The Ugly One With The Jewels
Laurie Anderson

In 1974, I went to Mexico to visit my brother who was working as an anthropologist with Tsutsil Indians, the last surviving Mayan tribe. And the Tsutsil speak a lovely birdlike language and are quite tiny physically; I towered over them. Mostly, I spent my days following the women around since my brother wasn't really allowed to do this. We got up at 3am and began to separate the corn into three colors. And we boiled it, ran to the mill and back, and finally started to make the tortillas. Now all the other women's tortillas were 360, perfectly toasted, perfectly round; and after a lot of practice mine were still lobe-sided and charred. And when they thought I wasn't looking they threw them to the dogs.
After breakfast we spent the rest of the day down at the river watching the goats and braiding and unbraiding each other's hair. So usually there wasn't that much to report. One day the women decided to braid my hair Tsutsil-style. After they did this I saw my reflection in a puddle. I looked ridiculous but they said, €œBefore we did this you were ugly, but now maybe you will find a husband.€

I lived within in a yurt, a thatched structure shaped like a cob cake. And there's a central fireplace ringed by sleeping shelves sort of like a dry beaver down. Now my Tsutsil name was Lausha, which loosely translated means €œthe ugly one with the jewels€. Now ugly, OK, I was awfully tall by local standards. But what did they mean by the jewels? I didn't find out what this meant until one night, when I was taking my contact lenses out, and since I'd lost the case I was carefully placing them on the sleeping shelf; suddenly I noticed that everyone was staring at me and I realized that none of the Tsutsil had ever seen glasses, much less contacts, and that these were the jewels, the transparent, perfectly round, jewels that I carefully hid on the shelf at night and then put for safekeeping into my eyes every morning.

So I may have been ugly but so what? I had the jewels.

Full fathom thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made
Those are pearls that were his eyes
Nothing of him that doth fade
But that suffers a sea change
Into something rich and strange
And I alone am left to tell the tale
Call me Ishmael


  Purchase "The Ugly One With The Jewels"   Purchase Entire Album   Email Video to Friends   Play Youtube "The Ugly One With The Jewels" Video   Play Spotify "The Ugly One With The Jewels" Song   View Wikipedia "The Ugly One With The Jewels" Entry   Receive Emails for Future Laurie Anderson Lyrics

Email:

  Link to "The Ugly One With The Jewels"   Share on Facebook, Twitter, and more
  See Recommended Lyrics For You

Loading...

Lyrics by Laurie Anderson

  A Curious Phenomenon   Another Day in America   Baby Doll   Babydoll   Bagpipe Solo   Beautiful Pea Green Boat   Beautiful Red Dress   Beginning French   Big Science   Blue Lagoon   Bodies In Motion   Born, Never Asked   Bright Red   Broken   Cartoon Song   City Song   Classified   Closed Circuits   Coolsvile   Coolsville   Dance of Electricity   Dark Angel   Dark Time In The Revolution   Day The Devil   Democratic Way   Difficult Listening Hour   Dream Before   EngliSH   Example #22   Excellent Birds   Falling   False Documents   Finnish Farmers   Four, Three, Two, One   Frames For The Pictures   Free Fall   Freefall   From The Air   Gravity's Angel   Hey Ah   Hiawatha   I Dreamed I Had To Take A Test   In Our Sleep   In Our Sleep [Instrumental][Mix]   It Tango   It Was Up In The Mountains   John Lilly   Kokoku   Language is a Virus   Langue D'amour   Late Show   Let X = X   Let X=X   Life on a String   Lighting Out For The Territories   Looking For You; Walking And Falling   Love Among The Sailors   Mach 20   Maria Teresa Teresa Maria   Monkey's Paw   Muddy River   My Compensation   My Eyes   My Right Eye   New Jersey Turnpike   New York Social Life   Night In Baghdad   O Superman   O Superman (For Massenet)   Odd Objects   On The Way To Jerusalem   One Beautiful Evening   One White Whale   Only an Expert   Over The River   Pieces and Parts   Poison   Poison [Instrumental][Mix]   Private Property   Puppet Motel   Ramon   Red Hot   Same Time Tommrow   Same Time Tomorrow   Say Hello   Sharkey's Day   Sharkey's Day (Single Edit)   Sharkey's Night   Slip Away   Smoke Rings   So Happy Birthday   Someone Else's Dream   Song For Two Jims   Speak My Language   Speechless   Speechless (The Eagle and the Weasel)   Statue of liberty   Steven Weed   Stiff Neck   Strange Angels   Strange Perfumes   Structuralist Filmmaking   Sweaters   Talk Normal   Talkshow   Telephone Song   The Beginning of Memory   The Big Top   The Cultural Ambassador   The Day the Devil   The Dream Before   The Dream Before (for Walter Benjamin)   The End Of The World   The Geographic North Pole   The Guests   The Healing Horn   The Hollywood Strangler   The Island Where I Come From   The Lake   The Language Of The Future   The Mailman’s Nightmare   The Mysterious "J"   The Mysterious \   The Mysterious "J"   The Night Flight From Houston   The Ouija Board   The Puppet Motel   The Rotowhirl   The Salesman   The Soul Is A Bird   The Stranger   The Visitors   Thinking Of You   Three Songs For Paper, Film And Video   Three Walking Songs   Tightrope   Time And A Half   Transitory Life   Turning Time Around [Lou Reed]   Voices On Tape   Walk The Dog   Walking & Falling   Walking & Falling   Walking Falling   Washington Street   White Lily   Word Of Mouth   World Without End   Yankee See

