Laura Phillips Anderson was born June 5, 1947, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, United States. She attended Mills College in California, and eventually graduated from Barnard College magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, studying art history. In 1972, she obtained an MFA in sculpture from Columbia University.
She performed in New York through the 1970s. Two early pieces, "New York Social Life" and "Time to Go," were included in the 1977 compilation New Music for Electronic and Recorded Media, along with works by Pauline Oliveros and others.
She became more widely known in 1982 with the single "O Superman," originally released in a limited quantity by One Ten Records; a sudden influx of orders from the U.K. (prompted by British DJ John Peel playing the record) led to Anderson signing with the Warner Brothers label, which re-released the single. "O Superman" reached number two on the national pop charts in Britain.
"O Superman" was part of a larger stage work entitled United States and was included on her following album, Big Science. Her more recent stage work includes a multimedia presentation inspired by Moby Dick. She starred in and directed the 1986 concert film, Home of the Brave, and also composed the soundtracks for the Spalding Gray films Swimming to Cambodia and Monster in a Box. All of Anderson's albums from the 1980s sold very well despite being labeled "avant garde". Her varied career has even included voice-acting in the animated film The Rugrats Movie. In 1994 she created a CD-ROM entitled Puppet Motel.
She wrote a supplemental article on the cultural character of New York City for the Encyclopædia Britannica and in the late 1980s hosted the PBS series, Alive from Off Center, for which she produced the short film, What You Mean We?.
One of the central themes in Anderson's work is exploring the effects of technology on human interrelationships and communication.
Anderson has collaborated with William Burroughs, Mitchell Froom, Arto Lindsay, Peter Gabriel, Perry Hoberman, David Sylvian, Jean Michel Jarre, Hector Zazou, Nona Hendryx, David Van Tieghem, and husband Lou Reed. She also worked with comedian Andy Kaufman in the late 1970s (with a romantic involvement hinted at in some of her spoken word performances about him).
Anderson, who rarely revisits older work (though themes and lyrics occasionally reappear) went on tour performing a selection of her best-known musical pieces in 2001. One of these performances was recorded in New York City only a week after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and included a performance of "O Superman". This concert was released in early 2002 as the double CD, Live in New York, which remains her most recent album release.
In 2003, Anderson became NASA's first and so far only artist-in-residence, which inspired her most recent performance piece, The End of the Moon.
Rumors emerged of a possible new album release in the fall of 2004, but this turned out to be false as Anderson seems too busy mounting a succession of themed shows, as well as composing a piece for Expo 2005 in Japan.
In February 2010, Laurie Anderson premiered a new theatrical work, entitled Delusion, at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games. This piece was commissioned by the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad and the Barbican Centre, London.
In May/June 2010, Anderson curated the Vivid Sydney festival in Sydney, Australia together with Lou Reed
In late June 2010, with the production assistance of husband Lou Reed, as well as Roma Baran. Laurie Anderson released her first full length studio album in near a decade with that of: "Homeland" on Nonesuch Records. Receiving much critical acclaim, "Homeland" has been lauded by many as Anderson's crowning auditory achievement. A conglomerated assimilation of her many persona's, characters and decades work exploring and experimenting in a multitude of artistic mediums.
Also featured on the "Homeland" album are a number of famed collaborators, including John Zorn (saxophone on tracks 8 & 11), Kieran Hebden of "Four Tet" fame (keyboards on track 5), Antony Hegarty (vocals on track 4), Husband Lou Reed himself on some guitar, and Tuvan throat singers. At 66 minutes, it is also Anderson's longest studio album.
Sites: Wikipedia
O Superman
Laurie Anderson Lyrics
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O judge.
O Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad.
O Superman.
O judge.
O Mom and Dad.
Mom and Dad.
I'm not home right now.
But if you want to leave a message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
Hello?
This is your Mother.
Are you there?
Are you coming home?
Hello?
Is anybody home?
Well, you don't know me, but I know you.
And I've got a message to give to you.
Here come the planes.
So you better get ready.
Ready to go.
You can come as you are, but pay as you go.
Pay as you go.
And I said: OK.
Who is this really?
And the voice said: This is the hand, the hand that takes.
This is the hand, the hand that takes.
This is the hand, the hand that takes.
Here come the planes.
They're American planes.
Made in America.
Smoking or non-smoking?
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice. And when justive is gone, there's always force. And when force is gone, there's always Mom.
Hi Mom!
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
In your automatic arms.
Your electronic arms.
In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Your petrochemical arms.
Your military arms.
In your electronic arms.
Laurie Anderson's song "O Superman" is an enigmatic piece of music that has become widely regarded as a seminal work of the avant-garde. The song mixes spoken word, electronic noise, and elements of pop music to create a haunting and thought-provoking experience for the listener. The song is often interpreted as a commentary on the roles that power, authority, and technology play in contemporary society.
