Marie Curie
words and music by Lloyd Miller (c) (p) 2011
arrangement by Ari Dolegowski, Chris Johnson, Ely Levin, and Lloyd Miller
French translation by Rosalie Fisher, French singing coach: Dana Loev
appears on Strange Dees, Indeed by the Deedle Deedle Dees (release date: October 31, 2011)
ULYSSES
Marie Curie
left Paris
with a suitcase full of radium
"Excuse me...
Are you Marie Curie?"
was the soldier's question.
"That's not me.
I'm not Marie Curie.
No, sir, that's not me.
That's not me.
I'm not Marie Curie.
No, sir, that's not me."
"Leave Paris,
Marie Curie..."
The president told her to go.
"Excuse me,
are you the famous Marie Curie?"
The soldier wanted to know
"That's not me.
I'm not Marie Curie.
No, sir, that's not me.
That's not me.
I'm not Marie Curie.
No, sir, that's not me."
MOBY
Marie Curie
quitta Paris
sa valise remplie de radium
- Excusez-moi,
demanda le soldat.
Êtes-vous Marie Curie?
- Sûrement pas!
Non, [non], ce n'est pas moi,
lui a dit Marie Curie.
Non, monsieur,
Je vous le dis, je n'suis
pas Marie Curie.
But, oui...
I do have a sandwich
and I will share it with you
Mais, oui... Yes!
J'ai bien un bon sandwich
pour nous deux, si ça vous dit.
This year I did a songwriting project with Tom Weiner's class at Smith Campus School in Northampton, MA. Ella Childs (daughter of Bill Childs, host of the radio show Spare the Rock, Spoil the Child) was in the class and during our classroom discussions made a strong case for a song about Marie Curie.
The class song ended up being about Helen Keller, Wilma Rudolph, Rosa Parks, and other important innovators and activists but I still wanted to write the Curie song. The next morning -- before the Dees played at the River's Meltdown -- Ella and I brainstormed. She told me some of her favorite Marie Curie stories and this one seemed to best lend itself to song.
Who does what on "Marie Curie"
Booker Dee (Chris Johnson): accordion
Moby Dee (Ari Dolegowski): electric guitar, vocals
Otto von Dee (Ely Levin): drums
Ulysses S. Dee (Lloyd Miller): upright bass, vocals
Dean Jones: recording, mixing
