今日の「聴き比べ」は『パーシーズ・ソング(Percy's Song)』です。
この曲はボブ・ディランの１９６３年のアルバム『時代は変わる(Time They Are A-Changin')』のアウトテイクで、世に出されたのは１９８５年のコンピレーション『バイオグラフ(Biograph)』によってでした。
歌詞の内容は、ある交通事故に関する判決をめぐっての話です。あまりにも過酷な判決に対する怒りと悲しみ。
Percy's Song
by Bob Dylan
Bad news, bad news
Come to me where I sleep
Turn, turn, turn again
Sayin’ one of your friends
Is in trouble deep
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Tell me the trouble
Tell once to my ear
Turn, turn, turn again
Joliet prison
And ninety-nine years
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Oh what’s the charge
Of how this came to be
Turn, turn, turn again
Manslaughter
In the highest of degrees
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
I sat down and wrote
The best words I could write
Turn, turn, turn again
Explaining to the judge
I’d be there on Wednesday night
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Without a reply
I left by the moon
Turn, turn, turn again
And was in his chambers
By the next afternoon
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Could ya tell me the facts?
I said without fear
Turn, turn, turn again
That a friend of mine
Would get ninety-nine years
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
A crash on the highway
Flew the car to a field
Turn, turn, turn again
There was four persons killed
And he was at the wheel
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
But I knew him as good
As I’m knowing myself
Turn, turn, turn again
And he wouldn’t harm a life
That belonged to someone else
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
The judge spoke
Out of the side of his mouth
Turn, turn, turn again
Sayin’, “The witness who saw
He left little doubt”
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
That may be true
He’s got a sentence to serve
Turn, turn, turn again
But ninety-nine years
He just don’t deserve
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Too late, too late
For his case it is sealed
Turn, turn, turn again
His sentence is passed
And it cannot be repealed
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
But he ain’t no criminal
And his crime it is none
Turn, turn, turn again
What happened to him
Could happen to anyone
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
And at that the judge jerked forward
And his face it did freeze
Turn, turn, turn again
Sayin’, “Could you kindly leave
My office now, please”
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
Well his eyes looked funny
And I stood up so slow
Turn, turn, turn again
With no other choice
Except for to go
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
I walked down the hallway
And I heard his door slam
Turn, turn, turn again
I walked down the courthouse stairs
And I did not understand
Turn, turn to the rain
And the wind
And I played my guitar
Through the night to the day
Turn, turn, turn again
And the only tune
My guitar could play
Was, “Oh the Cruel Rain
And the Wind”
この曲を私が聴いたのは、このずっと前でした。歌っていたのはイギリスのフォークロック・バンド、フェアポート・コンベンション(Fairport Convention)の３枚目のアルバム『Unhalfbricking』によってでした。
ディラン・バージョンはナレーションのような弾き語りですが、フェアポート・バージョンはいかにもフォークロック風で一遍でフェバリット・ソングになりました。サンディ・デニー(Sandy Denny)のヴォーカルによるところも大きいのです。
Percy's Song / Fairport Convention
それでは今日はこの辺で。
