Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Her mother, Beverly, was a jazz singer, and father, Grant, worked at the Honeywell plant. She spent her entire childhood in Deptford, New Jersey. Raised the daughter of a Jehovah's Witness mother, she claims she had a strong religious, Bible-based education but left organized religion as a teenager because she felt it was too confining. (She later wrote the opening line of her cover version of Them's Gloria in response to this experience.) After graduating from Deptford Township High School in 1964, Smith went to work in a factory.
In 1967 she left Glassboro State Teachers College (now Rowan University) and moved to New York City. She met photographer Robert Mapplethorpe there while working at a book store with friend, poet Janet Hamill. Mapplethorpe's photographs of her became the covers for the Patti Smith Group LPs, and they remained friends until Mapplethorpe's death in 1989. In 1969 she went to Paris with her sister and started busking and doing performance art. When Smith returned to New York City, she lived in the Hotel Chelsea with Mapplethorpe. The two frequented the fashionable Max's Kansas City and CBGB nightclubs. The same year Smith appeared with Wayne County in Jackie Curtis's play "Femme Fatale". As a member of the St. Mark's Poetry Project, she spent the early '70s painting, writing, and performing. In 1971 she performed – for one night only – in Sam Shepard's "Cowboy Mouth". (The published play's notes call for "a man who looks like a coyote and a woman who looks like a crow".) She collaborated with Allen Lanier of Blue Öyster Cult, who recorded several of the songs to which Smith had contributed, including Debbie Denise (after her poem "In Remembrance of Debbie Denise"), Career of Evil, Fire of Unknown Origin, The Revenge of Vera Gemini, and Shooting Shark. During these years, Smith also wrote rock journalism, some of which was published in Creem magazine.
By 1974 Patti Smith was performing rock music herself, initially with guitarist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later with a full band comprising Kaye, Ivan Kral on bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl, on piano. Financed by Robert Mapplethorpe, the band recorded a first single, "Hey Joe/Piss Factory", in 1974. The A-side was a version of the rock standard with the addition of a spoken word piece about fugitive heiress Patty Hearst ("Patty Hearst, you're standing there in front of the Symbionese Liberation Army flag with your legs spread, I was wondering were you gettin' it every night from a black revolutionary man and his women..."). The B-side describes the helpless anger Smith had felt while working on a factory assembly line and the salvation she discovered in the form of a shoplifted book, the 19th century French poet Arthur Rimbaud's Illuminations.
Patti Smith Group was signed by Clive Davis of Arista Records, and 1975 saw the release of Smith's first album, Horses, produced by John Cale amidst some tension. The album fused punk rock and spoken poetry and begins with a cover of Van Morrison's Gloria, and Smith's opening words: "Jesus died for somebody's sins but not mine."
As Patti Smith Group toured the United States and Europe, punk's popularity grew. The rawer sound of the group's second album, Radio Ethiopia, reflected this development. Considerably less accessible than Horses, Radio Ethiopia received poor reviews. However, several of its songs have stood the test of time, and Smith still performs them regularly in concert. On January 23, 1977, while touring in support of the record, Smith accidentally danced off a high stage in Tampa, Florida and fell 15 feet into a concrete orchestra pit, breaking several neck vertebrae. The injury required a period of rest and an intensive round of physical therapy, during which time she was able to reassess, re-energize and reorganize her life. Patti Smith Group produced two further albums before the end of the 1970s. Easter (1978) was her most commercially successful record, containing single Because the Night co-written with Bruce Springsteen. Wave (1979) was less successful, although songs Frederick and Dancing Barefoot both received commercial airplay.
Before the release of Wave, Smith, now separated from long-time partner Allen Lanier, met Fred Sonic Smith, former guitar player for Detroit rock band MC5 and his own Sonic's Rendezvous Band, who adored poetry as much as she did. ("Wave"'s "Dancing Barefoot" and "Frederick" were both dedicated to him.) The running joke at the time was that she only married Fred because she would not have to change her name. Patti and Fred had a son, Jackson, and later a daughter, Jesse. Through most of the 1980s Patti was in semi-retirement from music, living with her family north of Detroit in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. On June 1988 she released Dream Of Life, which included song People Have the Power. Fred Smith died on November 4, 1994. Shortly afterward, Patti faced the unexpected death of her brother, Todd, and original keyboard player, Richard Sohl. When her son Jackson turned 21, Smith decided to move back to New York. After the impact of these deaths, her friends Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and Allen Ginsberg (whom she had known since her early years in New York) urged her to go back out on the road. She toured briefly with Bob Dylan in December 1995 (chronicled in a book of photographs by Stipe).