Related Songs

  Alison Gross - Steeleye Span  DVD - Royal Forester - Steeleye Span  I Almost Had A Weakness - Elvis Costello  Jewels & Bullets - You Am I  Opportunity - The Jewels  I Almost Had A Weakness - Costello Elvis  Alison Cross - Malinky  A Thousand Drunken Dreams - Angela McCluskey  The Ugly - F.T Island  The Family Jewels - Marina and The Diamonds  Run The Jewels - Run the Jewels   The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too - The Clash  We Are The Iceberg - The AKA's  Jewels for Sophia [Andy Kershaw Session]...  My Little Lovers - Marc Almond  Ugly People - The Pretty Reckless  When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels...  When God Comes & Gathers His Jewels...  Ugly - Mutha's Day Out  Jewels - Tommy and the Fallen Horses  Jewels - Vampires On Tomato Juice  Jewels - Alice Nine  Jewels - Alison Krauss & The Cox Family  Jewels - Alison Krauss  Jewels - Alison Krauss  Jewels - Black Atlass  When God Comes And Gathers His Jewels...  Hollow (16-Bit Remix) - Bjork  Jewels And Bullets - You Am I  You're All Too Ugly Tonight - Jerry Lee Lewis  Mmmh Mmmh - Young Fathers  When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels...  The Ugly Bug Ball [From Summer Magic] - Disney  The Ugly Bug Ball - Disney  Jewels For Sophia - Robyn Hitchcock  Baby - Stephen Lynch  You\'re All Too Ugly Tonight - Jerry Lee Lewis  DMX - Bishop Lamont  Wolf On Wall Street - Big K.R.I.T.  Wolf On Wallstreet - Big K.R.I.T.  Butt Ugly Slut - Roger Alan Wade  The Ugly Bug Ball - Burl Ives  I'm A Ugly Nigga (So What) - Biz Markie  Ugly - Cady Groves  Ugly Bastards - Casualties  Top - Lil Uzi Vert  The Pump - Cassidy  Ugly Teacher Blues - BUCK69  Ugly Women - Macc Lads  Mr. Personality - Gillette  Mr. Personality - 20 Fingers  (Fuck Me Mummy) I Feel Ugly...  Bubba Sparxxx - Ugly (Featuring Timbaland And Miss...  Old & Ugly - Misery Addict  Suzanne And The Jewels - John Mellencamp  Jewels On The Hill - Scuba Steve  Suzanne And The Jewels - Mellencamp John Cougar  Ugly Since Birth - Modern Girlfriends  Ugly Stories - Josh Rouse  Ugly As Fuck - 2 Live Crew  It's Alive - Gucci Mane  Ugliest Girl In The World - Bob Dylan  Ragweed - Babes In Toyland  Ugly - Coldread  Ugly - Hip Hop Dub Allstars  Ugly [*] - Bubba Sparxxx  Ugly [Acappella] - Missy Elliott  Ugly [TV Track] - Missy Elliott  Ugly [Amended Main Version] - Missy Elliott  Ugly [Main Version] - Missy Elliott  Ugly - Bubba Sparxxx  Ugly - Blaque  Young, Dumb & Ugly - Weird Al Yankovic  Fat Boys and Ugly Girls [*] - Elton John  Fat Boys and Ugly Girls - Elton John  America The Ugly - Tom T. Hall  The Ugly Truth - Louis Logic  The Ugly Truth - Mortiis  The Ugly Ones - Leon Rosselson  The Ugly Truth - Earshot  The Ugly Organist - Cursive  The Ugly Underneath - XTC  The Ugly Underneath - Andy Partridge  The Ugly American - Big Black  The Ugly Truth - Brown Eyed Girls  The Ugly Truth - Matthew Sweet  The Ugly Vision - Guided By Voices  Banana Clipper - Run the Jewels  Sea Legs - Run the Jewels  Job Well Done - Run the Jewels  A Christmas Fucking Miracle - Run the Jewels  Twin Hype Back - Run The Jewels  DDFH - Run The Jewels  No Come Down - Run The Jewels  Blockbuster Night Pt. 1 - Run The Jewels  Oh My Darling Don't Cry - Run The Jewels  Sea Legs [Dave Sitek Remix] - Run The Jewels  Get It - Run The Jewels  Blockbuster Night Part 1 - Run The Jewels  Lie, Cheat, Steal - Run the Jewels   Close Your Eyes - Run the Jewels  Meowrly - Run the Jewels   Bust No Moves (feat. Cuz) - Run the Jewels   Rubble Kings Theme (Dynamite) - Run the Jewels   Twin Hype Back (feat. Prince Paul as Chest Rockwel...  