Suede "Heroine"歌曲藏毒考及其他

"Heroine"是否歌曲藏毒，看看這個生字便知道，Heroin者海洛英，至於Heroine，則是英文中"hero"的女性稱謂，不辯自明。此猜測想必來自前作"Animal Nitrate"及"Sleeping pills"等大量implicit及explicit的毒品references，令人對此歌也想入非非。

另外，有人認為此歌和妓女有關，蓋歌詞出現脫衣( Discarding her clothes in the plastic flowers...)、色情( Pornographic and tragic in black and white...)及成年( I'm 18, I need my heroines...)等字眼。但翻查網上資料，發現以下這一段link頗為中的，認為歌曲展示的是成長之中對女性概念的形成，如來自瑪麗蓮夢露的黑白艷照，而這些女性，則又是命運悲劇的主角人物。

"The song is based from the Lord Byron poem which begins with the same line, "she walks in beauty, like the night".

This song really doesn't have anything to do with a prostitute. It's more about a boy who is becoming a man (I'm eighteen and I need my heroines) identifying his notions of women with his female idols - who are actresses and pin-up girls pinned to his wall. These women are traditional femmes fatale, as shown by the reference to Raphaella, the pre-Raphaelite princess. Femmes fatale have traditionally shown up in art as symbols of the downfall of men, which is evident by his "dying." Yes, Anderson and Butler are quite arty in their references."

Brett Anderson歌詞：

She walks in beauty like the night
Discarding her clothes in the plastic flowers
Pornographic and tragic in black and white
My Marilyn come to my slum for an hour

I'm aching to see my heroine
I'm aching been dying for hours and hours

She walks in the beauty of a magazine
Complicating the boys in the office towers
Rafaella or Della the silent dream
My Marilyn come to my slum for an hour

I'm aching to see my heroine
I'm aching been dying for hours and hours,
been dying for hours and hours

She walks in beauty like the night
Hypnotising the silence with her powers
Armageddon is bedding this picture alright
My Marilyn come to slum for an hour

I'm aching to see my heroine
Aching, been dying for hours and hours
I'm 18, I need my heroines
Aching, been dying for hours
Oh and I'm never alone now
Now I'm with her




Lord Byron原詩：

SHE walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling place.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

有趣的是，Lord Byron原詩要兩句連讀才成意思(因第一句尾沒有標點)：SHE walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies，意像是漆黑中散發光明，如單以「黑夜」形容如水清澈、美麗如花的女性，則變成不知所云，和下文意思斷裂。Brett Anderson卻斷章取義，截取第一句"SHE walks in beauty, like the night"，卻和歌曲的暗黑點調子配合，所描女性，亦由高貴優雅、溫柔婉約形像，轉化成少年房中牆上的黑白女明星艷照，由高上而下流，由(真正深刻的)古典至(近世淺薄的)懷舊，是不是有點坎普(camp)？無論如何，Brett當年的Glam，在今天看來無疑是坎普的傑作。