"O Superman" by Laurie Anderson - January 8th 80's Quest Song/Band of the day

To be perfectly honest, whenever I hear this song, I think of a time back in high school. I was with 3 other friends and let's just say we were "impaired" and on our way home from a munchie-run to The Puritan for ice cream. This song came on in my friend's car, and all 4 of us just started chanting, "Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah". The sound was bouncing all around the little Chevette until you could just feel it on your body and all around you, and we all just cracked ourselves up laughing. It was really fun!

The first year I moved to New York I went to a gallery show about The East Village in the 80's at NYU - and bumped into Laurie Anderson there. Needless to say, that was exciting for me because I had this memory of good times to her music, and I also really enjoyed the album (Big Science) this song came off of (especially the song "From the Air" too). She was a complete asshole, and just ignored me like a nuisance, even though I was being low-key and polite. So, though I like the songs, and the creativity of all this, I am sour on Laurie Anderson as a person now.

Lyrics:

O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
O Superman. O judge. O Mom and Dad. Mom and Dad.
Hi. I'm not home right now. But if you want to leave a
message, just start talking at the sound of the tone.
Hello? This is your Mother. Are you there? Are you
coming home?
Hello? Is anybody home? Well, you don't know me,
but I know you.
And I've got a message to give to you.
Here come the planes.
So you better get ready. Ready to go. You can come
as you are, but pay as you go. Pay as you go.

And I said: OK. Who is this really? And the voice said:
This is the hand, the hand that takes. This is the
hand, the hand that takes.
This is the hand, the hand that takes.
Here come the planes.
They're American planes. Made in America.
Smoking or non-smoking?
And the voice said: Neither snow nor rain nor gloom
of night shall stay these couriers from the swift
completion of their appointed rounds.

'Cause when love is gone, there's always justice.
And when justive is gone, there's always force.
And when force is gone, there's always Mom. Hi Mom!

So hold me, Mom, in your long arms. So hold me,
Mom, in your long arms.
In your automatic arms. Your electronic arms.
In your arms.
So hold me, Mom, in your long arms.
Your petrochemical arms. Your military arms.
In your electronic arms.