In 1996, Smith worked with her long-time colleagues to record the haunting Gone Again, featuring About a Boy, a tribute to Kurt Cobain. Smith was a fan of Cobain, but was more angered than saddened by his suicide. That same year she collaborated with Stipe on E-Bow the Letter, a song on R.E.M.'s New Adventures in Hi-Fi, which she has also performed live with the band. After release of "Gone Again", Patti Smith has recorded two new albums: Peace and Noise in 1997 (with the single 1959, about the invasion of Tibet) and Gung Ho in 2000 (with songs about Ho Chi Minh and Smith's late father). A box set of her work up to that time, "The Patti Smith Masters", came out in 1996, and 2002 saw the release of "Land (1975–2002)", a two-CD compilation that includes a memorable cover of Prince's When Doves Cry. Smith's solo art exhibition, "Strange Messenger" was hosted at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh on September 28, 2002.
On April 27, 2004 Patti Smith released Trampin' which included several songs about motherhood, partly in tribute to Smith's mother who died two years before. Smith curated the Meltdown festival in London on June 25, 2005, the penultimate event being the first live performance of "Horses" in its entirety. Guitarist Tom Verlaine took Oliver Ray's place. This live performance was released later in the year as "Horses/Horses". In August 2005 Smith gave a literary lecture about the poems of Arthur Rimbaud and William Blake. On July 10, 2005, Smith was named a Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. In addition to her influence on rock music, Minister also noted Smith's appreciation of Arthur Rimbaud. On October 15, 2006, Patti Smith performed at CBGB nightclub, with a 3½-hour tour de force to close out Manhattan's music venue. She took the stage at 9:30 p.m. (EDT) and closed for the night (and forever for the venue) at a few minutes after 1:00 a.m., performing her song Elegie, and finally reading a list of punk rock musicians and advocates who had died in the previous years.
Smith was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame March 12, 2007. She dedicated her award to the memory of her late husband, Fred, and gave a performance of The Rolling Stones classic, Gimme Shelter. As the closing number of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, Smith's "People Have the Power" was used for the big celebrity jam that always ends the program.
From March 28 to June 22, 2008 the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris hosted a major exhibition of the visual work of Patti Smith, "Land 250", drawn from pieces created between 1967 and 2007. At the 2008 Rowan Commencement ceremony, Smith received an honorary doctorate degree for her contributions to popular culture. Smith is the subject of a 2008 documentary film, "Patti Smith: Dream of Life". http://www.dreamoflifethemovie.com/
In June 2012, Smith released her 11th studio album, "Banga." In an interview on CBS News Sunday Morning on April 1, 2012, Smith explained the album's title: "for those who are curious, you can find what Banga is if you read The Master and Margarita by Bulgakov." In The Master and Margarita, Banga is Pontius Pilate's dog who Pilate could freely complain about the hemicrania that tortured him. Other songs on the album were also inspired by literature, particularly "April Fool," inspired by Nikolai Gogol.
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Set Me Free
Patti Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The days of love and torment;
The nights of rock-and-roll.
I see it all before me.
Sometimes my spirit's empty;
Don't have the will to go on.
I wish someone would send me
Energy.
Give me something.
Give me something to give.
Oh, God, give me something:
A reason to live.
My body is aching.
Don't want sympathy.
Come on. Come and love me.
Come on. Set me free.
Set me free.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me through the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Hey, Lord, I'm waitin' for you.
Oh, God, I'm waitin' for you;
Waitin' to open Your ninety-eight wounds
And be Thee, be Thee.
Lead me, oh, lead me.
Leave me something.
Leave me something to live.
Oh, God, give me something:
A reason to live.
I don't want no handout;
No, not sympathy.
Come on. Come and love me.
Come on. Set me free.
Set me free.
Come on. Set me free
Set me free . . .
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn.
Set me free.
In the presence of my enemies,
Thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Ah, damn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
Here I am.
Patti Smith's song Privilege expresses the desperation of a young person searching for a reason to live. The lyrics convey a sense of emptiness and exhaustion, with the singer wishing for someone to give them the energy to keep going. They long for love and freedom but feel trapped and alone.
