Now the book is called Stories from the Nerve Bible and what I mean by the Nerve Bible is the body. And parts of the body appear and disappear throughout the book, adding up to a kind of self-portrait although not a very naturalistic one. And I used the word Bible in the title of this book because the first really strange stories I remember hearing were Bible stories. And these stories were completely amazing: about parting oceans, and talking snakes. And people really seemed to believe these stories. And I'm talking about adults. Adults, who mainly just did the most mundane things imaginable: mowing their lawns and throwing potluck parties; they all believed in these wild stories. And they would sit around and discuss them in the most matter-of-fact way. So in a way I was introduced to a special local form of surrealism at an early age and so there was always a question in my mind about what's actually true and what is just another art form. Now I've always been intere! sted in trying to define what makes up the late twentieth century American for example and so, as an artist, I've always thought my main job was to be a spy, to use my eyes and ears, and find some of the answers. For example, I like to hang around the banks of phones in airports, one of my favorite listening posts and eavesdrop on conversations. Now I usually travel on the same schedule as salesmen and after lunch these guys call into the main office and I just stand there at the phones, listening in and taking notes for my portrait of the American salesmen.€” Oh Frank? Listen, Frank. You know, I hate to say this about Brad. I mean we both know he's got a heck of a job. Ya, ya. Oh you're so right. But you know, we both know that Brad isn't pulling his weight. You know what I mean? And I'm not saying this just because we're both up for the same Safeway account.So this book is really a collection of voices and stories as well as portraits of people that I've met along the way.
Lyrics by Laurie Anderson
Related Songs
Rock Island - Music Man
Stuff-Mart Suite - Veggie Tales
Salesman [Alternate Mix][#][*] - The Monkees
Salesman [Alternate Mono Mix][*] - The Monkees
Salesman [Mono Version] - The Monkees
Salesman [Stereo] - The Monkees
Dear Mr Salesman - Fantastic Plastic Machine
Salesman - The Monkees
Salesman - Monkees
Stuff Mart Rap - Veggie Tales
O: Would You Like To Buy An 'O'?...
Would You Like to Buy an "O"? - Sesame Street
Salesman - Clazziquai
Salesman - Stan Ridgway
The Salesman - I See Hawks In L.A.
Light and Shade - Guy Sebastian
Shoe Salesman - Adrian Belew
Marriage Of Coyote Woman Elk Blood Heart...
Help Is On It's Way - Horsell Common
Crowd Of Drifters - The Magnetic Fields
Snake Oil Salesman - Alter Der Ruine
Traveling Salesman Joke - Craig Ferguson
Dream Killer - Shawn Pander
Life Of A Salesman - Beija Flor
Breath of a Salesman ...
...As A Result Of Signals Being Crossed...
No Jokes-Fact - Hot Hot Heat
The Ballad Of Dan - Arrogant Worms
No Jokes - Fact - Hot Hot Heat
Jingle Jangle - Hot Hot Heat
…As A Result Of Signals Being Crossed...
The Ballad Of Dan - Arrogant Worms, The
Spirit Of The Radio - Kip Winger
Deathbed Salesman - Jeremy Messersmith
Renegade Salesman - The Ascetic Junkies
Super Salesman - Kevin Ayers
Traveling Salesman - Oh, Juliet!
Traveling Salesman - Patrick Watson
Understanding Salesman - Eels
Shoe Salesman - Alice Cooper
Billy - Keith Urban
Anne Aviary - Joan Of Arc
Up The 'Pool - Jethro Tull
Blood Brothers - Papa Roach
Voyage of the Mimi - Radical Face
That Old Time Feeling - Guy Clark
Guillotine Lullaby (The Art Of Revenge) - Blank
The Salesman (Tramp Life) - White Rabbits
The Salesman, Denver Max - Blood Brothers
The Salesman, Denver Max - The Blood Brothers
Resonate Remain - Hanalei
Step Into The Shadows - Mr Hudson
Step Into The Shadow - Mr Hudson
So-So Gigolo - Cursive
Human Factor - Milemarker
-Blindly Gazing Into The Burning Horizon...-...
Step Into The Shadows - Mr. Hudson
Scientists - Jeremy Messersmith
Two Pigs Who Shop In The Mall - Pink Floyd
Boot To The Head - The Frantics
On A Slow Night - Metric
Good Life Salesman - Goodbooks
Hidden Agenda - The Foremen
Nameless - Deotriese
I Don't Give a Shit About Wood, I'm Not a Chemist...
Backfired (Remix) - Blondie
Curses, Invocation - Doors
CURSES, INVOCATIONS - The Doors
Curses, Invocation - The Doors
The Salesman, The Husband, The Lover...
