Ein paar Zeilen nur – an diesem unerfreulichen Freitag – zu einem Lied, das mich seit meiner Jugend begleitet und mich nicht mehr loslässt: Ripples von Genesis.
„Ripples“ handelt grob gesagt von der menschlichen Vergänglichkeit. Und während die „Gelehrten“ sich über Übersetzungsfeinheiten und lyrische Aussagekraft streiten, habe ich meine ganz eigene Sicht auf die Worte dieses Songs. Genesis‘ frühere Texte waren immer reich an Metaphern, die dem Hörer einen großen Interpretations-Freiraum lassen und das ist auch gut so.
Das Video ist von 2007 … das Original von 1976
Ripples (Genesis – LP „A Trick Of The Tail“ 1976)
Bluegirls come in every size
Some are wise and some otherwise,
They got pretty blue eyes.
For an hour a man may change
For an hour her face looks strange –
Looks strange, looks strange.Marching to the promised land
Where the honey flows and takes you by the hand,
Pulls you down on your knees,
While you’re down a pool appears.
The face in the water looks up,
And she shakes her head as if to say
That it’s the last time you’ll look like today.Sail away, away
Ripples never come back.
Gone to the other side.
Sail away, away.The face that launched a thousand ships
Is sinking fast, that happens you know,
The water gets below.
Seems not very long ago
Lovelier she was than any that i know.Angels never know it’s time
To close the book and gracefully decline,
The song has found a tale.
My, what a jealous pool is she.
The face in the water looks up
She shakes her head as if to say
That the bluegirls have all gone away.Sail away, away
Ripples never come back.
They’ve gone to the other side.
Look into the pool,
Ripples never come back,
Dive to the bottom and go to the top
To see where they have gone
Oh, they’ve gone to the other side…Sail away, away
Ripples never come back.
Gone to the other side.
Look into the pool,
The ripples never come back, come back,
Dive to the bottom and go to the top
To see where they have gone
They’ve gone to the other side
Ripples never come back
Sail away, away…
In diesem Sinne „It’s the last time you’ll look like today … sail away“ … und wenn gerade der heutige Tag nachdenkliche Falten in mein Gesicht schreibt, bleibt trotzdem die Neugier auf das, was noch kommen wird.