News: Stream "Why Don't You Love Me?" At DavidByrne.com

“Why Don’t You Love Me?”, the duet by Cyndi Lauper and Tori that closes out Here Lies Love, is this week’s featured track from the forthcoming collaboration by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim. In addition to a complete stream of the song, you’ll also find an except from the hardcover book that accompanies the deluxe edition of the release about the song as well as its complete lyrics.

Thanks to Lico and waitressboy for the tip!

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“WHY DON’T YOU LOVE ME?”
(& excerpt from deluxe hardcover book)

Things move relatively quickly now, as Aquino’s assassination triggers the collapse of the whole house of cards. The Philippine public begins to have grave doubts about the Marcos regime, including Imelda and the generals that surround them. Rallies and demonstrations demanding change are frequent and popular.

In an interview on U.S. television it is suggested to Marcos that if he really wants to prove that the Philippines is a democracy and that he’s as popular as he claims, he should put it to a vote and confirm it. Marcos, amazingly, takes the bait and agrees to hold an election, thinking he can rig it as easily as he has done in the past.

But public opinion is changing, and there is less going along to get along. Aquino’s widow, Corazon, becomes the focal point of an opposition movement and agrees to run for president against Marcos. There are yellow shirts and ribbons everywhere. The movement, essentially peaceful, is nicknamed People Power.

The election is a violent and corrupt mess and although Marcos and his boys do their best, Corazon wins by popular consensus. Marcos, however, also claims to be the winner. Suddenly there are two presidents. There are massive, mostly peaceful demonstrations, and at one point some of the generals who have stood by the Marcos regime defect—maybe they can see what’s coming. Significantly, the Catholic cardinal (the Philippines is nominally a Catholic country) defects as well. His name is Cardinal Sin. Imelda visits him in the middle of the night to plead her case, and he makes a joke about her visiting the “house of sin.”

Imelda, in a last-ditch emotional pitch to the public, sings her theme song, “Dahil sa Iyo” (Because of You), to a crowd of supporters. But the writing is on the wall, and a U.S. senator tells them to “cut and cut cleanly” (i.e., don’t unleash the troops) and that a U.S. Marine Corps helicopter will ferry them to the U.S. base on Guam and then on to Hawaii.

The mobs rush into the palace, and it is then, after the Marcoses have fled and after our story is over, that the famous shoes are discovered.

This song is sung in an imaginary duet between Imelda and Estrella, who have no contact with one another at this point. One woman feels betrayed by her countrymen, and the other feels betrayed by her old friend and former charge. Here lies love.

Sung by Imelda & Estrella
Vocals by Cyndi Lauper & Tori Amos

Imelda: Why don’t you love me?

Estrella: Why don’t you love me?

Imelda & Estrella: Why don’t you love me?

Imelda: I gave you my life
I gave you my time
What more could I do?
I’m broken inside

Estrella: I rose each morning
Worked way past midnight
Exhausted, expired
Now you kick me out?

Imelda & Estrella: Why don’t you love me?
What’s a woman to do?
Why don’t you love me? (do I)
Mean so little to you?

Estrella: It’s been—so long—our lives—
Imelda: What’s wrong—what’s right?
Imelda & Estrella: I did ev’rything…
Estrella: Ev’rything was for you

Imelda & Estrella: Why don’t you love me?

Estrella: My legs won’t hold me
My chest feels so strange
Why don’t you love me
Was it something that I said?

Imelda: How can you say this?
And when did you change?
You used to love me
Was it just pretend?

Imelda & Estrella: Why don’t you love me?

Imelda: Just look at Nixon
They tore him apart
How could you be so hard?
I gave you my heart

Estrella: Does it add up to nothing
The years that we’ve been through

Imelda: And how can you say this to me
Imelda & Estrella: When I did ev’rything—
Imelda: Ev’rything was for you

Imelda & Estrella: Why don’t you love me?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?