A registered Communist starts a band called The United States of America and lands a major label record deal before playing a single live gig? Only in the Sixties. After studying with avant-garde legend John Cage in New York City, composer Joseph Byrd moved to Los Angeles in 1967 and decided to form a psychedelic rock band. His first recruit was ex-girlfriend Dorothy Moskowitz, whose icy vocals formed the perfect complement for the trippy sonic experiments Byrd had in mind.
The band recorded only one self-titled album before dissolving, but it was a memorable one."The American Metaphysical Circus" begins the album with a lilting calliope tune upon which Byrd heaps one patriotic marching band tune after another. Just when the whole insane cacaphony is on the verge of collapse, in comes Moskowitz - transmitting from a sinking submarine. "Cloud Song" features delicate plucked bass and an ever-haunting melody. Like an LSD flashback, the final minutes of closing track "The American Way of Love" features snippets of all the preceding songs flowing in and out of consciousness. "The United States of America" sold poorly upon release, thanks to Columbia's near total lack of faith. As Byrd puts it, "There was scant enthusiasm from the executives for a band whose name they hated, whose music they didn't understand, and whose politics they thought treasonous." But over the years, the group has developed a devoted cult following and influenced numerous modern bands, most notably Broadcast.
Despite releasing only one album, The United States of America was among the most revolutionary bands of the late '60s -- grounded equally in psychedelia and the avant-garde, their music eschewed guitars in favor of strings, keyboards and haunting electronics, predating the ambient pop of the modern era by several decades. Leader Joseph Byrd had studied with contemporary classical composers including John Cage (together with Yoko Ono); after the USA's single record he went on to form the equally short-lived Joe Byrd and the Field Hippies.
Love Song for the Dead Ché
The United States of America Lyrics
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I remember the taste of you, sweet in my mouth,
Late in the year.
And in the stillness of the Oriente rainfall
I remember the warmth of you, still in my arms,
Late, late in the year.
I will bring to you flowers in the night
I can offer you wine and candlelight
Late in the year.
Late in the year.
The United States of America's Love Song for the Dead Che is a haunting and melancholic love song that seems to be addressed to the memory of the Argentine Marxist revolutionary and guerrilla leader Che Guevara. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing, nostalgia, and loss, as the singer recalls with fondness and tenderness a past love affair that took place during a rainy night in the Oriente region of Latin America. The opening verse sets the tone of the song with its vivid and sensual imagery: "At the dawn of an ordinary Sunday, I remember the taste of you, sweet in my mouth, Late in the year. And in the stillness of the Oriente rainfall, I remember the warmth of you, still in my arms, Late, late in the year." The use of past tense and the reference to a specific time and place suggest that the singer's lover is no longer alive or present, and that the memory of them is both bittersweet and haunting.
The chorus of the song is a pledge of devotion and commitment that is imbued with a sense of fatalism and resignation. The singer declares that they will bring flowers, wine, and candlelight to their lover even though they know that they are gone and that their love can never be consummated or fulfilled. The repetition of the phrase "late in the year" adds to the sense of inevitability and mortality, as if the singer and their lover are both aware that their time together was brief and fleeting, and that death and separation are inevitable. The use of the word "dead" in the title of the song reinforces this theme of mortality and loss, and suggests that the song is a tribute or elegy to someone who has died, perhaps Che Guevara himself.
Overall, Love Song for the Dead Che is a poignant and evocative song that captures the mood and spirit of the 1960s counterculture and its embrace of radical politics, social justice, and personal liberation. The song's connection to Che Guevara, who became an icon of the leftist revolutionary movement and a martyr for the cause of Latin American liberation, adds another layer of historical and cultural significance to its lyrics and music.
Line by Line Meaning
At the dawn of an ordinary Sunday
On a typical Sunday morning
I remember the taste of you, sweet in my mouth,
I recall the pleasant sensation of being with you
Late in the year.
Towards the end of the year
And in the stillness of the Oriente rainfall
During a peaceful moment of rain in the Oriente region
I remember the warmth of you, still in my arms,
I can still feel your embrace and affection towards me
Late, late in the year.
Towards the very end of the year
I will bring to you flowers in the night
I will surprise you with a romantic gesture of flowers at night
Soft as trembling fingers touch you--love,
The petals of the flowers will be gentle to the touch, conveying my love for you
I can offer you wine and candlelight
I will create a romantic atmosphere for us with wine and candles
Late in the year.
Towards the end of the year
Writer(s): J Byrd
Contributed by Maya K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.