A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Laughner remains a rather little known figure; nonetheless, Richie Unterberger described him as "probably the single biggest catalyst in the birth of Cleveland's alternative rock scene in the mid-'70s."
He led a variety of groups (including Mr. Charlie, Cinderella Backstreet, Peter & The Wolves, The Blue Drivers and Friction) but his most enduring contributions were to Rocket From The Tombs and the early work of Pere Ubu. In addition to all this, he wrote for Creem magazine.
Laughner was a voracious rock fan and writer, and was heavily influenced by Lester Bangs's writings. Like Bangs, Laughner worshipped Lou Reed, but also drew inspiration from folk and blues figures such as Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie. He was a unique, visceral lead guitarist whose greatest influence was Fairport Convention guitarist Richard Thompson. Laughner was briefly considered as a replacement for Richard Lloyd when he departed Television, a band whom he championed from their earliest days.
Laughner had severe drug and alcohol abuse problems that led to his death by acute pancreatitis in 1977 at the age of 24. Rumors to the effect that Laughner was despondent, even suicidal, at the time of his death have been contradicted by Laughner's last known message, written and mailed to Cleveland singer Ruby Port on the evening prior to his death. This letter revealed his intent to move to a retreat in the Ohio countryside, where he could write new music as well as rest and regain his health. Bangs wrote a eulogy for him. Laughner's only known entrance into a recording studio was for the Pere Ubu single sessions, though he left behind countless lo-fi live, rehearsal, and demo recordings. In 1994, Tim/Kerr label released Take the Guitar Player for a Ride, a 15 track compilation drawn from these tapes. This compilation has since gone out of print. Fans continue to circulate bootleg recordings and a Cleveland-based label, Handsome Productions, offers a comprehensive collection of his music on CD, officially endorsed by his estate. As of 2007, the Smog Veil record label is reported to be releasing a Laughner box set (with tapes procured from Handsome Productions, David Thomas, and Tim Wright) which should materialize in late '07 or early '08. Smog Veil announced July of 2008 that the box-set would more likely be released in 2009.
Baudelaire
Peter Laughner Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
While Ruby was deep into her pantomime
Me, I just stood staring at my reflection
In my glass of bourbon over by the door
Still couldn't find those friends of mine
When Ruby turned and pirouetted
Like a ghost dancer up the marble stair
I felt myself set free in a city without weather
And my own dream of Baudelaire
Now Lily White, she leans so close to you and whispers
And you will see diamonds falling all around her mouth
Ah, but Ruby moves her lemon-scented body
Just like the breezes from the south
So somehow, I got tangled
Oh, tangled in her long red hair
And I woke up to the taste of danger
Feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
Here comes the knight to fill my glass just one more time
While all the lovely ladies, they get up and they adjourn to the show
And my head is so anointed with the blood and the wine
That I almost seem to know
Of all the secrets that are on the holy street
Where the vagrants they come down and go
And of the secrets in the eyes of cats and other vagrant lovers
Where the cruel waters flow
But Ruby seemed to know the secrets as old as the ages
Of the blood and wine flowing in the fountains on the city square
And I crawled to her to be drowned and driven
Feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
With the vanity of Baudelaire
Ah, feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
The song "Baudelaire" by Peter Laughner is a narrative of a man's experience in a nightclub, filled with women performing and a narrator unable to locate his friends. The singer is lost in thought, staring into his glass of bourbon when Ruby captivates his attention with her ghostly pirouettes. Lily White, on the other hand, leans close to others and speaks quietly, with diamonds seeming to fall from her mouth. Ruby's movements remind the singer of breezes from the south, and he finds himself tangled in her red hair. He feels a sense of danger and tastes blood and wine, feeling like Baudelaire himself. The song dives deep into the singer's thoughts and introspections; his experience in the nightclub becomes an imaginative journey, connecting him to the French poet Charles Baudelaire and his poem collection, Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil). The singer's experience can be interpreted as a metaphor for the decadence, danger, and mystery in modern-day life.
Line by Line Meaning
Lily White, she was walking and talking, as usual, out on the floor
A woman named Lily White was walking around and chatting, just like she always does
While Ruby was deep into her pantomime
Another woman, Ruby, was heavily focused on her performance
Me, I just stood staring at my reflection In my glass of bourbon over by the door
The singer stood and gazed at their reflection in a glass of bourbon, which was located by the door
Still couldn't find those friends of mine
The artist was unable to locate their friends
When Ruby turned and pirouetted Like a ghost dancer up the marble stair I felt myself set free in a city without weather And my own dream of Baudelaire
Ruby's movements freed the artist, transporting them to a place without weather and their personal dream of Baudelaire
Now Lily White, she leans so close to you and whispers And you will see diamonds falling all around her mouth Ah, but Ruby moves her lemon-scented body Just like the breezes from the south
Lily White whispers and diamonds appear around her mouth, while Ruby's movements are like southern breezes and she smells like lemons
So somehow, I got tangled Oh, tangled in her long red hair And I woke up to the taste of danger Feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
The singer got caught up in Ruby's long red hair and felt a sense of danger, reminiscent of Baudelaire
Here comes the knight to fill my glass just one more time While all the lovely ladies, they get up and they adjourn to the show And my head is so anointed with the blood and the wine That I almost seem to know
A server is coming to refill the artist's glass while women head to a show, and the artist's head is buzzing with alcohol, making them feel like they know something important
Of all the secrets that are on the holy street Where the vagrants they come down and go And of the secrets in the eyes of cats and other vagrant lovers Where the cruel waters flow
The artist acknowledges the secrets on the street where vagrants come and go, as well as the secrets that are reflected in the eyes of cats and those who live on the street where the water is harsh
But Ruby seemed to know the secrets as old as the ages Of the blood and wine flowing in the fountains on the city square And I crawled to her to be drowned and driven Feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
Ruby seems to have knowledge of the ancient secrets of blood and wine flowing through the city's fountains, and the artist is drawn to her, feeling as if they are Baudelaire himself.
With the vanity of Baudelaire Ah, feeling such a lot like Baudelaire
The singer feels like Baudelaire due to their own arrogance or sense of vanity.
Writer(s): Peter Laughner
Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sharonleiter-weintraub305
One of those rare artists who surpassed his own inspirations. Thank god somebody saw fit to save these bedroom recordings and release them. A true gift to the world.
@debeardherrane2623
Criminally underrated. R.I.P
Peter
@johnwisneski162
i met peter in about 1974 at the viking saloon...we discuses the velvet underground 1969 live album and how the music of rocket from the tombs seemed vaguely like a cross between the velvet and Jefferson airplane which would be completely appropriate for Cleveland...some 30 years later i met a high school friend of his who told me peters drug abuse was bad even inhighscool
@janetmario
WOW!! I love this song!! A friend just sent me the link and I had never heard it before!!! Thank you to my super-musical pal, Patrick!
@chickey1861
Lou Reed didn't kill Peter Laughner. Peter obvioulsly was in great pain in his life, but he loved Lou and the Velvets and their music gave him great joy.
@helenyork9573
Ruby was Ruby Port, who sang with Peter off and on in bands like Le Jazz Dogfood and as a duo.
@alexraymonson2802
You got any recordings i know its 8 years late i should have asked 8 years ago when i seen it but drugs "lol"
@Artaud1957
This song sounds like a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon in Cleveland in the 1970s.
@seattleviaohio
You've obviously spent a few in The Best Location in the Nation ….
@Artaud1957
@@seattleviaohio 63 years... :-)