Siempre he escuchado esta canción (Good evening Mr. Waldheim) sin prestarle demasiada atención:

[audio:2009/03/lou_reed-good_evening_mr_waldheim.mp3]

Un principio rompedor, un ritmo (bajo y guitarra) que engancha, la voz profunda de Lou Reed, reconocible y sin apenas sentimiento (marca de la casa). Una canción divertida, animada.

Cuando he dicho “sin prestarle demasiada atención”, en realidad me refería a la letra (y cuando me refiero a ayer me refiero a hoy). Good evening bla bla… yes, it is true…bla bla bla

Hasta el otro día, que me dio por buscar quién era ese Waldheim, si es que era alguien, y de ahí, por su propio peso, a toparme con el resto de la letra, que no tiene desperdicio.

Antes de nada, no hay que olvidar que Lou Reed es de origen judío. Ni tampoco que

Hy·mie (hm)
n. Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for a Jew.

Esta palabreja, hymie, no aparece en la letra en sí pero, si escarbáis un poco nada más por los enlaces que he dejado por el camino, os daréis de bruces (pringsteen) con ella.

Y una última cosa: ¡cuánta mala baba!

Good evening Mr. Waldheim
and Pontiff how are you?
You have so much in common
in the things you do
And here comes Jesse Jackson
He talks of Common Ground
Does that Common Ground include me
or is it just a sound
A sound that shakes
Oh Jesse, you must watch the sounds you make
A sound that quakes
There are fears that still reverberate
Jesse you say Common Ground
Does that include the PLO?
What about people right here right now
who fought for you not so long ago?
The words that flow so freely
falling dancing from your lips
I hope that you don’t cheapen them
with a racist slip
Oh Common Ground
Is Common Ground a word or just a sound
Common Ground—remember those
civil rights workers buried in
the ground
If I ran for President and once
was a member of the Klan
Wouldn’t you call me on it
The way I call you on Farrakhan
And Pontiff, pretty Pontiff
Can anyone shake your hand?
Or is it just that you like uniforms
and someone kissing your hand
Or is it true
The Common Ground for me includes you too
Oh is it true the Common Ground
for me includes you too
Good evening Mr. Waldheim
Pontiff how are you
As you both stroll through the woods at night
I’m thinking thoughts of you
And Jesse you’re inside my thoughts
As the rhythmic words subside
My Common Ground invites you in
or do you prefer to wait outside
Or is it true
The Common Ground for me is without you
Or is it true
The Common Ground for me is without you
Oh is it true
There’s no Ground Common
enough for me and you