Patti Smith

I had this mission and I thought I would do this record and then go back to my writing and my drawing and

And, you know, returned to my, you know, my somewhat abnormal normal life.

But horses took me on a whole different path.

Is there a track from horses that particularly illustrates what you were describing as what your mission was?

Birdland.

Okay.

I think Birdland because for various reasons.

Birdland was...

an improvisation, build on an improvisation.

It so much exemplifies the communication of my band, especially between Richard, Lenny, and I. And it speaks of this new breed, you know, the new generations who will be dreaming in animation.

you know, the new generations that will race across the fields, no longer presidents but prophets.

That was my, it was like my telegram to the new breed.

Oh, let's hear it.

This is Birdland from Patti Smith's first album, Horses.

helium raving and this movie is mine so he cried out as he stretched the sky pushing it all out like Lake Dick's cartoon am I all alone this generation will just be dreaming of animation night and day it won't let up won't let up and I see them coming in oh I couldn't hear them before but I hear now it's a

Robert Mapplethorpe did the very iconic photograph for the cover of Horses.

What impact do you think that photo had on how people perceived you?

Well, I don't know.

I know people really liked it.

I know the record company didn't.