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1[[quoteright:349:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patti_1976_lynn_goldsmith_9.jpg]]
2 [[caption-width-right:349:The Godmother of Punk, 1976. Photo by Lynn Goldsmith.]]
3
4->''"We created it. Let's take it over."''
5-->--'''Patti Smith''', ending her cover of "[[Music/TheWho My Generation]]"
6
7Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith (born December 30, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter and published poet who helped form a foundation for the ''American'' version of PunkRock with her ambitious 1975 album ''Music/{{Horses}}''. This distinction has to be made here, as on a tour to Britain in 1976, what might otherwise have been a fruitful collaboration was scuppered by [[Music/JohnLydon Johnny Rotten]] of the Music/SexPistols' sneering on-stage reference to ''[[NoTrueScotsman Horses, horses, fucking horses!]]'' It had been envisaged that the British and American versions of Punk be brought together with Patti fronting the Pistols in a few covers, but Rotten's clear disdain for what he saw as pretentious twaddle, combined with Smith's reciprocal criticism of the Pistols' lack of basic musical talent, killed that nice sentiment and entrenched the separation between the two schools of Punk.[[note]]Two years later, Sex Pistols bass player Sid Vicious, out on bail for the murder of his friend Nancy Spungen, assaulted Patti's brother Todd at a New York club. His bail was revoked and he was hauled back to Rikers Island.[[/note]]
8
9She has many popular songs, including but not limited to "Because the Night," "People Have The Power," "Dancing Barefoot," "Gloria," "Redondo Beach," and "Free Money." "Dancing Barefoot" was covered by Music/{{U2}} and appeared as the [[{{BSide}} B-Side]] to "When Love Comes to Town", gaining almost as much radio airplay as the A-side.
10
11She has several books out, including some early poetry chapbooks and the monumental ''Babel'' from 1978. Her brief 1992 memoir, ''Woolgathering'', is about her childhood mystical experiences, and ''The Coral Sea'' from 1996 is a tribute to her lifelong friend and artistic collaborator Robert Mapplethorpe. 2005's ''Auguries of Innocence'' is also a poetry collection, including themes of current events and tragedies. In 2010, she won the National Book Award for her memoir ''Just Kids''. A sequel, ''M Train'', appeared in 2015, followed by ''Year of the Monkey'' in 2017. Also in 2017, ''Devotion'' is about how and why she writes. ''The New Jerusalem'' (2018) is a Creator/WilliamBlake --like epic prose poem about the relationship between art and faith, illustrated with her art and photos.
12
13She was named a Commander of the ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' by the French Ministry of Culture in 2005. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. She received the PEN Literary Service Award in 2020, given to "an important writer whose critically acclaimed work has drawn a wide audience and who helps us to understand the human condition in original and powerful ways." In May 2022, she was [[https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/punk-laureate-patti-smith-granted-frances-highest-honor-173961 awarded the Legion of Honor]], France's highest and most important distinction.
14
15Not to be confused with '80s singer Patty Smyth of Scandal.
16----
17!!Discography:
18[[index]]
19* ''Music/{{Horses}}'' (1975)
20* ''Music/AgentsOfFortune'' (Music/BlueOysterCult, 1976) on which Patti was a guest artiste and provided or co-wrote four songs.
21* ''Music/RadioEthiopia'' (1976)
22* ''Music/{{Easter}}'' (1978)
23* ''Music/{{Wave}}'' (1979)
24* ''Dream Of Life'' (1988)
25* ''Gone Again'' (1996)
26* ''Peace And Noise'' (1997)
27* ''Gung Ho'' (2000)
28* ''Trampin' '' (2004)
29* ''Twelve'' (2007)
30* ''Banga'' (2012)
31* The ''Perfect Vision Trilogy'' with Soundwalk Collective:
32** ''Mummer Love'' (2019)
33** ''The Peyote Dance'' (2019)
34** ''Peradam'' (2020)
35[[/index]]
36
37----
38!!"Jesus Died for somebody's tropes but not mine":
39* AmbiguousGender: The cover of ''Music/{{Horses}}'', photo by Creator/RobertMapplethorpe. Patti's relatively deep voice adds to this.
