a tribute to actors (warning... random idle thoughts ahead: if you´re pressed for time, skip them)

BEeNhereb4 · Senior Member

RE: a tribute to actors (warning... random idle thoughts ahead: if you´re pressed for time, skip them)

mara · a grateful fan

Traveling Players!

Sleep in their clothes

But go around naked,

Drinking life in mouthfuls.

They are adored,

They are abused,

Idols with feet of clay.

Have-beens

In coffee shop discussions

Dwell on the matter

Of who´s who.

They agree to vote jointly,

And take action:

The players decided to cancel

Tonight´s show.

Traveling Players!

Sleep in their clothes

But go around naked,

Drinking life in mouthfuls.

They are adored,

They are abused,

Idols with feet of clay.

After a long silence

They play their part:

With dusty feet

Holding a wanted sign.

Popular culture is made

Side by side:

Even if covered in salt

They will make the seeds grow.

Traveling Players!

Sleep in their clothes

But go around naked,

Drinking life in mouthfuls.

They are adored,

They are abused,

Idols with feet of clay.

The middle ground of yore

Is waste land today_

When you own nothing,

There´s nothing to lose,

And nobody will give you

Your own merits for free.

It´s better to die upon your feet

Than to play a joker to the king.

Traveling Players!

Sleep in their clothes

But go around naked,

Drinking life in mouthfuls.

They are adored,

They are abused,

Idols with feet of clay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEbrQUyZyyM

I heard this song today on the radio, and it struck a chord.

(Sorry for a rushed and faulty translation) This song was written in the 70´s to support the first actor´s strike in Spain to protest against Franco´s dictatorship.

That was a long time ago and has nothing to do with the present situation... I´m only posting it here because I happen to believe that the lyrics define to a tee what it means to be an actor. A very respected Spanish actor and writer, Fernando Fernán Gómez, said that actors are like an ethnic group of sorts. They cannot be jugded by common standards because their lives are uncommonly chaotic, which comes with the territory. That´s why they are equally admired and despised by the rest of the population: they keep breaking the rules, and are punished for it accordingly.

But the ones sowing the seeds of popular culture in the community, and in many cases being defamed for doing so, are the actors. They lend their voices to the great thinkers and translate their message to the masses. For every dozen of trashy movies or plays there´s a gem which will prevail and make us all better. And we should be thankful for that. So thank you, actors of the world!