Song Meaning
Laurie Anderson's "Bésalo (Mixed)" isn't a song in the traditional sense; it's a spoken-word piece, a fragment of a dream, dipped in the surreal and served with a side of political commentary. The opening image, a dream of being Jimmy Carter's lover (along with a crowd of other unseen women), immediately establishes a sense of detachment and absurdity. The absent president, the unseen object of desire, becomes a symbol of power that is both all-encompassing and strangely elusive. It's less about Carter himself and more about the idea of power, its promises, and its ultimate inaccessibility. The listener is left with a sense of longing for a connection that is perpetually out of reach.
The core of the piece lies in Carter's decision to open presidential elections to the dead. This bizarre proposition, presented with Anderson's signature deadpan delivery, acts as a biting satire of democracy itself. The idea that "the more choice you had, the more democratic it would be" sounds superficially appealing, but quickly unravels under scrutiny. Anderson seems to be questioning the very nature of choice and whether sheer volume equates to genuine freedom or simply overwhelms and obfuscates. The inclusion of the dead introduces an element of the past, suggesting that we are perpetually haunted by history and its unresolved issues.
Ultimately, "Bésalo (Mixed)" is a miniature exploration of power, desire, and the illusion of choice within a democratic framework. It's a reminder that even in dreams, the pursuit of connection and agency can be a frustrating, and often absurd, endeavor. The song meaning resides not in literal interpretation, but in the unsettling feeling it evokes – a sense of being lost in a system that promises everything but delivers only a vague sense of unease.
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