40* BandOfRelatives: In recent years, her band includes her son Jackson, and occasionally her daughter Jesse as well.
41* ContinuityNod: "Radio Baghdad" (2004) to ''Music/RadioEthiopia'' (1976)
42* TheCoverChangesTheGender: "Hey Joe". "Gloria" is notable for averting this trope.
43* TheCoverChangesTheMeaning: "Gloria," "Land," and "Hey Joe". The introductory section of "Gloria" was written by Patti Smith, and a spoken word piece was added to "Hey Joe" about Patty Hearst and the Symbionese Liberation Army.
44* CoverAlbum: "Twelve" is entirely full with covers.
45* CoverVersion:
46** "Music/MyGeneration", "Hey Joe", "Gloria", "Land of a Thousand Dances" from "Land" (omitting the song's famous "na na na na" hook), "[[Music/TheByrds So You Want to Be (A Rock 'n' Roll Star)]]"
47** As of 2011, Smith has added a cover of "[[Music/{{Adele}} Rolling in the Deep]]" to her live setlist.
48** Also her whole CoverAlbum ''Twelve'', which includes [[Music/TheRollingStonesBand "Gimme Shelter"]], [[Music/{{Nirvana}} "Smells Like Teen Spirit"]], [[Music/JimiHendrix "Are You Experienced?"]], [[Music/TheDoors "Soul Kitchen"]], [[Music/BobDylan "Changing of the Guards"]], [[Music/TheBeatles "Within You Without You"]], [[Music/TearsForFears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"]] (really), [[Music/{{REM}} "Everybody Hurts"]], [[Music/PaulSimon "The Boy in the Bubble"]] [[Music/NeilYoung "After The Gold Rush"]] , and so on.
49** Her song ''Fire of Unknown Origin'' was not only recorded by the BOC, it became the title of the LP.
50** "Because the Night" is a bizarrely complicated form: the song was originally written by Music/BruceSpringsteen, but Bruce gladly let Patti record a version first (with her own modifications). He subsequently released his own version, leading some to think of ''that'' as the cover. More recent versions by both artists mix-and-match between Bruce's original lyrics and Patti's additions, and both are usually credited as co-authors. This is just what happens when two great songwriters are good friends, one supposes...
51* DrugsAreBad: "Poppies", "Horses" (perhaps ironically, she claims "Horses" is the only song she's ever written on acid). While Patti liked marijuana in the 70s, her one acid trip was at a party where she was (probably well-intentionally) dosed. She describes several incidents where people assumed she shot heroin and she had to explain she's terrified of needles.
52* DrugsAreGood: Patti loves Music/BobMarley and studied [=RastafarI=] which uses herb as a sacrament. She respects psychoactive drugs as associated with the sacred, with "jazz musicians or Hopi shamans", not something to be taken casually or for kicks.
53* DrivenToSuicide: "Redondo Beach".
54* EpicRocking: Most of her albums have at least one song pushing 10 minutes, frequently based around her poetry. "Radio Ethiopia" from ''Music/RadioEthiopia'', for example.
55* FeverDreamEpisode: Patti had scarlet fever and other illnesses as a child during which she had visions and experiences she related to her siblings later. This happened with her non-illness dreams as well. (It's in ''Woolgathering.'') As an older adult (''M Train'', ''Year of the Monkey'') she seems to have become hypersomniac (thus the MustHaveCaffeine she describes), dozing off anytime, anywhere, and [[OrWasItADream sometimes unsure if an experience she's having is a dream, reality, or both]]. She specifically references ''Alice'' and DownTheRabbitHole a few times, and she occasionally has conversations with [[AnimateInanimateObject Animate Inanimate Objects]].
56--> [After seeing innumerable promos for ''Series/{{Cracker}}'' (which has Creator/RobbieColtrane) on ITV, then [[RecursiveReality running into Coltrane in a hotel lobby]]:] —Can you imagine the odds of such an encounter? I say to my floral bedspread.
