Lyr Req: O Superman (Laurie Anderson)

Subject: 'So hold me now in your long arms'
From: mm
Date: 20 Mar 99 - 06:48 PM

I just heard a song on radio, and didn't catch the singer's name, someone Anderson, I think; it was electronic-sounding, very melodic, and had the lines:

So hold me now In your long arms In your electronic arms

Anyone know who the singer might be, by any chance?

Subject: RE: 'So hold me now in your long arms'
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 01:40 PM

Laurie Anderson - O superman

Subject: RE: 'So hold me now in your long arms'
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 04:20 PM

The speed of Mudcat strikes again!

Subject: RE: 'So hold me now in your long arms'
From: Joe Offer
Date: 20 Sep 08 - 08:28 PM

Speed, no....tenacity, yes.

I Googled, and came up with a longer fragment:

They're American planes, made in America...
so hold me now, in your long arms,
your petrochemical arms, your military arms

Or is this a parody of the Laurie Anderson song?
Whatever the case, can anybody post the True and Complete Lyrics?

I found a review of the album on this page:

LAURIE ANDERSON “BIG SCIENCE” NONESUCH

Twenty-five years ago, Laurie Anderson released her debut, Big Science, a distillation of her eight-hour performance piece, United States I-IV. Trimming the fat and leaving ice-cold bone, Big Science achieved some commercial success due to the surprising popularity of the eight-minute centerpiece, “O Superman (For Massenet),” which reached number two as a UK single. Nonesuch has re-released and remastered Big Science, and the material remains intriguing today. The standout track is still “O Superman,” a hypnotic vocoder piece that predicted years of American anxiety: “So hold me now, in your long arms,” Anderson sings, overwhelmed by an ominous sax run that suggests how messed up things really are. The odd instrumentation and vocal performances make this a disc unlikely to remain in regular rotation, but for those ready to really sit and listen, Big Science is perfect. Pretentious but brilliant.

Well, since it's an eight-minute song from an eight-hour album, maybe we don't really need to post it....

Subject: Lyr Add: O SUPERMAN (Laurie Anderson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 06 Oct 08 - 03:39 PM

From the sound sample I heard, this is more like a recitation, accompanied by music, than a song.

Lyrics copied from http://condellpark.com/kd/osuperman.htm#lyrics
where the lyrics are annotated with the web site owner's interpretations.


O SUPERMAN
by Laurie Anderson, "Big Science," 1981.

O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
Hi. I'm not home right now. But if you want to leave a message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
Hello? This is your Mother. Are you there? Are you coming home?
Hello? Is anybody home? Well, you don't know me, but I know you.
And I've got a message to give to you.
Here come the planes.
So you better get ready. Ready to go. You can come as you are, but pay as you go. Pay as you go.

And I said: OK. Who is this really? And the voice said:
This is the hand, the hand that takes. This is the hand, the hand that takes.
This is the hand, the hand that takes.
Here come the planes.
They're American planes. Made in America.
Smoking or non-smoking?
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justice is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms. So hold me,
Mom, in your long arms.
In your automatic arms. Your electronic arms.
In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Your petrochemical arms. Your military arms.
In your electronic arms.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Superman (Laurie Anderson)
From: lady penelope
Date: 06 Oct 08 - 04:04 PM

It came out as a single in the 80's and made it quite a way up the UK chart. We (my contemporaries over here)all viewed it as a song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Superman (Laurie Anderson)
From: M.Ted
Date: 06 Oct 08 - 06:29 PM

They used to play it on WXPN, which, in those days, was a folk station. The "reviewer" above missed the fact that there is no "ominous sax". I don't think it's pretentious. But you can draw your own conclusions--Oh, Superman

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: O Superman (Laurie Anderson)
From: GUEST,BigDaddy
Date: 07 Oct 08 - 06:17 PM

For those who haven't heard it, be sure to also listen to the title cut from the "Big Science" album.