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Click to LISTEN to Adam & Eve |
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Click to LISTEN to Adam & Eve |
So how did Rich and Flo Newman happen to write "Adam & Eve"? One day, Rich, a carpenter by trade, was doing some renovations work near Boston, MA. Since Rich loves his Rock and Roll he had his trusty radio, but, for some reason, the only signal that came in strong was a C&W (country & western) station. That's eight hours of hearing nothing but an assortment of love songs - each looking for its own unique perspective. Whether they're about new loves; long loves; lost loves or found loves ... there seemed no end to the variety. If it was the challenge of seeking the new twist, or a voice freed from the whirring of a skill saw was not clear. But by the end of the day, the chorus was deeply embedded in Rich's subconscious.
Click to LISTEN to Adam & Eve
(© 1995) R&F Newman
CHORUS:
Just like Adam & Eve you’re the only one for me
On this whole world round you’re the only one I’ve found
And that’s more than enough for me
And that’s more than enough for me
Having been brought up in a religious tradition that demanded that I question my beliefs and teachings, I came to see the bible, not as a history book, but as a wonderful guide to metaphor and example of the human condition. It is only natural that every culture would wonder about their original ancestors. What a grand idea, to imagine that we're all distant cousins. There are those who take the current translation of a story copied down by a mortal as the word of God, and others who see within this cautionary tale - the power of knowledge as it transcends the age of naivete' and innocence. The story of Adam and Eve probably had many incarnations before it was transcribed into what we now refer to as The Old Testament.
Well you know that there's nothing truly that doesn't have parallels so I have since discovered that Ani DiFranco has a song by the same name. Interestingly enough it was released at the same year as TagYerit's release of Heavy Construction. Adam & Eve. Of course Ani had a sizable following at the time and TagYerit had none. ... from Dilate 1996:
"Tonight you stooped to my level. I am your mangy little whore. Now you're trying to find your underwear and then your socks and then the door. And your trying to find a reason why you have to leave, but I know it's cuz you think you're Adam and you think I'm Eve. You rhapsodize about beauty and my eyes glaze. Everything I love is ugly. I mean really, you would be amazed. Just do me a favor, it's the least that you can do. Just don't treat me like I am something that happened to you. I am truly sorry about all this. You put a tiny pin prick in my big red balloon. And as I slowly start to exhale, that's when you leave the room. I did not design this game. I did not name the stakes. I just happen to like apples and I am not afraid of snakes. I am truly sorry about all this. I envy you, your ignorance. I hear that it's bliss. So I let go the ratio of things said to things heard. As I leave you to your garden and the beauty you preferred. And I wonder what of this will have meaning for you, when you've left it all behind. I guess I'll even wonder if you meant it at the time. "'
CHORUS:
Just like Adam & Eve you’re the only one for me
On this whole world round you’re the only one I’ve found
And that’s more than enough for me
And that’s more than enough for me
Oh that apple wasn’t bad, though sometimes you drive me mad
Some might say we fall, but God knows it’s made me tall
And that’s more than enough for me
That is more than enough for me
First there was chaos, then there was a light. (A light a light a limitless light)
Seven days later, we found ourselves alive. (Alive alive, very much alive)
Living here in heaven we should spread the wealth around
Knowledge is the ladder, the Fall is just a dream
Selfishness and greed makes the deity turn green
Just like Adam & Eve ...
Miles from the megaliths ages from the past
The past, the past, the deep and distant past.
We’re very slow at learning, our leaves are turning fast
Our leaves, our lives, our leaves are turning fast
We should sing and dance, do our silliest routines
We should sing and dance, do our silliest routines
Honoring the seasons, blessings on your bread
Rites lost then remembered, leave nothing left unsaid
Oh this may not be Eden, though I find it hard believing
If it’s any better than this, we’d be living in heavenly bliss
We’d be living in heavenly bliss
Just like living in heavenly bliss
We’d be living in heavenly bliss
And that’s more than enough for me.
