from Oannes *

Καλοκαίρι 1973, λίγο μετά το θάνατο του Pablo Picasso, και λίγο πριν την κυκλοφορία του Band On The Run. Ο Paul McCartney έχει μια συναναστροφή με τον Dustin Hoffman στη διάρκεια των διακοπών του στο Montego Bay της Τζαμάικα. Ο ηθοποιός βρισκόταν εκεί για τα γυρίσματα της ταινίας “Ο Πεταλούδας”…
Μετά το φαϊ, κουβέντα στην κουβέντα, ο ηθοποιός κάνει στον Paul την [όχι ακριβώς ευφυή] ερώτηση: “πώς γράφεις τα τραγούδια σου;”
… “Ξέρω γω;” απαντά εκείνος. “Έτσι απλά μου έρχονται”.
“Έτσι απλά σου έρχονται…” δυσπιστεί ο γαλουχημένος με την Μέθοδο του Actors Studio ηθοποιός …”Θα μπορούσες δηλ. να γράψεις ένα ετούτη τη στιγμή;”
“Ξέρω γω…, ίσως και να μπορούσα”.
“ΟΚ, θα σου προτείνω ένα θέμα που μου φαίνεται πολύ ενδιαφέρον”. Και ο Hoffman αναφέρει τα λόγια με τα οποία ο Picasso είχε αποχαιρετίσει τους φίλους του την τελευταία βραδιά, αφήνοντας το τραπέζι του δείπνου, για να πέσει για ύπνο, απ’ τον οποίο δεν επρόκειτο να ξυπνήσει.
Τα προφητικά λόγια του Picasso ήταν :
“Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore…”
Εμβρόντητος ο Hoffman βλέπει και ακούει τον Paul McCartney να παίρνει την κιθάρα και να μετασχηματίζει σε τραγούδι εκείνα που μόλις του είχε διηγηθεί. Ο ηθοποιός τρέχει στη γυναίκα του που βρισκόταν στο διπλανό δωμάτιο με την Linda, κραυγάζοντας : “He’s doing it! He’s doing it!”
“Εννοώ”, διηγιόταν αργότερα με θαυμασμό, “δεν επέστρεψε την επόμενη μέρα, ούτε άρχισε να τo ψάχνει …απλώς, εκεί μπροστά μου, το τραγούδησε…

”Το τραγούδι θα συμπεριλαμβανόταν στο track list του Band On The Run. Όχι βεβαίως και στον κατάλογο των best ever του PMC, κι αυτό ελαφρώς μετριάζει την αξία του επιτεύγματος…

✻

The time is summer 1973, shortly after Pablo Picasso’ s death, and shortly before the release of Band On The Run. Paul McCartney is hangin’ out with Dustin Hoffman during his vacation in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The actor was there for the shooting of Papillon.
After dinner, the actor asks Paul a [not exactly brave] question : “how do you write your songs?”
“Dunno” he replies. “They just come to me.”
“They just come to you…” comes the Actors Studio graduate disbelieving reply. “You mean you could write one right now?”
“Dunno, maybe I could.”
“OK, I’m going to give you a theme that seems very interesting to me”. Hoffman recounts the words with which Picasso bid farewell to his friends on the last night, going to sleep for the last time.
Picasso’s prophetic words were:
“Drink to me, drink to my health, you know I can’t drink anymore…”
Seconds later, an astonished Hoffman ‘s watching Paul McCartney picking up his guitar and transforming what he had just told him into a song.
The actor runs to his wife who was in the next room with Linda, shouting: “He’s doing it! He’s doing it!”
“I mean,” he later recounted in awe, “he didn’t come back the next day, nor did he start looking for it… He just sang it there in front of me…”

The song would be included on the track list of Band On The Run. Also not on PMC’s best ever list, of course, which slightly diminishes the achievement’s value…

◼︎

❝ The grand old painter died last night
His paintings on the wall
Before he went he bade us well
And said goodnight to us all
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
3 o’clock in the morning
I’m getting ready for bed
It came without a warning
But I’ll be waiting for you baby
I’ll be waiting for you there
So drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Jet
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Jet
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Jet
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Jet
Ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
I’ll be waiting for you baby, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I can’t drink any more
Ooh
Ooh
Drink to me, drink to my health
You know I, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho
Ho, hey ho ❞

❦

Enjoy!

❦

As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts, however I’d highly recommend a direct dialogue with the …’source’ [why comments are closed here], so please visit Oannes’ page where you can also listen to the song!

More about these reblogs

* For my friends who didn’t know, or first timers here, Oannes [aka Socratis Papahatzis] is my husband, partner in life and music and the one with my undying admiration. Together we have a band MK-O [the music of Marina Kanavaki & Oannes]. So, it’s my pleasure to share with you his [and sometimes mine] musical selections. • Do visit his site. He has my highest recommendation!