Amerigo

"Amerigo" è l'ouverture dell'album, una riflessione sulle imprese del navigatore Amerigo Vespucci, che ha dato il nome all'America. Ho immaginato che Vespucci arrivasse nel Nuovo Mondo con grandi aspettative di poter convertire i nativi, solo per trovarsi completamente trasformato dalla purezza della terra e della gente. Patti Smith dal libretto dell'album

We were going to see the world In this land We placed Baptismal fonts And an infinite number were baptized And they called us "Carabi" Which means "Men of Great Wisdom" Where are you going, And are you going anywhere? Where are you going Send me a letter, if you go at all Ahh, the salvation of souls, But wisdom we had not For these people had neither King nor Lord And bowed to no one And they had lived in their own liberty Where are you going, And are you going anywhere? Going in circles Going in circles, anywhere I saw the new The inconstant shifting of fortune And now I write to you Words that have not been written Words from the New World Tracing the circles Moving across my eyes Lying on a ship And gazing at the western skies Tracing lazy circles in the sky Hey! Wake Up! Wake Up! Where are you going, And are you going anywhere? Where are you going Send me a letter, if you go at all It's such a delight To watch them dance Be it sacrifice or romance Free of all the things that we hold dear Is that clear, Your Excellency? And I guess it's time to go but I gotta send you just a few more lines From the New World Tracing the circles Moving across my eyes Lying on a ship And gazing at the western skies Tracing lazy circles in the sky Tracing lazy circles in the sky Tracing lazy circles And the sky opened And we laid down our armor And we danced Naked as they Baptized in the rain Of the New World