Available on CD ...ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST . . APPLE TREE
HARRIS/BLYDEN/ALDA
Category: Cast Recordings
SONY/COLUMBIA #48209
The CD Teleshop lists ADAM & EVE as an artist. Interestingly their CD EINFACH DAS BESTE was released at the same time as TagYerit's CD 1/96
Adam was returning home one night in paradise after staying out late with the lion and the tiger.
Eve got angry and yelled at him: "YOU ARE SEEING ANOTHER WOMAN"
Adam responded: "Don't be silly, you are the only woman on earth" and went to sleep.
Later that night Adam woke up feeling a tickle in his chest and saw it was Eve.
"What are you doing?", he asked.
"I'm counting your ribs" she responded.
A few minutes later, Adam emerged and said, "Thank you Lord, that WAS enjoyable." And the Lord replied, "Yes, Adam, I thought you might enjoy that, and now I'd like you to caress Eve." And Adam said, What is a 'caress'?" So the Lord again gave Adam a brief description, and Adam went behind the bush with Eve.
Quite a few minutes later, Adam returned, smiling, and said, "'Lord, that was even better than the kiss." And the Lord said, "'You've done well, Adam. And now I want you to make love to Eve." And Adam asked, "What is 'make love' Lord?" So the Lord again gave Adam directions, and Adam went again to Eve behind the bush, but this time he reappeared in two seconds, puzzled to no end. And Adam said,
"Lord, what is a 'headache'?"
Adam and Eve said, "Lord, when we were in the garden, you walked with us
every day. Now we do not see you any more. We are lonesome here, and it is difficult
for us to remember how much you love us."
And God said, "No problem! I will create a companion for you that will
be with you forever and who will be a reflection of my love for you, so that
you will love me even when you cannot see me. Regardless of how selfish or childish
or unlovable you may be, this new companion will accept you as you are and will
love you as I do, in spite of yourselves."
And God created a new animal to be a companion for Adam and Eve.
And it was a good animal. And God was pleased.
And the new animal was pleased to be with Adam and Eve and he wagged his tail.
And Adam said, "Lord, I have already named all the animals in the Kingdom
and I cannot think of a name for this new animal."
And God said, "No problem. Because I have created this new animal to be
a reflection of my love for you, his name will be a reflection of my own name,
and you will call him DOG."
And Dog lived with Adam and Eve and was a companion to them and loved them.
And they were comforted. And God was pleased. And Dog was content and wagged
his tail.
After a while, it came to pass that an angel came to the Lord and said, "Lord,
Adam and Eve have become filled with pride. They strut and preen
like peacocks and they believe they are worthy of adoration. Dog has indeed
taught them that they are loved, but perhaps too well."
And God said, "No problem! I will create for them a companion who will
be with them forever and who will see them as they are. The companion will remind
them of their limitations, so they will know that they are not always worthy
of adoration."
And God created CAT to be a companion to Adam and Eve. And Cat would not obey
them. And when Adam and Eve gazed into Cat's eyes, they were
reminded that they were not the supreme beings.
And Adam and Eve learned humility. And they were greatly improved.
And God was pleased.
And Dog was happy.
And Cat didn't give a shit one way or the other.
After three weeks in the Garden of Eden, God came to visit Eve.
"So, how is everything going?" inquired God.
"It is all so beautiful, God," she replied, "the sunrises and
sunsets are breathtaking, the smells, the sights, everything is wonderful, but
I have just one problem.
It is these breasts you have given me. The middle one pushes the other two out
and I am constantly knocking them with my arms, catching them on branches and
snagging them on bushes. They are a real pain," reported Eve.
And Eve went on to tell God that since many other parts of her body came in
pairs, such as her limbs, eyes, ears, etc., she felt that having only two breasts
might leave her body more "symmetrically balanced," as she put it.
"That is a fair point," replied God, "but it was my first shot
at this, you know. I gave the animals six breasts, so I figured that you needed
only half of those, but I see that you are right.. I will fix it up right away."
And God reached down, removed the middle breast and tossed it into the bushes.
Three weeks passed and God once again visited Eve in the Garden of Eden."Well,
Eve, how is my favorite creation?"
