Zbogom, stranče

Supertramp je jedna od onih grupa koje je teško ne voleti. Siguran sam da svako od nas zna barem nekoliko njihovih pesama, jer su imale ogroman uspeh u celom svetu, a ne može im se osporiti sposobnost pisanja zaraznih pesama i veština sviranja. Njihovi albumi iz druge polovine sedamdesetih Crime of the Century (1974), Chrisis? What Crisis? (1975) i Even in the Quietest Moments (1977) često su mi pravili društvo u to vreme, a interesovanje za njih sam izgubio u trenutku kada su izdali svoj bestseler, Breakfast in America (1979).

Nekako im je otupela oštrica za moj ukus i grupa je skrenula u popičnije vode.

No, to im nije smetalo da postignu najveći uspeh do tada koji se merio sa 4 miliona prodatih vinila, a “Logical Song” je postala jedna od pesama po kojima se odmah prepoznaju. I da, umalo da zaboravim, ovaj album će se pokazati kao jedan od bitnih u muzičkom sazrevanju vlasnika ovog bloga.

Teme kojih su se Supertramp doticali su veoma različite, od ljubavi i romantike do društvene kritike, a ponekad je bilo i malo filozofiranja. “Goodbye Stranger” je pomalo netipična za vreme u kome je nastala, jer se bavila fenomenom koji je tek poslednjih petnaestak godina postao lako prepoznatljiv.

It was an early morning yesterday
I was up before the dawn
And I really have enjoyed my stay
But I must be moving on

Like a king without a castle
Like a queen without a throne
I’m an early morning lover
And I must be moving on

Now I believe in what you say
Is the undisputed truth
But I have to have things my own way
To keep me in my youth

Like a ship without an anchor
Like a slave without a chain
Just the thought of those sweet ladies
Sends a shiver through my veins

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I’ll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye stranger it’s been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye Mary, goodbye Jane
Will we ever meet again
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion (Goodbye, Mary)
It’s not for me (Goodbye, Jane)
Just give me motion (Will we ever)
To set me free (Meet again?)
In the land and the ocean (Feel no sorrow)
Far away (Feel no shame)
It’s the life I’ve chosen (Come tomorrow)
Every day (Feel no pain)
So goodbye, Mary (Goodbye, Mary)
Goodbye, Jane (Goodbye, Jane)
Will we ever (Will we ever)
Meet again? (Meet again?)

Now some they do and some they don’t
And some you just can’t tell
And some they will and some they won’t
With some it’s just as well

You can laugh at my behaviour
And that’ll never bother me
Say the devil is my saviour
But I don’t pay no heed

And I will go on shining
Shining like brand new
I’ll never look behind me
My troubles will be few

Goodbye, stranger, it’s been nice
Hope you find your paradise
Tried to see your point of view
Hope your dreams will all come true

Goodbye, Mary, goodbye, Jane
Will we ever meet again?
Feel no sorrow, feel no shame
Come tomorrow, feel no pain

Sweet devotion (Goodbye, Mary)
It’s not for me (Goodbye, Jane)
Just give me motion (Will we ever)
To set me free (Meet again?)
In the land and the ocean (Feel no sorrow)
Far away (Feel no shame)
It’s the life I’ve chosen (Come tomorrow)
Every day (Feel no pain)

So now I’m leaving (Goodbye, Mary)
Got to go (Goodbye, Jane)
Hit the road (Will we ever)
I’ll say it once again (Meet again?)
Oh, yes, I’m leaving (Feel so sorrow)
Got to go (Feel no shame)
Got to go (Come tomorrow)
I’m sorry, I must dash (Feel no pain)

So goodbye, Mary (Goodbye, Mary)
Goodbye, Jane (Goodbye, Jane)
Will we ever (Will we ever)
Meet again? (Meet again?)

Oh, I’m leaving
I’ve got to go…

Mnogi dokoni ljudi pokušavaju da pronađu skrivena značenja u ovoj pesmi, načešće aludirajući na sukobe glavnog autorskog dvojca u grupi, Ricka Daviesa i Rodgera Hodgsona, tokom nastajanja pesama za ovaj album. Ali priča je, kako se vidi, sasvim pravolinijska. Dvoje ljubavnika za jednu noć se rastaju ne osećajući ništa jedno prema drugome i ne mareći ni za šta. Naročito muškarac koga je baš briga, a sve to što se desilo tokom noći posmatra kao jednokratnu zabavu.

Danas je ovakvo ponašanje tipično za zapadnu kulturu. Brzo opijanje vikendima i traženje partnera za jednu noć je postalo opšteprihvaćeno ponašanje u potrazi za zadovoljstvima koje će, navodno, aktere učiniti srećnima. “Vođenje ljubavi”, vešto sročen sinonim za seksualne aktivnosti, u stvari ništa nema sa rečju ljubav.

Možda sam previše mator i staromodan, ali ja svoju ljubav volim da držim za ruku.