Hearing Damage - Thom Yorke
Louisiana Purchase - Irving Berlin
Song 4 Tricia (Princes and Frogs) - Superchic(k)
The Rules - Tragically Hip
I Love My Gun - Domenica
The Shadowlands - Ryan Adams
Official Suburban Superman - Suzi Quatro
Cannibals - Bars of Gold
Little America - Hackett Steve
The Frying Pan - John Prine
Little America - Steve Hackett
Automatic - Starflyer 59
Curses, Invocations - Doors, The
Louisiana Purchase (1940) - Berlin Irving
Louisiana Purchase - Berlin Irving
Shadowlands - Ryan Adams
Just The Wine - Heart
Not So Manic Now - Dubstar
Things to Say to Friendly Policemen...
You - WAGES
Water Torture - Scraping Foetus off the Wheel
Water Torture - Foetus
Flying Junk - 10 Cc
Flying Junk - 10cc
People Lie - J. J. Cale
Going Quietly Mad - Al Kooper
Backfired - Deborah Harry
Backfired - Blondie
Zeros & Ones - Derek Webb
Unfit - Before Braille
Hellbelly - Therapy
Lost My Shape - David Bazan
Noise Brigade - Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Monster - Abandoned Pools
Monster - Abandoned Pools
Sippin' Shirley Thompson - Jeannie C. Riley
Lupita Screams - The Gun Club
Keep Your Change - Loretta Lynn
Towers Tumbled - Strontium 90
Towers Tumble - Sting & Police
Towers Tumbled - Police
Window to the World - Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush
Towers Tumble - Sting
First Communion - NoahJohn
Oh Yes, Another Mother - Thee More Shallows
Now She Knows - Tenement Halls
Shine - The String Cheese Incident
Shine - The String Cheese Incident
Shine - Lovefreekz
Shine It All On - A & E
Death of a Salesman - Steve Goodman
Death Of A Salesman - If Hope Dies
Life Of A Salesman - Yellowcard
Secrets of a Salesman - Rocky Votolato
Death Of A Salesman - Low
Death of a Salesman - Drunken Tiger
Mason Reese - Alice Donut
Towers Tumbled - The Police
The Water Song - The Mountain Goats
Towers Tumbled - Sting
Song For Your Enemy - Anti-Flag
That Old Time Feelin' - Guy Clark
That Old Time Feeling - Jerry Jeff Walker
Fame - Fall Out Boy
Fame Is Less Than Infamy - Fall Out Boy
Gentleman of Leisure - Jesse Winchester
Zero To Love - Say Hi
Try - Gibson Debbie
The Old Soldier - The Residents
Give It Up - Radiohead
Shine It All On - Eels
Sweet Magnolia (and the Travelling Salesman)...
Salesman at the Day of the Parade - Rogue Wave
We the People - Billy Ray Cyrus
The Conjuring - Killswitch
The Conjuring [Live] - Megadeth
The Conjuring [Live] - Megadeth
The Conjuring [#] - Megadeth
The Conjuring (Live) - Megadeth
The Conjuring - Megadeth
The Conjuring [Randy Burns Mix][#][*] - Megadeth
'the Conjuring' - Megadeth
The Conjuring [Randy Burns Mix] - Megadeth
Held Into the Fire - Ai Phoenix
The Bus Song - Association
Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio - John Denver
Guns In My Head - Berg Matraca
Hercluean Bellboy - Young and Sexy
Guns In My Head - Matraca Berg
Rosemary - Scott Walker
Gold Rush...
Traveling Salesman's Young Wife Home Alone On Chri...
Butterfly [Acoustic] - The Verve
Butterfly - Verve
Butterfly - The Verve
Soothsayer Speaks - Dime Store Prophets
That Old Time Feeling - David Allan Coe
You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch)...
You Can Look - Bruce Springsteen
Buzzbomb From Pasadena - Dead Kennedys
Summer Light - Yarn Owl
I Hate Men - Cole Porter
Monday Morning Secretary - The Statler Brothers
Prague (Revive Me) - Dave Hause
HTML - The Hot Toddies
Princes And Frogs - Superchic(k)
Snowball In Hell - They Might Be Giants
Raven In The Storm - Mary Black
Up Or Down - Patty Griffin
Used Cars - Bruce Springsteen
Used Cars [Version] - Bruce Springsteen
MIDDLETOWN DREAMS - Rush
Afro Lover - James
Superabound - Frank Black
Better With A Pen (Fame < Infamy) - Fall Out Boy
Fame Infamy - Fall Out Boy
Fame < Infamy - Fall Out Boy
Stranger In Time - Alhun Aydin
House of Mirrors - T-Bone Burnett
Fame < Infamy - Fall Out Boy
House Of Mirrors - T Bone Burnett
Buzzbomb - Dead Kennedys
Do the Swimming Dragon - Herman Dune
Kief Catcher - I Set My Friends On Fire
Southsider - Famme Frasier
When You're In Town (11 Apr 1911) - Berlin Irving
Kind Of In Love - The Avett Brothers
Introduction To Outselling A Salesman - Set It Off
Death Of An Insurance Salesman - Big City Dreams
Black Velvet Band - The Felice Brothers