April Fool is the first single, and my favourite track, from Patti Smith's latest album Banga. It is one of her most mesmerising songs, and it features the smouldering guitar sound of Tom Verlaine, who also appears on the track Nine. April Fool was inspired by the life and work of the pivotal Russian writer Nikolai Gogol; Patti Smith's website includes the following excerpt from his landmark short story The Overcoat:
And St. Petersburg was left without Akakiy Akakievitch, as though he had never lived there. A being disappeared who was protected by none, dear to none, interesting to none, and who never even attracted to himself the attention of those students of human nature who omit no opportunity of thrusting a pin through a common fly, and examining it under the microscope. A being who bore meekly the jibes of the department, and went to his grave without having done one unusual deed, but to whom, nevertheless, at the close of his life appeared a bright visitant in the form of an overcoat, which momentarily cheered his poor life, and upon whom, thereafter, an intolerable misfortune descended, just as it descends upon the mighty of this world!
Come be my April Fool
Come you're the only one
Come on your rusted bike
Come we'll break all the rules
Come you're the only one
Come on your rusted bike
Come we'll break all the rules
We'll ride like writers ride
Neither rich nor broke
We'll race through alleyways
In our tattered cloaks so
Neither rich nor broke
We'll race through alleyways
In our tattered cloaks so
Come be my April Fool
Come we'll break all the rules
Come we'll break all the rules
We'll burn all of our poems
Add to God's debris
We'll pray to all of our saints
Icons of mystery
We'll tramp through the mire
When our souls feel dead
With laughter we'll inspire
Then back to life again
Add to God's debris
We'll pray to all of our saints
Icons of mystery
We'll tramp through the mire
When our souls feel dead
With laughter we'll inspire
Then back to life again
Come you're the only one
Come be my April Fool
Come come
Be my April Fool
We'll break all the rules
Come be my April Fool
Come come
Be my April Fool
We'll break all the rules
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