There is apparently a long ‘love’ story between punk/rock bands and Albert Camus, as many have found their inspiration in his work.
I knew there were Mark E. Smith’s post-punk band the Fall which was named after Camus’ 1956 novel, and the 1980 controversial song by the Cure ‘Killing an Arab’ which was inspired by the Stranger.
But, according to some encyclopedia on line, there are also ‘Exile and the Kingdom,’ the debut solo album from Canadian songwriter Jeff Martin, ‘A Cry for Everyone,’ a 1972 song by the British progressive rock band Gentle Giant, ‘The Stranger,’ a 1979 song by the experimental Post-punk/New Wave group Tuxedomoon, the 1993 debut album ‘Reachin’’ by the hip hop group Digable Planets, the 1999 song ‘I Don’t Want To Get Over You’ by the Magnetic Fields, the 1999 song ‘The Masses Against the Classes’ by The Manic Street Preachers, the 2000 song ‘Algeria’ by Dublin indie-rock trio JJ72, ‘Obsessions’ the 2002 single by the English alternative rock band Suede, ‘Here’s To Life’ a 2003 song by the American ska band Streetlight Manifesto, ‘A Stranger’ and ‘The Outsider’ two 2003 songs by American rock band A Perfect Circle, ‘Know it All,’ a 2004 song by the Scottish songwriter Angela McCluskey, ‘This Side of the Blue’ a 2004 song by American harpist Joanna Newsom, ‘Neapolitan Bridesmaid’ a 2006 song by Tarkio, the former band of Colin Meloy (The Decemberists), the 2008 song ‘20-Ought-Almost-Talkin’ Blues’ by The Independence, the 2008 song ‘To the Benign Indifference of the Universe’ by Drought, the song ‘’The Myth of Sisyphus’ by Coybito. Wow, and I’m sure there is more out there…
I had no idea there were so many bands and songs inspired by Camus, but if rebellion is the anthem of rock, it should not be a surprise to see the rock world worshipping the author of ‘The Rebel.’
Titus Andronicus, the indie rock band from Glen Rock, NJ, has to be added to this long list, as they have a song called ‘Albert Camus’ on their 2008 debut album ‘The Airing of Grievances,’ whereas the preceding song ‘No Future Part Two: The Day After No Future’ ends with the last lines of ‘The Stranger’ narrated with a semi melodramatic tone.
Even though I was at first distracted by the fact that Patrick Stickles’ voice sounds at times exactly like Conor Oberst’s (I know, everyone must have already said this, and I imagine they must be tired of it but it is troubling), it became less and less distracting after listening to it for several times.
The song is like a cavalry charge with Stickles screaming his heart out and despite the gloomy title (no future), there is a strong and undefeated determination to finish some kind of endless battle. It must be the optimistic guitar riffs and the cymbals which embark us into the greatest struggle of our life with infinite resolution.
Should I dare to say there is something that reminds me the angry impetuosity of the Clash?
But when one minute and 24 seconds of a song of almost 7 minutes are spoken words from a novel of Camus, necessarily, you have to pay attention.
If the imagery of a combat is well present through the music, the lyrics too evoke a battle ‘Now the sun in the sky has turned to rust, the rivers are running red with blood,’ but it has to be the last battle because death is near, death of humanity, ‘I recall the last morning the sun would rise on the race of man’ … the bleak awareness of death, the indifference of the world, the absurd that faces all of us.
But when the sentence ‘This isn’t shoegaze – this is suicide’ resonates, suddenly everything makes sense, action and rebellion are the only way to value life, shoegazing and detachment are pure suicide and negation of existence….The famous ‘I rebel therefore we exist.’
And revolt has to be the only solution ‘Then they came with torches and pitchforks, carrying clubs, guns and sharp swords. These lyrics just capture so well one of Camus’ essential theme about the meaning of life. If we have to face death, we have to face it together but not without shaking our fist at fate and destiny with scorn, defiance and resentment! After all this life is worth fighting for, as the exuberance of a song that makes us happy can prove it.