[Jay Brannan・USA]

會認識Jay Brannan，大概跟很多人一樣是因為那部影片Shortbus（台譯”性愛巴士”）。Jay Brannan在裡頭也有擔綱演出，尤其是那幕全裸彈吉他的橋段，驚艷全場，讓人印象深刻。但他在Shortbus裡頭唱的那首Soda Shop，也非常清新雋永。Jay出生於德州（1982），後來移居加州，現在則在紐約定居。今年八月發行的Goddamned，則算是他第一張公開發行的大碟。以其中一首歌Goddamned為專輯名稱，是他在耶路撒冷旅館中，因為太多感觸所寫出的歌，算是專輯裡頭非常沈重的一首。他這樣唱著：

I’m marching to Zion
A camera in my hand
I hear people cryin’
Dyin’ for this blood-stained land
The streets of old Jerusalem
Are lined with souvenirs and those buying them
It sounds cold, but I cannot see
How this theme park has shaped history
Cause virgins don’t have babies
And water isn’t wine
And there’s a holy spirit maybe
But she would never rent a room with walls built by mankind
Mary and Mohammed
Are screaming through the clouds
For you to lay your goddamned arms down
Rip your bigot roots up from the earth and salt the goddamned ground
Stand in line patiently
To supercharge your rosary
Or stuff your prayers inside this wall
We once had god trapped in this great hall
But we’ve been cast out from this place
They say a prophet floated from here to outer space
Am I crazy? maybe it’s me
But this all sounds like mythology
Cause virgins don’t have babies
And water isn’t wine
And there’s a holy spirit maybe
But she would never rent a room with walls built by mankind
Mary and Mohammed
Are screaming through the clouds
For you to lay your goddamned arms down
Rip your bigot roots up from the earth and salt the goddamned ground
Zeus was afraid of his girlfriend
So he swallowed her in bed
Then he bore forth Athena
When they cracked open his head
Her brother tried to rape her
Athena got away
And when his seed hit the ground
The grass gave birth that day
Now we all freely admit
This story’s clearly bullshit
No one would lay down their life
Or start a war for it
So throw your stones and pray
You’ll be rewarded someday
I hope it all goes your way
But something tells me
No one’s coming to save you
No one’s coming to save you
No one’s coming to save you
Save yourselves
From turning earth into hell
No one’s coming to save you
No one’s coming to save you
No one’s coming to save you
No one’s coming to save you
Mary and Mohammed
Are screaming through the clouds
For you to lay your goddamned arms down
Rip your bigot roots up from the earth and salt the goddamned ground

那種無奈跟沈痛的感受，是我非常可以體會的。所以他才會說”No one’s coming to save you，save yourselves，from turning earth into hell”。除了這首讓人感觸良多的歌曲之外，”Can’t Have It All”也是我相當喜歡的一首。這次到柏林，順便去聽了他的演唱會，在小小的Roter Salon裡頭，滿滿的聽眾，非常熱鬧。Jay Brannan算是蠻有舞台魅力的歌手，尤其是他會說很多笑話，他說是為了讓自己不要這樣緊張，才故意說那麼多話的。總之，是一個非常可愛的歌手，演唱會結束後還讓歌迷一一簽名跟照相，很有親和力。