Waiting for Camus-ic
A tragi-comedy in two playlists by Loud Atlas, esq.
(A Song Bar Theatre of The Absurd Production, 2025)
Scene 1: A country road. A Wurlitzer jukebox. Tuesday evening.
SONG BAR LANDLORD: Nothing to be played.
LOUD ATLAS: I'm beginning to come around to that opinion.
[They gaze longingly in the direction of the Wurlitzer as lights rise up on THE PATRONS gathered nearby grasping records on the theme of absurdity and absurdism. Some turn them over in their hands, others attempt to balance them on their nose, their head, their toes.]
LOUD ATLAS: Let us do something while we have the chance! ...Playlists, on a common theme - absurdity! Give me a carrot - er, a song.
ALTRAEGO: [slides on the record, softly, turnip in hand] Montana. "His name is Mighty Little!"
LOUD ATLAS: We'll go to the Pyrenees.
TARQUINSPODD: [he hands over dust with the record, in a terrifying voice] Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu! Human Breakdown of Absurdity. "Fate will point in the fortune fountain."
LOUD ATLAS: It'd pass the time.
UNCLEBEN: [cavorts record in-hand, vehemently] The Stranger. "I felt something sticky on my palms, I was afraid it was stigmata."
LOUD ATLAS: We always find something to give us the impression we exist.
SUZI: [hurtles the record over discus-like, whispering] Shoplifters. "There's plenty of room in the blue."
LOUD ATLAS: What do we do now?
SEVERIN: [shuffles mop-like with record in hand, imploringly] Tombstone Blues. "He could die happily ever after." Lawnmower! "La-la-la."
LOUD ATLAS: Naturally.
MUSSOLINIHEADKICK: [Looking round, with record extended] Playing Golf (With My Flesh Crawling). "I want to be dead and with you watch the television every Monday."
LOUD ATLAS: I'll go and get a carrot.
MARCONIUS7: [aphoristically, with record on a platter] Jabberwocky. "O frabjous day!"
LOUD ATLAS: A relaxation.
NILPFERD: [stupefied, flipping the record over] Barbaras Rhabarberbar. "Nannte man sie bald die Rhabarberbarbarbaren"
LOUD ATLAS: There are radishes and turnips.
SUZI: [rising, with record clutched between elbows] Phenomenal Cat! "And ate himself through eternity."
LOUD ATLAS: Tell me to dance.
PEJEPEINE: [punching imaginary holes in the record] Le Poinçonneur des Lilas. "Des petits trous, des petits trous, toujours des petits trous."
LOUD ATLAS: Eleven.
VANWOLF2: [scuttles over, record clenched between teeth] Neuron Music! "Some terrible news for Otis Redding."
LOUD ATLAS: Yes yes, let your friend go.
AJOSTU: [shuffles with record between fingers, quickly] Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!! "Nama mugi, nama gome, nama tamago!"
LOUD ATLAS: Everything oozes.
VIKINGSCHILD: [pointing to the record] The Sound of Music. "My heart wants to sigh like a chime."
LOUD ATLAS: What is it?
SEVERIN: [triumphantly and precipitately] Busy Doing Nothing! "Isn't it just a crime."
[They stand expectantly]
THE PATRONS: We are happy. What do you we do now that we are happy?
[Silence.]
THE PATRONS: Such is life.
SONGBAR LANDLORD: Well? Shall we press play?
LOUD ATLAS: Yes, let's press play.
[They do not move. Darkness. Curtain]
Acting Absurdist A-List Playlist:
Frank Zappa - Montana (AltraEgo)
Dicky Doo and the Don'ts - Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu (TarquinSpodd)
Norm Burns & Singers - Human Breakdown of Absurdity (TarquinSpodd)
The Burning Hell - The Stranger (Uncleben)
Ivor Cutler - Shoplifters (Suzi)
Bob Dylan - Tombstone Blues (severin)
Sparks - Lawnmower (severin)
Family Fodder - Playing Golf (With My Flesh Crawling) (MussoliniHeadkick)
Erutan - Jabberwocky (Marconius7)
Bodo Wartke ft. Marti Fischer- Barbaras Rhabarberbar (Nilpferd)
The Kinks - Phenomenal Cat (Suzi)
Serge Gainsbourg - Le Poinçonneur de Lilas (pejepeine)
The Deep Freeze Mice - Neuron Music (vanwolf2)
Mono No Aware - Kamukamo-Shikamo-Nidomokamo!! (ajostu)
Laibach - The Sound of Music (Vikingchild)
Bing Crosby, William Bendix and Cedric Hendricke - Busy Doing Nothing (severin)
Bizarre Behaviour B-List Playlist:
Momus - Ping Pong with Hong Kong King Kong (Vikingchild)
Mr. Scruff - Fish (Shoegazer)
Barnes & Barnes - Fish Heads (Bobby Legwarmer)
Roger Miller - You Can't Rollerskate In A Buffalo Herd (TarquinSpodd)
The Beatles - Hey Bulldog (ShivSidecar)
Chad Morgan - The Crow Flying Backwards (Nicko)
John Hiatt - I Killed An Ant With My Guitar (Fred Erickson)
Yello - Planet Dada (Shoegazer)
Fleur De Lys - Gong With The Luminous Nose (ShivSidecar)
They Might Be Giants - Particle Man (Suzi)
Juan Luis Guerra 4.40 - El Niágara En Bicicleta (Maki)
Manfred Mann's Earth Band - Blinded By The Light (Marconius7)
Scooter - I'm Raving (tincanman2010)
Blind Blake - Diddie Wa Diddie (Nicko)
Comedian Harmonists - Der Onkel Bumba Aus Kalumba Tanzt Nur Rumba (TatankaYotanka)
Guru's Wildcard Picks:
The Cure - Killing An Arab
Inspired by Albert Camus' The Stranger and that scene.
Andrew Bird - Sisyphus
The original rock (n) roller.
Klaatu - A Routine Day
An exploration of the mundanity of our existence. Cheery!
Motion City Soundtrack - L.G. FUAD
We might as well enjoy ourselves while we've got time.
The end? Endgame
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic:
Stop making sense: songs about absurdity and absurdism. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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