The Inaugural Poem Remix

By all accounts, Elizabeth Alexander's Inaugural Poem, uh, sucked. We think you could do better. So, here's the deal. Take her poem. Remix it, shred it, speed it up, slow it down, reconstruct it, deconstruct it, warp it, bend it, twist it, scream it, rock it, set it to noise, obliterate it. You get the idea. And I'll play it on my show next week, Weds afternoon, Jan 28, noon-3 pm. I'll also post 'em here on this blog.

Note: sincere recitations will be discarded. Please send MP3 audio only!

Send an MP3 via YouSendIt to kg at wfmu dot org or post a link in the comments.

Here's the video:

Here's the link to the text.
Here's an MP3 of the reading for you to mangle (Thanks, Rokhausen!) LISTENER VERSIONS


People Like Us "An Induction Is A Draft Is A Gust Of Air" (video version)

1. PLU + RIAA "A Golden Induction"
   
2. People Like Us "An Induction Is A Draft Is A Gust Of Air"
   
3. People Like Us "Adjournment-Poem"
   
4. Fatty Jubbo "Histrionic Inaugural Poem"
   
5. Fatty Jubbo "Elizabeth Claire Prophet Inauguration"
   
6. Fatty Jubbo "Riveting Inaugural Poem"
   
7. Fatty Jubbo "A Precious Poem"
   
8. Cy Kottick Channels Jackie Mason Channelling Elizabeth Alexander
   
9. Nick The Bard "Heavy Metal Inaugural Poem"
   
10. Volunteer Gordon "Pathetic Inaugural Poem"
    
11. Reverend Hellbound Alleee "Inauguration Poem"
    
12. Rokhausen "Praise-Song For Tomorrow"
    
13. Sick To The Back Teeth "Take Out Your Boom"
    
14. Sick To The Back Teeth "All at Once"
    
15. Jonathan Wall "Some Someone Someone Someone Something Somewhere"
    
16. Dogwater "Praise Song All About Us"
    
17. Suzie Crews "Inaugural Poem"
    
18. Big Kitty "Praise Sawng"
    
19. DJ Bidet Spret and Rokhausen "Praise Songsmith Slumber Ball Mix"
    
20. The Ubu Orchestra "Inaugural Poem Revisited"
    
21. Nat Roe "Song of a Praise"
    
22. James Urbaniak "What If"
    
23. Giant Pygmy "Inaugural Poem (This National Grievance"
    
24. Raging Horn "The Swearing in Poem (Burnt Bacon Right Remix)"
    
25. Babs Toyfish "I Need to See What's On The Other Side or Inaugural Cough"
    
26. Godxiliary "0 Cliffnote-Sum"
    
27. Godxiliary "1 Cassettegirl-Ko"
    
28. Godxiliary "2 Mikrosophst and Cassettegirl Make Love"
    
29. Godxiliary "3 Cliffnote Synopsis"
    
30. Godxiliary "4 Robot"
    
31. Godxiliary " 5 Cliffnote Selections"
    
32. Gwilly Edmondez "Inaugural Poems One"
    
33. Gwilly Edmondez "Inaugural Poems Two"
    
34. Gwilly Edmondez "Inaugural Poems Three"
    
35. Paid in Puke "Inauguration 4 The Beat Generation"
    
36. DJ Man Rich "Praise Sitting in a Room"
    
37. Tommy Mackay "Everybody's Heard About The Words"
    
38. Babs Toyfish "Reconsider A Widening Pool of Light"
    
39. Pflaphpschoen "Sparklesharp"
    
40. Pflaphpschoen "All About Us Is Noise"
    
41. norelpref "Wait A Minute"
    
42. norelpref "Someone is Trying to Make Music Somewhere"
    
43. norelpref "A Side of Ham is Love"
    
44. I Am A Robot "Poem"
    
45. Easy EW "Praise Song Praise Song"
    
46. Dogwater "Last Minute Speechwriter"
    
47. Daniel Konig "Elizabeth Alexander = Log Lady from Twin Peaks"
    
48. Brian Joseph Davis "The First Ten Words"
    
49. Webhamster Henry "Roses"
    
50. Nosnibor "Lettuce"
    
51. TriFocal "Praise Song For The Day (Cinderblock Dumbbell Mix)"
    

Full text after the jump...

Inaugural Poem

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.

Comments

[Giant Pygmy]

Er ... yeah ... here's the link:
"Inaugural Poem (This National Grievance)"

http://www.yousendit.com/download/WnBRTkZpTk1BNkVLSkE9PQ

GP

[Giant Pygmy]

Oops, here the link for:
"Inaugural Poem (This National Grievance)"

http://www.yousendit.com/download/WnBRTkZpTk1BNkVLSkE9PQ

GP

[norelpref]

Wish I'd known about this sooner. Oh well.

A Side of Ham is Love

[Trifocal]

Well, I figured I would throw my hat in too soo.......

http://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=bVlBeFlRYTJkMnZIRGc9PQ

[Babs Toyfish]

Overkill maybe but here's a Part II.

http://tinyurl.com/amju6y

Reconsider / A Widening Pool of Light

Babs Toyfish

[Tommy Mackay]

I've sent mine in ('Everybody's Heard About The Word')and also made a video here: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=QBE4FLNWci4

[Rich]

Here's my contribution, with apology to Alvin Lucier:
http://tinyurl.com/bkj2hj

[mikrosopht]

inaugurgital putrotry ep featuring the hit single "make love"
(if not there, then it'll be here)

<3

[norelpref]

Wait a minute - the whole stinkin enchilada in a minute

Someone is trying to make music somewhere

[Pflaphpschoen]

I did mail these via sendit, but because I'm not sure I got the email address right, and because I'm a natural worrier, I put them here also:

http://download.yousendit.com/bVlBZHlpTk1GR0dGa1E9PQ
http://download.yousendit.com/bVlBSU5BNDRCSnFGa1E9PQ

I very much like Jonathan Wall's version, by the way.

[Mike Flugennock]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I think that woman needs to get together with the J&H Productions guy.