He is generally allied with the Beats, and while he was close friends with the true Beats like Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac, his writing never fit with the Beatnik style. His first couple of novels, Junkie (or Junky) and Queer, were written in a style reminiscent of hard-boiled detective novels. As he became more comfortable with expressing himself through writing, his "routines" were assembled into his most famous work, Naked Lunch , published in 1959. His "cut-up" technique, developed subsequently with fellow inventor-poet Brion Gysin, took over his literary style to produce a number of lesser-known works. With the publication in 1981 of the trilogy starting with Cities of the Red Night he embarked on a further development of style aimed at achieving his expressed intent to "write the great American novel".
Such a vast amount could be written about Burroughs' life and legacy; perhaps "lives and legacies" would be more appropriate. His influences are uncountably and immeasurably wide-reaching; it has been argued that without his tape cut-ups, we'd not have thought of sampling and therefore we'd never have had techno. Equally, without his transgressive, libertarian, shocking subject matter, we may never have had punk or industrial. In his later life he was championed and courted by these fringe elements of society and art.
William's Welcome
William S. Burroughs Lyrics
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We're all here to go
We're all here to go
Earth is going to be a space station
We're all here to go into space
That's what were here for
Do I hear any questions about that?
Why did you come here
What did you expect from me?
Come on tell me I'm here?
The lyrics to William S. Burroughs's song William's Welcome seem to be centered around the idea of exploring space and leaving the Earth behind. The lines "Earth is going to be a space station / We're all here to go into space" suggest a future where we have outgrown our planet and must venture out to survive. The repetition of "We're all here to go" emphasizes the inevitability of this change, and the questions asked in the final stanza seem to be challenging the audience's expectations and motivations for being there. Burroughs presents himself as a guide or host, questioning and challenging his guests to think about why they have come and what they hope to gain from him.
Overall, the lyrics of this song seem to be an invitation to consider the possibilities of space exploration and to question our values and motivations as humans. It speaks to our innate curiosity and drive to explore and discover new things, while also cautioning us to be mindful of our intentions and actions.
Line by Line Meaning
What are you here for?
State your purpose for being here
We're all here to go
We are all here with the intention of leaving
We're all here to go
We are all here with the intention of leaving
Earth is going to be a space station
The planet Earth will be transformed into a space station
We're all here to go into space
Our ultimate destination is outer space
That's what were here for
The purpose of our existence is to go into space
Do I hear any questions about that?
Does anyone have any doubts or queries regarding our purpose?
What are you and you you
Who are you and why are you here?
Why did you come here
What motivated you to be here?
What did you expect from me?
What were your expectations from me?
Come on tell me I'm here?
Please confirm my presence here
Contributed by Jonathan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.