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  • (Applause)

  • In "Just Kids" there is a description of your first performance at St Mark's church

  • in February 10, 1971.

  • Yeah, it was Bertold Brecht's birthday.

  • (Laughter)

  • Right. But that was your first poetry reading.

  • Yes, it was, it was Robert who helped me get it.

  • Robert always thoght I should have poetry readings.

  • He really liked to hear me read my poems and I really wanted it to be special.

  • So, I was seeing Sam Shepard at the time.

  • Sam Shepard and I were doing a play together that we wrote, called "Cowboy Mouth".

  • And I said to Sam: "I really want my poetry to have something special."

  • And he said: "Why don't you get a guitar player and maybe sing a little or something?"

  • And so I had met Lenny Kaye and he was working at a record store,

  • and I said, "I think that guy Lenny plays guitar."

  • So I went and visited Lenny and said, "You play guitar, right?"

  • And he said, "Yeah"

  • And I said, "Wanna play with me at St. Mark's, you know, and do some sonic stuff? ...

  • A couple of songs. And then can you do a car crash?

  • Can you make your guitar sound like a car crash?"

  • (Laughter)

  • He said, "No problem"

  • (Laughter)

  • So, you know, we put together 18 minutes

  • and we did our poetry reading.

  • Some people loved it and herald it as the new thing and other people thought I should be arrested

  • for desecrating the church. Which is not all that unfamiliar now, is it?

  • So, but in any event, Lenny and I weathered that,

  • weathered all kinds of storms and we're still together 40 years later.

  • (Applause)

  • Actually, you mentioned somewhere that your first song or your first poem

  • maybe it was your first song, was "Fire Of Unknown Origin".

  • Yes.

  • That was part of the performance at that time at St. Mark's church?

  • Yes, yeah.

  • 1971 with Lenny. I would ask you please to read it,

  • so we can have the athmosphere.

  • I'm not sure whether Lenny can do the car crash.

  • Well, Lenny and I haven't done this for a very long time, but I'm sure we can figure it out

  • but I, the ...

  • (Applause)

  • Somewhere. Lenny, come on up.

  • This poem actually I wrote in memory of Jim Morrison and ...

  • (Applause)

  • Well, we haven't done it in some years.

  • (Laughter)

  • So, if we fuck it up, it's your fault.

  • (Laughter)

  • I take the blame.

  • This is scary.

  • (Laughter)

  • (Lenny plays guitar)

  • A fire of unknown origin Took my baby away

  • Fire of unknown origin Took my baby away

  • Swept her up and off my wavelength Swallowed her up

  • Like the ocean in a fire Thick and grey

  • Death comes sweeping through the hallway Like a lady's dress

  • Death comes riding up the highway In it's sunday best

  • Death comes riding Death comes creeping

  • Death comes I can't do nothing

  • Death goes There must be something

  • That remains

  • Cause a fire of unknown origin Made me sick and crazy

  • A fire of unknown origin Took my baby away

  • (Applause)

(Applause)

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