Today is the day to let them all talk.
Gertrude Stein and Tori Amos Sing a Duet on the Oprah Winfrey Show
Oprah introduces her guests with an enthusiastic smile, rising from her chair and clapping even before she finishes exclaiming: "One's an avant-garde poet known for her wry facility with the English language, the other believes in faeries. Please welcome Gertrude Stein and Tori Amos!"
Camera switches to a small stage to Oprah's left. A violet backdrop is pierced
by two spotlights; in one an elegant woman holds a book and adjusts her spectacles,
in the other a pouting roudhead sits at a sleek black piano. Drums, guitar
and bass rumble from the large speakers flanking the stage.
The redhead accompanies the taped music with flourishes across the piano keyboard.
Smiling warily at the camera, GERTRUDE begins:
GERTRUDE: Took a look at the book, thought I should, book in the crook of
the hook, thought yes of the book, thought I should, rook in the hook of the
book, I did look, told the cook, she shook, in the hook I shook, in the
crook I shook with the book, took a look at the cook, she thought yes, she
thought yes of my book, I took the book to the rook, held my hand in a hook,
thought yes of the rook and the book in the crook, thought I should, the cook
in the way of the book with its rook.
TORI: Had the book and the cook and the rook and I shook, uh-huh. Had the book and the cook and the rook and I shook, shook, shooo-aiik, oh yeah.
GERTRUDE: By dint of the way it came forth in May, it sprung forth in May festooned and gay, I say with a sway, glancing it over, checking it out, good for a lay in the hay in the gay new month of May, so you say, I say, so you say I say, by virtue of the play, in time with the way I sway, covered lightly with hay, in view of the bay, echo like a bray of May, touched to stay as I say, roaming to play, May has the flowers gay, May has the worthwhile lay, in the way you sway as I say I say we play.
TORI: I sway in May and we are gay and I sway in May so that we can play.....said I sway in May and we are gay and I sway in May so that we can play, ha, ha, hay.
GERTRUDE: It appears she is undone. No fun. She is undone, and I run, wrung
through the meat of me. Untied and wrung, I look to the sun hung fat in the
sky. On a rung of the sky. Sung the epic undone. She is no fun, run to the
sun, grabbing a gun, now to be hung for the use of the gun after
we were all done with the fun. Hers is the son of the sun. Run to be hung
rung by rung. Wrung in the time of the fun. Undone by the fun. Who made use
of the gun in the epoch of sun and tries to run and run and run. Nothing done.
How it hung there, the gun on its rung. She is undone. I run.
TORI: I knew a girl, came undone, wanted the fun but she came undone, now. Oh, I knew a girl, came undone had a gun and she lost the fun, sweet sweet sweet girl.
GERTRUDE: I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I.....
TORI: Eeeeeeeeeeeeyai, huh
GERTRUDE: I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I
TORI: Shoo shoo shoo, say ya, say ya, ru ru runnnn....
GERTRUDE: Thank you very much.