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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Summer Cannibals
Patti Smith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothing was as real
As the street beneath my feet
Descending into air
The cauldron was a-bubbling
The flesh was lean
And the women moved forward
They spread themselves before me
An offering so sweet
And they beckoned and they beckoned
Come on darling eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
They circled around me
Natives in a ring
And I saw their souls a-withering
Like snakes in chains
And they wrapped themselves around me
Ummm what a treat
And they rattled their tales hissin'
Come on let's eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
I felt a rising in my throat
The girls a-saying grace
And the air the viscous air
Pressed against my face
And it all got too damn much for me
Just got too damn rough
And I pushed away my plate
And said boys I've had enough
And I laid upon the table
Another piece of meat
And I opened up my veins to them
And said come on eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat eat eat
'Cause I was down in Georgia
Nothing was as real
As the street beneath my feet
Descending into hell
So eat eat eat
You eat eat eat
You eat eat eat
Eat eat eat
Patti Smith's song Summer Cannibals is a haunting and seductive meditation on the darker side of human desire. Smith begins with a description of her physical surroundings, down in Georgia, where nothing feels quite real. The imagery is evocative, as she paints a picture of a cauldron bubbling away, flesh that is lean, and women moving forward like piranhas in a stream. The women offer themselves to the singer, beckoning her to join them and indulge in the forbidden pleasures of cannibalism.
As the song progresses, the tone shifts from one of seductive temptation to one of despair and disgust. The women are described as natives in a ring, with withering souls like snakes in chains. The singer is overwhelmed by the experience and pushed to their breaking point. The lyrics "I pushed away my plate/And said boys I've had enough" reveal the singer's disgust with the act of cannibalism and the realization that they have participated in a depraved act. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer has descended into hell, symbolically representing the consequences of giving into temptation and desire.
Overall, Summer Cannibals is a song that explores the themes of desire, temptation, and the consequences of giving into our darker impulses. The lyrics are haunting and the imagery is evocative, making for a powerful listening experience.
Line by Line Meaning
I was down in Georgia
The singer was in Georgia
Nothing was as real
The situation was surreal
As the street beneath my feet
The singer was walking on the street
Descending into air
The atmosphere was light and airy
The cauldron was a-bubbling
The pot was boiling
The flesh was lean
The meat was thin
And the women moved forward
The women approached the singer
Like piranhas in a stream
The women moved quickly and aggressively
They spread themselves before me
The women presented themselves to the artist
An offering so sweet
The women were tempting
And they beckoned and they beckoned
The women gestured to the singer
Come on darling eat
The women invited the artist to eat
Eat the summer cannibals
The singer was urged to participate in cannibalism
They circled around me
The women surrounded the singer
Natives in a ring
The women were like indigenous people in a circle
And I saw their souls a-withering
The women's spirits were deteriorating
Like snakes in chains
The women were trapped
And they wrapped themselves around me
The women secured the singer
Ummm what a treat
The singer found the situation enjoyable
And they rattled their tales hissin'
The women made noise, as if they were snakes
Come on let's eat
The women encouraged the artist to eat
I felt a rising in my throat
The artist felt nauseous
The girls a-saying grace
The women were praying
And the air the viscous air
The air was thick
Pressed against my face
The singer felt suffocated
And it all got too damn much for me
The situation was overwhelming
Just got too damn rough
The experience was too intense
And I pushed away my plate
The artist stopped eating
And said boys I've had enough
The artist expressed to the women that they had consumed enough
And I laid upon the table
The singer laid down
Another piece of meat
The singer presented their own flesh
And I opened up my veins to them
The artist cut themselves to offer their blood
And said come on eat
The artist encouraged the women to continue eating
'Cause I was down in Georgia
The artist repeats that they were in Georgia
Descending into hell
The situation was becoming hellish
So eat eat eat
The artist reiterates the request to eat
You eat eat eat
The singer continues to urge the women to eat
You eat eat eat
The singer persistently affirms the act of eating
Eat eat eat
The singer concludes the song with a final instruction to eat
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRED SMITH, PATTI SMITH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Broatch6
I was down in Georgia
Nothing was as real
As the street beneath my feet
Descending into air
The cauldron was a-bubbling
The flesh was lean
And the women moved forward
Like piranhas in a stream
They spread themselves before me
An offering so sweet
And they beckoned
And they beckoned
Come on darling eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
They circled around me
Natives in a ring
And I saw their souls a-withering
Like snakes in chains
And they wrapped themselves around me
Ummmm what a treat
And they rattled their tales
Hissing come on let's eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
I felt a rising in my throat
The girls a-saying grace
And the air , the vicious air
Pressed against my face
And it all got too damn much for me
Just got too damn rough
And I pushed away my plate
And said boys I've had enough
And I laid upon the table
Just another piece of meat
And I opened up my veins to them
And said come on eat
Eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
You eat the summer cannibals
Eat Eat Eat
'Cause I was down in Georgia
Nothing was as real
As the street beneath my feet
Descending into hell
So Eat Eat Eat
Eat Eat Eat
@leppak42088
I was down in Georgia
nothing was as real
as the street beneath my feet
descending into air
The cauldron was a-bubbling
the flesh was lean
and the women moved forward
like piranhas in a stream
they spread themselves before me
an offering so sweet
and they beckoned and they beckoned
come on darling eat
Eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
you eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
They circled around me
natives in a ring
and I saw their souls a-withering
like snakes in chains
and they wrapped themselves around me
ummm what a treat
and they rattled their tales hissin'
come on let's eat
Eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
you eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
I felt a rising in my throat
the girls a-saying grace
and the air the viscous air
pressed against my face
and it all got too damn much for me
just got too damn rough
and I pushed away my plate
and said boys I've had enough
and I laid upon the table
another piece of meat
and I opened up my veins to them
and said come on eat
Eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
you eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
you eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
you eat the summer cannibals
eat eat eat
Cause I was down in Georgia
nothing was as real
as the street beneath my feet
descending into hell
So eat eat eat
you eat eat eat
you eat eat eat
eat eat eat
@carolmurray1927
Patti Smith is the most sensual woman I’ve ever seen. She still has it now after all these years. ❤️
@carolmurray1927
Check out summer canibals!
@coolcat4894
Oh yesssss......sensuality is ageless.......
@gisleineleite6122
She's wonderful 😍🇧🇷
@jaimiehiggs8914
Brittany,Jessica,Madonna,Miley et.al-wish they cud find the dimension Patti inhabits....🚫
@pamzavada5269
Patti is a force of nature!
@MoonFree75
Happy birthday 🎉🎶😀
@mediacenterman8583
Billions S05E01 rage room scene. What a gripping opening episode!!
@googhan
coming from there as well
@guitarworks2546
ditto....forgot about this song until tonight. Billions has always had a great soundtrack! awesome show as well.