I see this song as being partly autobiographical, although Patti Smith isn't black. I think she's using the word 'nigger' as someone who is, as she says, 'outside of society,' and something of a rebel ('In my heart I am an American artist') and she does what she wants - 'I was lost in a valley of pleasure... and the cost didn't matter to me, the cost was to be outside of society.' Then she references Jimi Hendrix, Jesus Christ, Grandma and Jackson Pollock (an artist) and how they were all 'niggers,' or outcasts. I d/k what the Moslem reference is about unless she was Moslem. I know during that time in the 70s that Islam became more widespread, particularly among African Americans so maybe she is talking about a black woman. Brilliant song.
@alrac ...nonetheless she is still calling people a nigger. and to call jackson pollock who is of irish descent and/or jimmy hendrix a nigger, while saying you really mean ¨outsider¨ just sounds like covert racism to me. i feel like the song is just an excuse to call people niggers. i feel practically the same about john lennon singing, ¨woman is the nigger of the world¨. and notice how she calls everybody a nigger but herself. its like she wants an ¨outsider/nigger¨ position without being a so called outsider/nigger.
@alrac ...nonetheless she is still calling people a nigger. and to call jackson pollock who is of irish descent and/or jimmy hendrix a nigger, while saying you really mean ¨outsider¨ just sounds like covert racism to me. i feel like the song is just an excuse to call people niggers. i feel practically the same about john lennon singing, ¨woman is the nigger of the world¨. and notice how she calls everybody a nigger but herself. its like she wants an ¨outsider/nigger¨ position without being a so called outsider/nigger.
I see this song as being partly autobiographical, although Patti Smith isn't black. I think she's using the word 'nigger' as someone who is, as she says, 'outside of society,' and something of a rebel ('In my heart I am an American artist') and she does what she wants - 'I was lost in a valley of pleasure... and the cost didn't matter to me, the cost was to be outside of society.' Then she references Jimi Hendrix, Jesus Christ, Grandma and Jackson Pollock (an artist) and how they were all 'niggers,' or outcasts. I d/k what the Moslem reference is about unless she was Moslem. I know during that time in the 70s that Islam became more widespread, particularly among African Americans so maybe she is talking about a black woman. Brilliant song.
@alrac ...nonetheless she is still calling people a nigger. and to call jackson pollock who is of irish descent and/or jimmy hendrix a nigger, while saying you really mean ¨outsider¨ just sounds like covert racism to me. i feel like the song is just an excuse to call people niggers. i feel practically the same about john lennon singing, ¨woman is the nigger of the world¨. and notice how she calls everybody a nigger but herself. its like she wants an ¨outsider/nigger¨ position without being a so called outsider/nigger.
@alrac ...nonetheless she is still calling people a nigger. and to call jackson pollock who is of irish descent and/or jimmy hendrix a nigger, while saying you really mean ¨outsider¨ just sounds like covert racism to me. i feel like the song is just an excuse to call people niggers. i feel practically the same about john lennon singing, ¨woman is the nigger of the world¨. and notice how she calls everybody a nigger but herself. its like she wants an ¨outsider/nigger¨ position without being a so called outsider/nigger.