"Just fantastic," she replied, "but for one oversight on your
part. You see, all the animals are paired off. The ewe has a ram and the cow
has her bull; all the animals have a mate except me. I feel so alone."
God thought for a moment and said, "You know, Eve, you are right. How could
I have overlooked this? You do need a mate and I will immediately create a man
from a part of you. Now let's see .... where did I put that useless boob?"
Now, doesn't THAT make more sense than that bullsh*t about the rib?
Keep Away From The Kids
Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought
that even God's omnipotence did not extend to God's kids. After creating heaven
and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was, "Don't."
"Don't what?" Adam replied.
"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God said. “Forbidden fruit?
We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve...we got forbidden fruit!"
"No way!"
"Don't eat that fruit!" said God.
"Why?"
"Because I am your Father and I said so!" said God (wondering why
he hadn't stopped after making the elephants). A few minutes later God saw his
kids having an apple break and was angry. "Didn't I tell you not to eat
the fruit?" God asked.
"Uh huh, " Adam replied.
"Then why did you?"
"I dunno" Eve answered.
"She started it!" Adam said.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"DID NOT!"
Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should
have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed.
If God had trouble handling children, what makes you think it would be a piece
of cake for you?
- Advice for the day: If you have a lot of tension and you get a headache, do
what it says on the aspirin bottle: Take two and keep away from children.
Excerpt from "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom ( author of Tuesdays with Morrie) - an moving fable about what might happen when you die ....
"I figure its like in the Bible, the Adam & Eve deal?" the Captain
said. "Adam's first night on earth? When he lays down to sleep? He thinks
it's all over right? He doesn't know what sleep is. His eyes are closing and
he thinks he's leaving the world, right?
"Only he isn't. He wakes up the next morning and he has a fresh new world
to work with, but he has something else too. He has his yesterday."
Mark Twain had some interesting spins on the Adam & Eve stories.
The following excerpt is from Mark Twain's "Letters From Earth" - letters written from Satan to Archangels Michael and Gabriel while Satan has been exhiled to earth for one celestial year (1,000 earth years). Satan is doing his best to make sense of human beliefs: "During the Six Days, God created man and other animals. He made a man and woman and placed them in a pleasant garden, along with the other creatures. They all lived together there in harmony and contentment and blooming youth for some time; then trouble came. God had warned the man and the woman that they must not eat of the fruit of a certain tree. And he added a most strange remark: he said that if they ate of it they should surely die. Strange, for the reason that inasmuch as they had never seen a sample of death they could not possibly know what he meant. Neither would he nor any god have been able to make those ignorant children understand what it meant without furnishing a sample. The mere word could have no meaning for them, any more than it would have for an infant of days.
Mark Twain revisits this idea, when as the Father of History, he uncovers papers from the Adam family. This is an excerpt from Eve's diary where she describes her experience of this infamous event.
"Today in a wood we heard a Voice.
We hunted for it, but could not find it. Adam said he had heard it before, but
had never seen it, though he had been quite close to it ... It was the Lord
of the Garden, he said, ... and it had said we must not eat of the fruit of
a certain tree, and that if we ate it we should surely die. ... I wanted
to see the tree, so we had a pleasant long walk ... Adam said it was the tree
of knowledge of good and evil.
"Good and evil?"
"Yes."
"What is that?"
"What is what?"
"Why, those things. What is good?"
"I do not know. How should I know?"
"Well, then what is evil?"
"I suppose it is the name of something, but I do not know what."
"But, Adam, you must have some idea of what it is."
"Why should I have some idea? I have never seen the thing, how am I to
form any conception of it? What is your own notion of it?"
(editorial note: this interchange continues for a while ... think Abbot
& Costello's "Who's on First" finally:)
"We sat silently for a while turning over the puzzle in our minds: then
all at once I saw how to find out, and was surprised that we had not thought
of it at the beginning, it was so simple. I sprang up and said, "How stupid
we are! Let us eat of it: we shall die, and then we shall know what it is and
not have any more bother about it."
Adam saw that it was the right idea ..."
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