Millions have, by now, likely seen Patti Smith’s above emotional performance of Bob Dylan’s “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” from last week’s Nobel Prize ceremony, which saw the singer-songwriter momentarily lost for words only minutes into the song. With the dust now settled, the Chicago-born punk-rooted poet has now opened up about the “overwhelming case of nerves” that led to her brief but lasting onstage hesitation.
Smith’s reflection on her Nobel Prize tribute stumble came via a candid piece penned earlier in the week for The New Yorker. In the short but insightful Dec. 14 article, Smith reveals what was going on on the inside that prompted her the loss for words. “The opening chords of the song were introduced, and I heard myself singing,” states Smith in the piece. “The first verse was passable, a bit shaky, but I was certain I would settle. But instead I was struck with a plethora of emotions, avalanching with such intensity that I was unable to negotiate them.”
It was after the lyric “I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin’” that the artist found herself struggling. The lyrics to follow were “I saw a room full of men with their hammers a-bleedin’ / I saw a white ladder all covered with water” but from the viewer perspective it had appeared Smith had forgotten them, ultimately forcing her to bring the performance to a halt. “I apologize,” she said upon stopping mid-song. “Sorry, I’m so nervous.” What looked like a simple lapse in memory was apparently anything but. Smith explains…
“From the corner of my eye, I could see the the huge boom stand of the television camera, and all the dignitaries upon the stage and the people beyond. Unaccustomed to such an overwhelming case of nerves, I was unable to continue. I hadn’t forgotten the words that were now a part of me. I was simply unable to draw them out.”
Smith went on to detail how the moment has stayed with her, provoking self-examination and leading to a plethora of compassionate support. Nobel scientists “showed appreciation for my very public struggle,” writes Smith. “For us, your performance seemed a metaphor for our own struggles.”
Smith’s introspective offers not only a glimpse into a day in the life of a brilliant artist and performer, it also provides readers a reminder of what it is to be a human being. In a world obsessed with impossible perfection, honest mistakes should be all the more cherished.
Smith is set to perform a sold-out show at The Riviera in Chicago on Dec. 30, her birthday, where she will perform her 1975 release Horses and at Park West on Dec. 31, New Year’s Eve.
(Read the full Patti Smith New Yorker article here)