Patti Smith

Released: June 18, 1996

Songwriter: Bob Dylan

Producer: Lenny Kaye Malcolm Burn

There was a wicked messenger
From Eli he did come
With a mind that multiplied
The smallest matter
When asked who had sent for him
He answered with his thumb
For his tongue it could not speak, but only flatter

He stayed behind the assembly hall
It was there he made his bed
And oftentimes he could be seen returning
Until one day he just appeared
With a note in his hand that read
"The soles of my feet, I swear they're burning."

Oh, the leaves began to fallin'
And the seas began to part
And the people that confronted him were many
And he was told but these few words
Which opened up his heart
"If you cannot bring good news, then don't bring any."

Celebrated as a pioneer of the New York punk movement, Patti Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist. Smith’s music is notable for its ambitious and unconventional fusion of rock and poetry, which led to her being dubbed the “punk poet laureate.”

Growing up, Smith was greatly inspired by poetry and Bob Dylan, whose songs were rich in poetry and politics. Before experimenting with music, she successfully made a name for herself as a poet in New York City’s underground arts scene. Among Smith’s most acclaimed work, her 1975 debut album, Horses, aimed to reflect the impact of her artistic

I was consciously trying to make a record that would make a certain type of person not feel alone. People who were like me, different… I wasn’t targeting the whole world. I wasn’t trying to make a hit record.

From the album

Gone Again (1996)

Patti Smith popular songs

Wicked MessengerPatti Smith

Patti Smith