The reference to the Lord is significant, as it adds a spiritual dimension to the song. The words of Psalm 23 are recited, affirming faith and hope in the face of hardship. The singer is asking for guidance and help from a higher power, seeking comfort and solace in their suffering.
The repeated line "set me free" serves as a plea for release from inner turmoil and external constraints. The singer refuses to be defined by their pain or to accept pity from others. Instead, they yearn for love and understanding, hoping to be seen and accepted for who they truly are.
Overall, the song captures the angst and confusion of youth, as well as the universal desire to find meaning and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I see it all before me:
The singer is visualizing her past, which is full of love, pain and music.
The days of love and torment;
The good and bad times of her life are coming back to her.
The nights of rock-and-roll.
The music nights are also fresh in her memory.
Sometimes my spirit's empty;
The artist feels powerless and uninspired.
Don't have the will to go on.
She's losing hope and motivation.
I wish someone would send me
She's hoping that someone would help her.
Energy.
She's asking for strength and perseverance.
Give me something.
She wants something, anything to hold on to.
Give me something to give.
She wants something to share with others and make a positive impact.
Oh, God, give me something:
She's praying to God for help.
A reason to live.
She's searching for a purpose in life.
My body is aching.
The artist is in physical and emotional pain.
Don't want sympathy.
She doesn't want pity but genuine love.
Come on. Come and love me.
She's inviting someone to show her affection and compassion.
Come on. Set me free.
She's longing to be liberated from her pain and struggles.
Set me free.
She repeats her plea for freedom.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
She is referencing a Psalm to state that she's not in need of anything when God is with her.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
God provides rest and comfort.
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
God guides and protects.
He restoreth my soul.
God heals and refreshes the artist's spirit.
He leadeth me through the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
God leads her to do what is right according to His will.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
The artist acknowledges that there might be dark times in her life.
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
However, she trusts in God's presence in her life and is not afraid.
Hey, Lord, I'm waitin' for you.
The artist still needs help and is waiting for God.
Waitin' to open Your ninety-eight wounds
She's prepared to be wounded just like Jesus did and empathize with His pain.
And be Thee, be Thee.
She wants to connect with God and be like Him.
Lead me, oh, lead me.
She's still asking for guidance.
Leave me something.
She doesn't want to feel empty or useless anymore.
Leave me something to live.
She wants to feel alive and have a reason to keep going.
I don't want no handout;
She doesn't want pity or charity.
No, not sympathy.
She wants genuine love and companionship.
Come on. Come and love me.
She's asking for love again.
Come on. Set me free.
She's repeating her request for liberation.
Set me free.
She repeats it a third time.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
The singer feels overwhelmed and inexperienced despite her youth.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
She repeats the same feeling, but with frustration.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn.
She's sort of lost for words.
Set me free.
She repeats it again.
In the presence of my enemies,
The singer acknowledges that there might be hostile forces around her.
Thou anointest my head with oil.
She finds comfort in God's blessings.
My cup runneth over.
She feels so blessed that she can't contain it.
Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me
She's convinced that God's kindness will pursue her.
All the days of my life.
She expects it to last.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
She's hopeful to spend eternity with God.
Ah, damn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
The artist is frustrated or upset about her situation.
Here I am.
She accepts her current reality.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MIKE LEANDER, PAUL JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Devriendt
Devant mes yeux, je vois tout :
Les jours d'amour et de tourment ;
Les nuits de rock'n'roll.
Devant mes yeux, je vois tout.
Mon esprit est vide parfois ;
Sans volonté de continuer.
J'attends que quelqu'un m'insuffle de l'énergie.
Donne-moi quelque chose.
Donne-moi quelque chose à donner.
Oh, Dieu, donne-moi quelque chose :
Une raison de vivre.
Mon corps me fait mal.
Je ne veux pas de compassion.
Viens. Viens m'aimer.
Viens. Libère-moi.
Libère-moi.
Le Seigneur est mon berger. Je ne manquerai de rien.
Il me fait m'allonger dans les verts pâturages.
Il me conduit vers les eaux calmes.
Il soigne mon âme.
Il me guide sur la voie de la droiture , à cause de son
nom.
