Nomi moved from Germany to New York City in the mid-1970s. He began his involvement with the art scene based in the East Village. After a chance meeting in a nightclub, David Bowie hired him and Joey Arias as back-up singers for a performance on Saturday Night Live on December 14, 1979. Nomi also collaborated with famed producer Man Parrish.
Nomi is remembered for his bizarrely theatrical live performances, sporting heavy make-up, unusual costumes, and highly-stylized hairdos. His songs were just as unusual, ranging from synthesizer-laden interpretations of classic opera to covers of songs like Chubby Checker's The Twist.
In the 1990s, Nomi was frequently mentioned in Dennis Miller's monologues as one of his favorite obscure references.
Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh will often play Nomi's cover of Lesley Gore's You Don't Own Me on his program (as introductory music for news items regarding homosexuality).
A cartoon called "The Venture Brothers" had Klaus with David Bowie.
Episode 213 26 "Showdown at Cremation Creek (Part II)"
Aired October 15, 2006 (2006-10-15)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Showdown_at_Cremation_Creek_%28Part_II%29
Born: January 24, 1944; Immenstadt, Germany
Died: August 6, 1983 (aged 39); New York, NY, U.S.
Years active: 1977-1983
Samson And Delilah
Klaus Nomi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
comme s'ouvrent les fleurs
Aux baiser de l'aurore!
Mais, ô mon bienaimé,
pour mieux sécher mes pleurs,
Que ta voix parle encore!
Dis-moi qu'à Dalila
tu reviens pour jamais,
Les serments d'autrefois,
ces serments que j'aimais!
Ah! réponds à ma tendresse!
Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!
Ainsi qu'on voit des blés
les épis onduler
Sous la brise légère,
Ainsi frémit mon coeur,
prêt à se consoler,
A ta voix qui m'est chère!
La flèche est moins rapide
à porter le trépas,
Que ne l'est ton amante
à voler dans tes bras!
Ah! réponds à ma tendresse!
Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!
The lyrics to Klaus Nomi's "Samson And Delilah" are actually an excerpt from Camille Saint-Saëns' opera "Samson and Delilah." The original aria is called "Mon coeur s'ouvre à ta voix," which roughly translates to "My heart opens to your voice." In the context of the opera, Delilah sings this song to seduce Samson and convince him to reveal the secret of his strength.
In Nomi's interpretation, however, the gender roles are reversed, with Klaus taking on the role of Delilah and singing to a male lover. The lyrics are still full of sensuality and desire, with Klaus pleading for his lover to return and fulfill their past promises. The repetition of "Ah! réponds à ma tendresse! Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!" can be translated to "Ah! Respond to my tenderness! Pour me, pour me drunk!"
Overall, the song is a haunting yet beautiful exploration of love and desire, and Klaus Nomi's unique voice adds an ethereal quality to an already powerful aria.
Line by Line Meaning
Mon coeur s'ouvre à la voix, comme s'ouvrent les fleurs Aux baiser de l'aurore!
My heart opens up to your voice, just like how flowers blossom at the touch of the dawn's kiss!
Mais, ô mon bienaimé, pour mieux sécher mes pleurs, Que ta voix parle encore!
But, oh my beloved, speak again with your voice to better dry my tears!
Dis-moi qu'à Dalila tu reviens pour jamais, Redis à ma tendresse Les serments d'autrefois, ces serments que j'aimais!
Tell me that you will come back to me, never to leave me again, remind me of the past promises of love that I adored!
Ah! réponds à ma tendresse! Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!
Ah! Answer my love and shower me with the intoxication of love!
Ainsi qu'on voit des blés les épis onduler Sous la brise légère, Ainsi frémit mon coeur, prêt à se consoler, A ta voix qui m'est chère!
Just like how wheat stalks sway in the gentle breeze, my heart trembles, ready to console itself with your dear voice!
La flèche est moins rapide à porter le trépas, Que ne l'est ton amante à voler dans tes bras! Ah! réponds à ma tendresse! Verse-moi, verse-moi l'ivresse!
An arrow is slower in causing death, than the speed at which your lover flies into your arms! Ah! Respond to my love and intoxicate me with love!
Contributed by Sarah G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sikboy666
My heart at thy dear voice
Wakes with joy, like the flow'r
At the sun's bright returning!
But O, my dearest one,
That grief may lose its pow'r,
Say 'tis mine, thy heart's yearning!
Oh, bide here at my side!
Promise ne'er thou'lt depart!
Once more those vows so loving
Let me hear from thy heart!
Breathe that mine still thou art!
|: Ah! respond to Love's caresses,
Join in all my soul expresses! :|
Delilah! Delilah! I love thee!
As winds o'er golden grain
Softly sigh roving by,
Till 'tis swaying like the ocean,
So sways my burning heart
With rapture when thou'rt nigh!
And thy voice speaks thy devotion!
The dart is not so swift,
Bearing fear in its flight,
As I speed to be held
In thine arms of delight!
|: Ah! respond to Love's caresses,
Join in all my soul expresses! :|
Delilah! Delilah! I love thee!
@JackOpulski
Those who say he's singing gibberish are completely correct, but it makes perfect sense. As you can hear at the end of the recording, he didn't have too much time to learn Earth's various languages before he took off to his home planet.
@musicisbrilliant
HA! So good...
@Pedro1745
so that's why i couldn't sync it with the lyrics. Good to know more about Klaus
@guerrero1994
😥😭🥂👏👏👏
@annabackman3028
Sometimes he sung a part in the original language, and another in German or English. That can be somewhat confusing, and impossible to sync with lyrics, either you know them or are reading together with the music.
I DON'T say that always is the case, it seems like he took a couple of shortcuts too.
As pointed out, he was in greater hurry to give us as much as possible than no one could imagined. For a long time not even he saw what was coming.
@sikboy666
My heart at thy dear voice
Wakes with joy, like the flow'r
At the sun's bright returning!
But O, my dearest one,
That grief may lose its pow'r,
Say 'tis mine, thy heart's yearning!
Oh, bide here at my side!
Promise ne'er thou'lt depart!
Once more those vows so loving
Let me hear from thy heart!
Breathe that mine still thou art!
|: Ah! respond to Love's caresses,
Join in all my soul expresses! :|
Delilah! Delilah! I love thee!
As winds o'er golden grain
Softly sigh roving by,
Till 'tis swaying like the ocean,
So sways my burning heart
With rapture when thou'rt nigh!
And thy voice speaks thy devotion!
The dart is not so swift,
Bearing fear in its flight,
As I speed to be held
In thine arms of delight!
|: Ah! respond to Love's caresses,
Join in all my soul expresses! :|
Delilah! Delilah! I love thee!
@Celestein
I would listen to that album on repeat when I was 5-6 years-old. That song- and its ending with the abrupt electronic sounds- blew my mind. Everything was automatically a story in my mind and to me, the story of that album, was a mysterious, kind alien who had visited earth, sang, and then suddenly left in blinding light in their spaceship.
@MyMumHasEpilepsy
💝💝💝👍🏼
@MrUnidyne
@Karen Llewellyn That is beautiful!
@vivianedumont6102
Yes he came from far away. Thanks for your words