57--> —All things considered, odds-on favorite. But you really should have conjured Creator/JohnBarrymore.
58--> A worthy suggestion but I had no desire to encourage a continuing dialogue. Unlike a channel changer it’s literally impossible to turn off a floral bedspread.
59* GenreMashup: She may ''technically'' be a PunkRock artist, but she's touched on and/or been influenced by Beat Poetry / Spoken Word, ProtoPunk, {{Reggae}}, Folk, CountryMusic, {{Funk}} and {{Soul}}-influenced Rock, borderline-[[NewWaveMusic New Wave Pop]], GarageRock, NoiseRock and PsychedelicRock, among others. She recorded a version of the Willard Robison torch song "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyUor4ottfQ Don't Smoke in Bed]]" and used to play Debussy's "Syrinx" on clarinet in the middle of shows, reminding the inevitable hecklers that "punk" is an art form that lets you do, or use, anything you want, especially if it's different. Playing classical music at a rock concert qualifies.
60* GriefSong: Much of her mid-90s material, after her husband, her brother, and one of her band members died almost at the same time. ''Gone Again'' is all about this. Her cover of "Don't Smoke in Bed" likewise.
61* HairyGirl: the cover of her ''Music/{{Easter}}'' LP shows Patti flaunting natural armpits.
62* IncomingHam: [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic Arguably]] the opening lines of the opening song on her debut album.
63--> ''Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine/Meltin' in a pot of thieves/Wild card up my sleeve/Slick heart of stone/My sins my own/They belong to '''ME.''' '''ME.''' ''
64* InnBetweenTheWorlds: In ''M Train'', Patti's neverending quest for coffee leads her to the Silver Moon Cafe in New York's Chinatown, which turns out to be a very small tea shop with a four-item menu. Lulled by the scent of oolong, she orders a combo and receives some tea and steamed buns with delicious filling; she notices that the waitress flips the door sign to "Closed" as soon as she leaves, though there are other customers inside, and she's convinced that if she turns around the shop itself will disappear.[[note]]Applying the streets and other landmarks she names to Google Maps, one finds no such cafe listed (which doesn't mean it isn't there). Lung Moon on Mulberry Street in Chinatown is a bigger, brighter place with a wider selection, but is in the approximate place she described.[[/note]]
65* IntentionallyAwkwardTitle: "Piss Factory," "Pissing in a River," "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger"
66* IntercourseWithYou: "Because the Night"
67* IronicEcho: Patti's collaboration with the Music/BlueOysterCult, ''Revenge of Vera Gemini'' from ''Music/AgentsOfFortune'', is built around the ironic echo; Patti's lines, coming in slightly behind Albert Bouchard's, are sardonic echos that subtly twist the meaning.
68* KindheartedCatLover: Patti's beloved cats are all through her book ''M Train'', especially Cairo, a runt Abyssinian (her name comes from the fact that she's the color of the Pyramids). She even [[TooMuchInformation tells us when Cairo throws a hairball in the middle of the night or urps next to her pillow]].[[note]][[CatsAreSnarkers On her birthday, yet.]][[/note]]Cairo Smith lived to be almost 22, the equivalent of 104 in human years, departing September 23, 2023. She made frequent appearances in Patti's Substack films, and Patti says she still sometimes sees a wisp of her presence.
69* LyricalDissonance: "Redondo Beach" sounds upbeat, but the lyrics are likely about a girl who drowned herself after a quarrel with the narrator.[[note]]In fact it was about one of Smith's own sisters, Linda; she and Patti had a blazing row about something and Linda then went out by herself for several hours, during which Smith heard a news report about a girl who'd drowned herself. She was distraught that it might be her sister. When Linda came back unharmed, Smith was so relieved that the row was forgotten, and she got a song out of it.[[/note]]
70* LadyLooksLikeADude: She is well known for her androgynous look.
