Το ‘Dum-Dum Boys’, μουσική Bowie, στίχοι Iggy Pop, μια αναπόληση των ηρωϊκών εποχών των Stooges, είναι απ΄τα τραγούδια που τριγυρίζουν στο μυαλό μου από τη στιγμή που έμαθα για το θάνατο του Brian James. Παρεμπιπτόντως, ο εκλιπών είχε διατελέσει κιθαρίστας του Iggy στην περιοδεία του 1979 (στη φωτογραφία, μαζί του). Όσο για το τραγούδι, μπορεί να μην είναι ιδιαίτερα γνωστό, αποτελεί όμως αριστούργημα από κάθε άποψη, της παραγωγής μη εξαιρουμένης. Από τα πιο “εθιστικά” πράγματα που έχω ακούσει – εν καιρώ εφηβείας τουλάχιστον.
Tο άλμπουμ (The Idiot) είχε αποτελέσει “πιλότο” για τη βερολινέζικη τριλογία του Bowie – οι ηχογραφήσεις ολοκληρώθηκαν ένα μήνα πριν απ’ την έναρξη εκείνων για το Low, άσχετα αν το άλμπουμ του Bowie κυκλοφόρησε πιο πριν…

‘Dum-Dum Boys’, music by Bowie, lyrics by Iggy Pop, is a reminiscence of The Stooges heroic days. It is also one of the songs that keep playing in my head since I heard about Brian Jame’s death. By the way, the departed had joined Iggy’s live tour band in 1979 (pictured with him, above). As for the song, though not extremely popular, is a masterpiece in every respect, production not excluded. One of the most “addictive” things I’ve heard – at least as a teenager.
The album (The Idiot) had been a “pilot” for Bowie’s Berlin trilogy – the recordings were completed a month before the start of those for Low, although Bowie’s album was released earlier…

Things have been tough
Without the dumb dumb boys
I can’t seem to speak
The language
I remember how they
Used to stare at the ground
They looked as if they
Put the whole world
Looked as if they put
The whole world down
The first time I saw
The dumb dumb boys
I was fascinated
They just stood in front
Of the old drug store
I was most impressed
No one else was impressed
Not at all
And we’d sing
Da-da-da-da-da-da
Dumb dumb day
Where are you now my
Dumb dumb boys are you
Alive or dead
Have you left me the last
Of the dumb dumb daze
Then the sun goes down
And the boys broke down
People said we were negative
They said we’d take but
We would never give
But we’d sing da-da-da
Da-da-da dumb dumb day
Da-da-da-da-da dumb
And hope it would pay
Da-da-da-da it’s been
A dumdumdum day
A dumb dumb day
Now I’m looking for
The dumb dumb boys
Where are you now
When I need your noise
Now I’m looking for
The dumb dumb boys
The walls close in and
I need some noise