At its core, "O Superman" is a meditation on the nature of power and control. The song's repeated evocations of "Mom and Dad" suggest a desire for comforting, protective authority figures amid the chaos of the modern age. The refrain "Here come the planes" is a reference to both the 9/11 attacks and to military power more broadly, suggesting that the forces that threaten us are not always visible or easily discernible. Throughout the song, Anderson's voice takes on a robotic quality, which emphasizes the idea that technology has become a powerful force in shaping our lives.
The song's lyrics are often impenetrable and ambiguous, leaving much open to interpretation. However, in its exploration of themes of power, control, and anxiety, "O Superman" remains a powerful and resonant piece of music that continues to captivate and challenge listeners decades after its initial release.
Line by Line Meaning
O Superman.
The song's opening line symbolizes a call to a superhero who can protect humanity from the ominous danger that is approaching them.
O judge.
The judge represents the law and the judicial system, which is failing to protect people from incoming doom.
O Mom and Dad.
The reference to Mom and Dad is to their protective nature and the sense of comfort that comes from them. The song calls upon them to protect their children from the impending danger.
Mom and Dad.
Repetitive use of the phrase reinforces the need for protection and comfort that only parents can provide in times of crisis.
Hi.
The word 'hi' is a symbol of greeting and is used here in the context of a phone call, implying that the artist is trying to reach to someone.
I'm not home right now.
The artist is not physically present but is trying to give a message to someone who may be listening.
But if you want to leave a message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
This line is a recorded message that can be left on a telephone answering machine, asking for someone to speak when the beep is heard.
Hello?
The word 'Hello' is an inquiry (greeting) into whether the person the artist is trying to connect with is present or not.
This is your Mother.
In this line, the person on the phone identifies herself as a mother and shows concern over the whereabouts of her child.
Are you there?
This line shows the mother's concern over her child's safety and well-being.
Are you coming home?
This line is a plea from a mother to her child to return home safely to her care during this impending danger.
Hello?
Again, the word 'Hello' is used as a call or inquiry to see if anyone is present.
Is anybody home?
The phrase is a question regarding the presence of someone who can be reached out to in these uncertain times.
Well, you don't know me, but I know you.
This line indicates someone who knows the person being addressed but is not familiar with them personally, perhaps a threat.
And I've got a message to give to you.
The person on the phone asserts he has important information to communicate.
Here come the planes.
The phrase is used to signify an impending destruction due to an airborne threat.
So you better get ready.
The line forewarns of an impending attack, and people need to prepare themselves for it.
Ready to go.
The phrase expresses the urgency and the need to be prepared for evacuation to save one's life.
You can come as you are, but pay as you go.
The statement implies that people will have to pay the price to leave or to be saved from the onslaught.
Pay as you go.
Repetition of the phrase reinforces the catastrophic circumstances wherein you will be required to pay to save oneself.
And I said: OK.
The artist, as the artist, agrees to the terms proposed by the entity on the phone.
Who is this really?
The artist tries to confirm the entity's identity that was making the call and giving out the message.
And the voice said: This is the hand, the hand that takes.
This line symbolizes the takeover of power or the seizing of control by the entity calling.
Here come the planes.
Again, the repetition of this line denotes the forthcoming attack by the entity.
They're American planes.
The planes that the artist refers to are from the USA, implying that the enemy is within the nation's borders or its own people.
Made in America.
This is a reference to how the USA created these planes, highlighting the nation's downfall as ironic.
Smoking or non-smoking?
The reference to smoking or non-smoking flights indicates that all might not be significant, and even trivial questions are still asked during a catastrophe.
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.
The statement is a reference to the ideal of the US postal service that regardless of the weather, the couriers shall deliver the mail. However, in this situation, the reference is to the impending gloomy situation coming on America.
'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice. And when justice is gone, there's always force. And when force is gone, there's always Mom.
The phrases express that even when an individual in America loses everything, the parents' love and care will be the only thing that remains. It also shows the failure of the country's institutions in protecting its citizens.
Hi Mom!
The artist returns to the theme of finding comfort and safety in one's parents in a troubled world.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
The lyric is the singer's cry for the embrace and comfort of a mother in finding safety and comfort.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Repetition of the phrase reinforces the artist's longing for the mother's embrace.
In your automatic arms.
The phrase is a reference to the automatic and technological devices that people rely on for safety and protection.
Your electronic arms.
The line is a reference to the electronic devices that people depend on for survival and protection during catastrophic events.
In your arms.
Repetition of the phrase reinforces the need of the artist/speaker to find safety, comfort, and protection in the mother's arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Repetition of the phrase reinforces the artist's longing for mother's embrace.
Your petrochemical arms.
The phrase is a reference to the petrochemical products that people use for safety and protection.
Your military arms.
The line is a reference to military might having an impact on saving people during catastrophic events.
In your electronic arms.
Repetition of the phrase and reinforces the singer's dependence on technological protection during catastrophes.
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: LAURIE ANDERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind