Laurie Anderson - The Salesman lyrics

Now the book is called Stories
From the Nerve Bible
And what I mean by the Nerve Bible is the
Body and parts of the body
Appear and disappear throughout
The book, adding up to
A kind of self-portrait
Although not a very naturalistic
One and I used
The word Bible in the title of
This book because the first
Really strange stories
I remember hearing were Bible stories

And these stories were completely
Amazing about parting oceans
And talking snakes and people
Really seemed to believe these stories, and
I'm talking about adults adults
Who mainly just did the most mundane
Things imaginable-mowing their lawns and
Throwing potluck parties-they
All believed in these wild stories, and they
Would sit around and discuss them in the
Most matter-of-fact way so, in a way
I was introduced to a special local form
Of surrealism at an early age

And so there was always a question in
My mind about what's actually true
And what is just another art form

Now I've always been interested in
Trying to define what makes
Up the late twentieth century American
For example and so, as an artist
I've always thought my main job was to
Be a spy, to use my eyes and ears
And find some of the answers

For example
I like to hang around the banks of
Phones in airports, one of
My favorite listening posts
And eavesdrop on conversations now I usually
Travel on the same schedule as salesmen
And after lunch these guys call
Into the main office and I just
Stand there at the phones
Listening in and taking notes for my
Portrait of the American salesman

Uh, Frank? Listen, Frank, you know, I hate
To say this about Brad
I mean we both know he's got a heck of a job-
Yeah yeah oh, you're so right
But, you know, we both know that
Brad just isn't pulling his weight
You know what I mean? And
I'm not saying this just
Because we're both up for
The same Safeway account

So this book is really a
Collection of voices and stories
As well as portrait's of people that
I've met along the way