Oui, tandis que je traverse la vallée de l'ombre de la
mort,
Je ne craindrai rien, puisque tu es avec moi.(1)
Eh, Seigneur, je t'attends.
Oh, Dieu, je t'attends ;
J'attends d'ouvrir tes quatre-vingt-dix-huit blessures
et d'être Toi, d'être Toi.
Guide-moi, oh, guide-moi.
Laisse-moi quelque chose.
Laisse-moi quelque chose à donner.
Oh, Dieu, donne-moi quelque chose :
Une raison de vivre.
Je ne veux pas de charité ;
Non, pas de compassion.
Viens. Viens m'aimer.
Viens. Libère-moi.
Libère-moi.
Oh, je suis si jeune, si jeune, bon sang !
Oh, je suis si jeune, si jeune, bon sang !
Oh, je suis si jeune, si … bon sang !
Libère-moi.
En présence de mes ennemies,
Tu oins d'huile ma tête
Mon bonheur est complet.
Sans doute, la bonté et la grâce me suivront
Chaque jour de ma vie.
Et je résiderai dans la maison du Seigneur pour
l'éternité.
Ah, bon sang, bon sang, bon sang, bon sang !
Me voici.
SharonAnne N
*
'Privilege' and 'Victory' rescued me from suicide. Whoever said that punk was destructive does not know its true meaning.
I had heard 'Privilege' years earlier, but this Patti Smith version became my definitive version.
There were a few years of my early transition that bring strong focus in my memory: 1977, 1978, 1979. These years marked the beginning of the end of my long-awaited transition (yep, M-F transsexual).
I experienced strong emotions during those years and those emotions remain fixed.
Allow me to share the music that caught and preserved my emotions.
'Privilege' (Patti Smith): I have a version of this song from a decade earlier that was little more than rote production. Smith put her emotion to this version and made it personal for my struggles. This song rescued me from my thoughts of suicide in the midst of my early transition days.
'Victory' (Patti Smith): This anthemic song has been my theme for success.
'I'm on E' (Blondie): I found humour in my own 'E' - estrogen. Now you get how I came to title this post, don'tcha know.
'Urban Desire' (Genya Ravan): She is a Shoah hero; I am a humble student of the Shoah. She brings it back
'Rivers of Babylon' (Boney M): Who thought text from the Bible could rock?
*
steelyman08
I see it all before me:
the days of love and torment;
the nights of rock-and-roll.
I see it all before me.
Sometimes my spirit's empty;
don't have the will to go on.
I wish someone would send me
energy.
Give me something.
Give me something to give.
Oh, God, give me something:
a reason to live.
My body is aching.
Don't want sympathy.
Come on. Come and love me.
Come on. Set me free.
Set me free.
The Lord is my shepherd. I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me through the path of righteousness for His name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.
Hey, Lord, I'm waitin' for you.
Oh, God, I'm waitin' for you;
waitin' to open Your ninety-eight wounds
and be Thee, be Thee.
Lead me, oh, lead me.
Leave me something.
Leave me something to live.
Oh, God, give me something:
a reason to live.
I don't want no handout;
no, not sympathy.
Come on. Come and love me.
Come on. Set me free.
Set me free.
Come on. Set me free
Set me free . . .
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn young.
Oh, I'm so young, so goddamn.
Set me free.
In the presence of my enemies,
Thou anointest my head with oil.
My cup runneth over.
Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life.
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Ah, damn, goddamn, goddamn, goddamn.
Here I am.
2Epsionicwizard
It's absolutely amazing! I'm only sorry i cannot see her live performance, for that lady is a pure soul!
muzicmachine1
There is no other poet/performer/artist that can convey this type of feeling the way Patti does-with rock & roll. Patti touches a spot in anyone that is open to her, that few others even know exist. She is a gift and has lived her life as a true artist in every way
amcanmike
muzicmachine1 SHE IS AMAZING
muzicmachine1
And just keeps going strong and getting better
SONIC GARDENER
Well put!
Beata Spiewak Jonsson
I love this song When i bought this record for a long time ago i listing to this song over and over Its a great album and Patti is great ❤️
Guenther Stahl
Brilliant music and the most brilliant artist of all time! This song is definitely one of my favorites!🧨👌
Laura Melanie Music
My favorite Patti Smith song. The passion is unmatched...
Susan Rooney
Well, one of my favorites...
Hielke de Boer, composer/guitarist
Same here 😊