1. |
In, Out, About (488)
04:08
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IN, OUT, ABOUT (488) It's been too long from Philadelphia away, from everyone away, two years spent where? No surprises you're alone. By yourself you're blameless/faultless, no one to touch/hurt anymore. Trapped in Chennai, woken by the heat. Slept in Choolai(medu), buried in those dreams of homemade films. Who you wished you were, where you thought you'd be, you didn't think you'd end up (buried) here at 100 Feet (Road). (2009 Chennai)
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2. |
One-Nine-Six (196/513)
02:10
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ONE-NINE-SIX (196/513) Smart to invoke a dislike for body parts on silent lines of electricity. (2002)
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3. |
Informant (388)
04:38
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INFORMANT (388) You know you’re my life here, all night bus rides and ran away brides. Taped secrets, you know you’re mine. I waited for my papers but for what I don't know. It's been nine months and now what I don't know. Get(ting) good at acting and tired of asking, ‘Who are you? And what do you want?’ The sound of friendship sounds like clinking coins, sounds like this: I asked every question that I thought of. You know all my secrets, you took note of. I know all they're hiding from their friends. I know what's in their hearts, what’s got them feeling. Don't tell anyone, Senthil, about us. Don't tell anyone, Senthil, about this thing we've got. I waited so long to be here, but for what I don’t know now. You know you’re everything to me. It's been twenty-nine years now what are you going to do? What are we going to do? (2007 Gaithersburg)
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4. |
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IN A TOWN TO THE EAST (473) One thousand strands from our lips and face(; we) cut our ties with everyone. Without our vanity what are we? One hundred percent half. Sticks and stones and knives and pride, kin and lies and wishes that ties won't ever die. We cut our ties. Without our enemy who are we? One hundred percent half. You left everyone, everything. In a town to the east. (2009 Chennai)
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5. |
Waiting (249)
03:06
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WAITING (249) (Lyrics/vocals: Elsie Muñiz) You feel misunderstood. But I know it’s that you’re no good. But I’ll stay waiting for you. I know you want me to be only a fraction of what I should be. But/And I’ll stay waiting for you, hoping you’ll see it through. Because we’ve been here before, and it’s only a matter of time before you finally realize that you were meant to be mine. (2006 Philadelphia)
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6. |
Cecilia (442)
04:30
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CECILIA (442) Cecilia, don't you worry. Cecilia, don't you cry, it's just me. Cecilia, do you think you'll remember today? Well, you know, it's okay if you don't. We'll remember it for you. Oh you know, you know we love you. You know we're here for you. Oh you know, you know we love you. Oh you know, you know we're here for you. Oh you know we wouldn't leave you. Oh you know there won't be anyone like you. Oh you know, you know we need you. And oh you know, you know we won't love anyone like you. (2008 Gaithersburg)
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7. |
Maricel (319)
03:00
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MARICEL (319) Smaller than nothing, quieter than silence, softer than shallow breaths, a light bright in absence: Maricel, all’s right/alright, in care/coo, everyone’s light. Maricel, who? A light bright in absence. Seven letters, all our cells split and pieced with all our tells. Our self-extension named but distant, the same but different. Maricel, it's all alright in care and in coo. Maricel, all's right with everything you. (2006, 2009 Gaithersburg)
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8. |
Long Year (438)
04:24
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LONG YEAR (438) Early mornings and late nights with sleepless days and forgettable fights, we got no reason (but) we’ll be alright. You are right to be with me. And I know that it’s been a hard year together. It’s been a hard year apart. It’s been a hard year together. It’ll be a hard year apart. From our M.G. Nagar down to the Vaigai dam, from Thevar’s statue to Senthil’s arts stand, how about a year in Madurai? How about a song for us? Even if we found too little else, was it enough for us? Was is it enough for you, being alone, being alone together? It’s been a hard year together. It’s been a hard year apart. It’ll be a hard year alone. It'll be a hard year but that doesn't mean it'll break us up. We’ve got to hope it'll be okay. (2008 Gaithersburg)
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9. |
Last Exit (506)
04:33
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LAST EXIT (506) Last exit, murdered bodies and teary chest beating. Outside of Jaya(lakshmi)’s barred windows aces and drunkards knife fight and slip and spill on the side streets of our last Azhagar night. What a strange way to leave my Madurai; just like in a movie: rough and rowdy; like our tired senses know it to be: native and lovely. Flood the streets with your face and your voice. Flood the air with old song(s) and false choice washed in green and white on flex board; and ghost the words with noise and you’ll think . . . And I was leaving two years behind while humming . . . (2009 Gaithersburg)
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10. |
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PAINTED WITH THE LIGHTS (198) (Vocals: Shakthisree Gopalan; lyrics: Shakthisree Gopalan, C. Nakassis; backup vocals: Kedharnath Sairam, C. Nakassis; additional programming: Kedharnath Sairam) Perfumes and plastic smiles, intoxication by the wine; contemplation in stills, inside complicated things, fit, found, and tried. Midnight moonlight seems so sublime. Fading footsteps echo my insignificance in the crowd, an endless wash of noise; approaching, distant, fleeting sounds, stillness before/of the noise, a roar of broken voices. Did you leave something behind? Did you stop running? Hear the rain falling on my window pane. Lie in bed contemplating what to say. It's been a while since I've felt this way. Catch the shadows of my dreams. They're running away from me, strung and stripped; and I'm running. Stars hung in the sky, hung in the streets painted with the lights. (2005 Madurai; 2009 Chennai)
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11. |
Tapped (515)
04:38
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TAPPED (515) (Backup vocals: Julie Cousin Nakassis) Drunk on palm, burning lips, shaking hands sweat. In Margao we are tipped and tamed with fifths, and wet and waiting, we’re all alone but together. I spilled. (And) I slipped/slept. I went under (and pretended). I slurred/slid and I wished/missed. I tumbled troubled and pretended to be someone else. In Margao we are tipped and tamed with fifths and, wet and waiting, we’re all alone but together. Drunk on palm with burning lips your shaking hands and beads of sweat wander to your mouth, salty and hot(, trembling and taut). A peg, a cutting, a lifeline, make due with any reason. Escape our own attention, we sleep/asleep, all/our limbs asleep. Burning lips, tamed with fifths, shuddered. (2009 Philadelphia)
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12. |
Thousand Lights (404)
04:22
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THOUSAND LIGHTS (404) There are a Thousand Lights on Mount Road, but you can’t see even one of them. There are a thousand stars in Chennai, but you can’t even recognize one of them. Who wants to be eighteen again? Not me. I thought it was me. It’s not me. There are a thousand temples in Madurai, but you haven’t been even to one of them. There are a thousand lovers in the streets, but you can’t talk to even one of them. (2007 Madurai; 2008 Gaithersburg)
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A Study in Her Chicago, Illinois
ASiH is Constantine Nakassis, with Philip Apostol, Andrew Black, Tamara Black, Lucas Carscadden, Julie Cousin, Shakthisree Gopalan, Michael Guggino, Alex Hedstrom, Judith Kaplan, Fluke Lemming, Magda Nakassis, Kyung Nan-Koh, Mike Mikowicz, Jonathon Moser, Justin Moyer, Elsie Muñiz, Kedarnath Sairam, Pavan Segal ... more
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