Correspondence No. 9: “Aqualung,” a song by Ian Anderson and Jennie Franks, played by Jethro Tull on their album Aqualung // Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet, a composition by Gavin Bryars
Today’s Correspondence, however, appears to be more a set of coincidences than any manifestation of influence. The coincidences are indeed startling. Both “Aqualung” and Jesus’ Blood were inspired by the same subject: homelessness. Both were created at about the same time (in or around the year 1971), and in the same city (London). And both of them came about as a result of visual inspiration. Jennie Franks, who was married to Ian Anderson at the time, was an amateur photographer who took pictures of homeless men. These pictures inspired her and Anderson to write the song. At the same time, Gavin Bryars was working with a friend on a film about poverty and homelessness. One of his subjects sang a short and simple religious song, “Jesus’ Blood Never Failed Me Yet,” which Bryars recorded on tape.
If you were alive and happened to be listening to the radio at any time in the 1970s or -80s, I don’t have to remind you of the song: you’ve probably heard that opening riff a million times. It’s a rock song, rather long for the genre (6:34). Jesus’ Blood is something rather different: a continuous loop of the homeless man’s song drawn out for 25 minutes, overlaid with instrumental accompaniment. Essentially, it is a hybrid piece that combines musique concrète with traditionally performed music.
Besides the differences in genre, the obvious difference between the two works is a textual one. “Aqualung” is a character study. The homeless man is initially depicted as physically and morally disgusting. The nickname “Aqualung” derives from the unhealthy gurgle of his breathing, reminiscent of the sounds a deep-sea diver makes; meanwhile, “snot is running down his nose / greasy fingers smearing shabby clothes.” He has pedophilic tendencies (“eyeing little girls with bad intent”). The more contemplative, acoustic sections of the song give us another view of the man: from this point of view, he is more sympathetic, “an old man wandering lonely,” off to the Salvation Army for a cup of tea. Any of us could wind up in this situation, a fact that gives the song its poignancy.
Bryars gives us no description of the homeless man, only his words, which express nothing more than a simple faith, repeated over and over again. According to the composer: “Although [the homeless man] died before he could hear what I had done with his singing, the piece remains as an eloquent, but understated testimony to his spirit and optimism.”
*Speaking of Tom Waits, he sings on Gavin Bryars’ greatly expanded version of Jesus’ Blood that was composed somewhat later. You can hear Tom singing along with the homeless man here.