Meowpurrdy (El-P Remix) (feat. Lil Bub, Maceo, Del...  Pew Pew Pew (Feat. DJ Qbert) - Run the Jewels   Blockbuster Night, Pt. 2 - Run the Jewels   Job Well Done (feat. Until the Ribbon Breaks)...  Creown (3D Remix) - Run the Jewels   Angel Duster - Run the Jewels   Angelsnuggler (Dan the Automator Remix)...  Crown - Run the Jewels   All Meow Life (Nick Hook Remix) - Run the Jewels   Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)...  Snug Again (Little Shalimar Remix) (feat. Gangsta ...  All Due Respect - Run the Jewels   Pawfluffer Night (Zola Jesus Remix)...  Oh My Darling Don’t Cry - Run the Jewels   Creown (The Alchemist Remix) - Run the Jewels   Love Again (Akinyele Back) - Run the Jewels   Close Your Eyes and Meow to Fluff (Geoff Barrow Re...  Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1 - Run the Jewels   Oh My Darling Don’t Meow (Just Blaze Remix)...  Jeopardy - Run the Jewels   36 Chain - Run the Jewels   Meowrly (Boots Remix) (feat. Boots)...  Paw Due Respect (Blood Diamonds Remix)...  Early - Run the Jewels   Lie, Cheat, Meow (Prince Paul Remix)...  All My Life - Run the Jewels   2100 - Run the Jewels  Legend Has It - Run the Jewels  I'm Ugly And I Don't Know Why - Butt Trumpet  15 Petals - Elvis Costello  Rookie Card - The Game  Young, Dumb & Ugly - Weird Al Yankovic  Ugly - Sevendust  The Saga of Rodney Toady, parts 1-5...  When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels...  When God Comes and Gathers His Jewels...  Young, Dumb, and Ugly - Weird Al Yankovic  I'm Going Ugly Early Tonight - Cledus T. Judd  Make \'Em NV - J Dilla (Jay Dee)  Make'em NV - J Dilla  Ugly - Hadouken!  Ugly Bitches - Coolio  Ugly - Cold  Ugly, Fat, White Americans - Work In Progress  Flexed Up - B.O.B  Planet Joe - Henry Rollins  The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Kanye West  The Good, The Bad And The Ugly (featuring Conseque...  The Good, The Bad, The Ugly - Kanye West  Break Off - Salena Dabbs  Water - Ugly God   Let's Get Ugly - Pop Will Eat Itself  Mack the Black [From The Pirate] - Judy Garland  Mack The Black - Judy Garland  The Good, the Bad, the Ugly...  Ugly Truth Rock - Matthew Sweet  Ugly Truth - Matthew Sweet  Ugly - Bubba Sparxxx F/ Timbaland  Ugly Face - Glenn Lewis  The One With The Wurlitzer - American Football  The One With the Sun - Travoltas  The One With The Tambourine - American Football  The Good, The Bad And The Ugly - Kanye West  Jawbreaker - Chevelle  Rookie Card - Game  The Good, The Bad & The Ugly - Kanye West  Ugly American - Quincy Punx  Pawn Shop - Brothers Osborne  Who Wants an Ugly Girl? - Tom Tom Club  Who Wants an Ugly Girl? [Extended Album Version]...  Ugly Girls And Fat Boys - Elton John  Fat Boys & Ugly Girls - Elton John  U-U-U- Now I Feel Like A Blondie - Bring It On  Ugly - Daphne And Celeste  Jewels And Gold - Angus & Julia Stone  Right Now - Heartsdales  Uglytown - Dead Hearts  I'm So Ugly - 40 Below Summer  I'm So Ugly - 40 Below Summer  Little Bit Ugly - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones  Tek Set - Shaggy  March Into The Ocean - British India  I Luv Ugly - Lordi  Rats And Rats And Rats For Candy...  Ugly Man - Rickie Lee Jones  No Black Person Is Ugly - Lil' B  Everything - Ja Rule  Ugly Boy - Die Antwoord  The Ugliest Girl In The World - Bob Dylan  Quite Ugly One Morning - Warren Zevon  Quite Ugly One Morning - Zevon Warren  Ill with Want - The Avett Brothers  Skittles - Soulja Boy  Recorder Grot - Pavement  So Many Troubles - Kelly Family