Faut pas croire tout ce qu'on raconte, Nick Drake n'était pas plus anglais que E.T. américain. D'ailleurs il ne faut pas dire qu'il n'est plus de ce monde... Non, l'auteur de Pink Moon n'a JAMAIS été de ce monde. En musique, enfin en chansons, on peut sans risque affirmer qu'il y a Nick Drake et les autres (qui apprennent de lui). Sa discographie s'étend d'ailleurs bien au delà des trois disques (et quelques brouillons posthumes) enregistrés entre 1969 et 1972. On peut entendre sa guitare résonner dans les plus belles œuvres de Six Organs Of Admittance, pour n'en citer qu'un. Comme Robert Johnson, l'homme jouait deux parties de guitares simultanément, tout en chantant par dessus une troisième ligne mélodique. Croyez-moi, il faut bien plus d'un cerveau et deux mains agiles pour y parvenir. Pour peu qu'on l'écoute avec attention, on saisit vite la passion de Nick Drake pour les clusters, ces grappes de sons très proches jouées à quelques secondes d'intervalle, telle une technique verticale de composition. Particulièrement difficile à exécuter au piano, transposer cette technique à la guitare semble une hérésie. Pas pour Nick Drake. Mais laissons là la technique : le plus frappant avec Pink Moon, c'est la beauté farouche des onze chansons qui le composent. Seule une âme en partance est capable de saisir avec une telle justesse ces chemins que l'on dit de croix. Enregistré lors de deux nuits (deux fois deux heures pour être précis) d'octobre 1971, Pink Moon est une ascèse, une élévation, un idéal enfin atteint. Quelques mois après sa publication, une surdose d'antidépresseurs emportait Nick Drake. Quarante ans plus tard, la même désolation magnifique.

Pink Moon

Saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it’s a pink moon
I saw it written and I saw it say
Pink moon is on its way
And none of you stand so tall
Pink moon gonna get ye all
And it’s a pink moon
Yes, a pink moon

Place To Be

When I was young, younger than before
I never saw the truth hanging from the door
And now I’m older see it face to face
And now I’m older gotta get up, clean the place
And I was green, greener than the hill
Where flowers grew and sun shone still
Now I’m darker than the deepest sea
Just hand me down, give me a place to be
And I was strong, strong in the sun
I thought I’d see when day was done
Now I’m weaker than the palest blue
Oh, so weak in this need for you

Road

You can say the sun is shining if you really want to
I can see the moon and it seems so clear
You can take the road that takes you
to the stars now
I can take a road that’ll see me through

Which Will

Which will you go for?
Which will you love?
Which will you choose from?
From the stars above
Which will you answer?
Which will you call?
Which will you take for
For your one and all?
And tell me now
Which will you love the best?
Which do you dance for?
Which makes you shine?
Which will you choose now?
If you won’t choose mine
Which will you hope for?
Which can it be?
Which will you take now?
If you won’t take me
And tell me now
Which will you love the best?

Horn

Things Behind The Sun

Please beware of them that stare
They’ll only smile to see you while
Your time away
And once you’ve seen what they have been
To win the earth just won’t seem worth
Your night or your day
Who’ll hear what I say?
Look around you find the ground
Is not so far from where you are
But don’t be too wise
For down below they never grow
They’re always tired and charms are hired
From out of their eyes
Never surprise
Take your time and you’ll be fine
And say a prayer for people there
Who live on the floor
And if you see what’s meant to be
Don’t name the day or try to say
It happened before
Don’t be shy you learn to fly
And see the sun when day is done
If only you see
Just what you are beneath a star
That came to stay one rainy day
In autumn for free
Yes, be what you’ll be
Please beware of them that stare
They’ll only smile to see you while
Your time away
And once you’ve seen what they have been
To win the earth just won’t seem worth
Your night or your day
Who’ll hear what I say
Open up the broken cup
Let goodly sin and sunshine in
Yes that’s today
And open wide the hymns you hide
You’ll find renown while people frown
At things that you say
But say what you’ll say
About the farmers and the fun
And the things behind the sun
And the people round your head
Who say everything’s been said
And the movement in your brain
Sends you out into the rain

Know

Know that I love you
Know I don’t care
Know that I see you
Know I’m not there

Parasite

Lifting the mask from a local clown
Feeling down like him
Seeing the light in a station bar
And travelling far in sin
Sailing downstairs to the Northern Line
Watching the shine of the shoes
Hearing the trials of the people there
Who’s to care if they lose
Take a look you may see me on the ground
For I am the parasite of this town
Dancing a jig in a church with chimes
A sign of the times today
Hearing no bell from the steeple tall
People all in dismay
Falling so far on a silver spoon
Making the moon for fun
Changing a rope for a size too small
People all get hung
Take a look you may see me coming through
For I am the parasite who travels two by two
When lifting the mask from a local clown
And feeling down like him
And I’m seeing the light in a station bar
And travelling far in sin
And I’m sailing downstairs to the Northern Line
Watching the shine of the shoes
And hearing the trials of the people there
Who’s to care if they lose
Take a look you may see me on the ground
For I am the parasite of this town
And take a look you may see me in the dirt
For I am the parasite who hangs from your skirt

Ride

I know you
I care too
I see through
All of the pictures that you keep on the wall
All of the people that will come to the ball
But hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride
Hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride
I know too
What you do
When you’re through
Counting the cattle as they go by the door
Keeping a carpet that’s so thick on the floor
But hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride
Hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride
I know you
I care too
I see through
All of the pictures that you keep on the wall
All of the people that will come to the ball
But hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride
Hear me calling, won’t you give me
A free ride

Harvest Breed

Falling fast and falling free
You look to find a friend
Falling fast and falling free
This could just be the end
Falling fast you stoop to touch
And kiss the flowers that bend
And you’re ready now
For the harvest breed

From The Morning

A day once dawned
And it was beautiful
A day once dawned from the ground
Then the night she fell
And the air was beautiful
The night she fell all around
So look see the days
The endless coloured ways
And go play the game that you learnt
From the morning
And now we rise
And we are everywhere
And now we rise from the ground
And see she flies
And she is everywhere
See she flies all around
So look see the sights
The endless summer nights
And go play the game that you learnt
From the morning