in the ground of his homeland, I am dedicated to this cause even in death
You said:
You spoke to me
"I am an old woman,
You identified yourself as an elderly person
I thought you were dead.
You believed that I had died before we could see each other again
I have forgotten how often
You cannot recall how many times we have wronged each other in the past
We betrayed one another.
You acknowledge that we have both acted against each other's interests before
My hide is worn thin,
Your skin is thin and fragile due to old age
Covered with scars and wrinkles.
Your body is marked with the signs of a long life
Now only doctors gather at my bedside
You are now only surrounded by medical professionals who care for you
To tell what the Almighty has prepared for me.
They discuss what God has in store for you in the next life
A woman comes in to keep the place looking occupied."
Someone enters the room just to make it appear as if it is not empty
Let us, when our lust is exhausted for the day
When our physical desires are sated
Recount to each other all we endured since we parted
We will share with each other all that we have been through since we last saw each other
There is so much to get through
There is a lot to tell, as we have both lived through many experiences
It will take until night
It will take us a long time to share everything we need to say
Then we shall rise, miraculously
Afterwards, we will be renewed and refreshed
Virgin, boy and bride
A reference to individuals who are pure and innocent in their devotion to God
To me you are a land of Jerusalem stone
You are as precious and valuable to me as the land of Jerusalem
Your scars are holy places
The marks on your body hold great significance and are symbols of your dedication to God
There, under my hand, the last wall of the Temple
You are as important and revered to me as the last remaining wall of the Temple in Jerusalem
There, the Dome of the Rock
A reference to a holy site in Jerusalem
And many apartments
A nod to various places where we have shared significant experiences
The forest planted in memory
A reference to a specific piece of land that has been planted into a forest in memory of something significant
The movie houses picketed by Hasidim
A reference to a specific event where a group of Hasidic Jews protested outside of a movie theater
The military barracks
A reference to a location where soldiers live and train
The orchard where a goat climbs among branches
A reference to a specific place where a goat could be found climbing among the trees
Your neighbor, the one who let me in
A reference to a person who allowed me into a particular location
She was brought up on stories of our love
The person is familiar with stories about our past relationship or connection
Contributed by Thomas R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.