71* TheLancer: Lenny Kaye, who's been her guitarist since her very first gig in 1971.
72* MoneySong: "Free Money"
73* TheMuse:
74** Patti may have been the life-model for "Suzie", the character who steps in and out of many Music/BlueOysterCult songs, as a fiery, independently-minded strong woman answerable to nobody who takes no shit from anyone.
75** She also inspired the {{Music/KT Tunstall}} song ''Suddenly I See'', which is dedicated to her.
76** Creator/GrantMorrison has stated she's the visual inspiration for ComicBook/DoomPatrol's Crazy Jane.
77* MustHaveCaffeine: ''M Train'' reveals Patti's abiding love for coffee and her need for it at frequent intervals. (It's also part of her lifelong Arthur Rimbaud identfication/connection as he was a coffee importer.) She describes the coffee she's had on her travels and her devastation when the Greenwich Village sandwich/coffee shop [[http://misscavendish.blogspot.com/2016/08/a-patti-smith-summer-m-train-cafe-ino.html Cafe 'Ino]] (where she wrote much of ''M Train'') closed for good. The owner gave her "her" table and chair. She describes lifelong fantasies of starting her own cafe. There's a warm moment in ''Year of the Monkey'' where she visits her former guitarist Oliver Ray (the poet who gave her her beloved black coat) at his coffee roaster in Arizona.
78* NWordPrivileges: "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger", although she uses the term to mean "social outcast" rather than with outright racial connotations.
79* NightmarishFactory: Patti's first job after leaving school, in the deadly heat of a factory foundry inspecting pipe at ''The Piss Factory''.
80* ProtestSong: There's a few, especially in her post-90s work - "Radio Baghdad", "1959",
81* ProtoPunk and PunkRock: ''Music/{{Horses}}'' was the first album released by a band from the New York Punk scene, and by extension one of the first PunkRock albums released, period. She was a huge influence on many later bands as well, though her sound is unconventional by Punk standards (see the above trope).
82* RousingSpeech: "People Have The Power", "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger"
83* ShesBack: Between 1980 and 1995, she basically retired from rock music to raise her kids. Then she picked up where she left off.
84* ShoutOut:
85** "Radio Ethiopia" supposedly refers to poet Arthur Rimbaud's dying wishes. Patti has felt a connection with Rimbaud since she was 16, when she stole a copy of ''Illuminations'' since she couldn't afford the 99c it cost (about $8.50 today).[[note]]Legend has it that Rimbaud buried a case with unpublished work outside Diri Dawa, Ethiopia, while he was working as a coffee exporter there. In 1973, still an unknown, impoverished artist, Patti dreamed of the case and possibly the exact tree it was buried under. Unfortunately, no publisher cared enough to finance her proposed expedition to find it and bring it back. She did buy a replica of his childhood home in 2017, though.[[/note]] "Piss Factory" mentions Music/JamesBrown. "About a Boy"'s title references Music/{{Nirvana}}'s "About a Girl".
86** ''Banga'' is a series of portraits of historical and fictional people and events, including Emperor Constantine, UsefulNotes/AmerigoVespucci, and [[Literature/TheHungerGames Katniss Everdeen]].
87* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Way over there on the idealistic side. To give you an idea, one of her more famous songs is called "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPR-HyGj2d0 People Have the Power]]".
88--> ''I believe everything we dream can come to pass through our union/ We can turn the world around, we can turn the earth's revolution!''
89* SpokenWordInMusic: Frequently, especially live where songs can turn into long semi-improvised rants.
90* StepUpToTheMicrophone: Lenny Kaye always sings the second verse of "Rock 'n' Roll Nigger", and also usually gets to sing a solo number during concerts.
91* SurvivalMantra: her take on the 23rd Psalm in ''Privilege (Set Me Free)''
92* WackyAmericansHaveWackyNames: in the song ''Citizen Ship'', about immigrants arriving in New York, Patti's spoken, or rather rudely shouted, interlude involves turning to the other band members and Americanising the more difficult to spell Slavonic names.

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