Talk:O Superman

"Prophetic"

I've removed the reference to the lyrics appearing "prophetic". She mentions planes in a song in 1981, and then at some point within the next 20 years or so, something happens that involves planes. That's a pretty weak case for being "prophetic". --Bonalaw 09:45, 24 Jun 2005 (UTC)

I agree with Bonalaw that the reference to the lyrics appearing "prophetic" is weak and inappropriate because other airplane incidents happened before the song was written and could be a reference to that, and at that time, Boeing, an American corporation, was practically making 50% of Earth's commercial airplanes so it would be likely that an airplane was built in America. Geraldshields11 (talk) 18:19, 4 December 2012 (UTC)

"Some Critics Question"?

I'm curious why the statement about Iran-Contra needs to be stated as opinion rather than fact. Iran contra was not something that happened in 1981 so the statement is false. The quote from Anderson has a cite, so I'm surpised "Citation needed" has been added. Please let me know how the prior statement could be construed as POV. --Myke Cuthbert 22:07, 29 June 2006 (UTC)

Since no one responded to this question, I have removed the "wiggle-statement." --Myke Cuthbert 02:50, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

I didn't even notice this paragraph had been added until just now. I'm going to do you one better; if I can't find confirmation that Laurie actually made this statement (the Australian magazine could have misquoted her, or paraphrased her) I might remove the entire paragraph, unless someone can cite perhaps an audio interview or another magazine in which she made the erroneous claim. 23skidoo 13:47, 4 September 2006 (UTC)

"song from 1981"

Laurie was performing this song long before 1981, point and case, the "Word of Mouth" recording put out on Crown Point Press and some other private recordings going around from before then. Loscha

If we can nail down a date, let's change it accordingly. We know Laurie was doing songs from "America on the Move" (aka United States) as early as 1978 (ref. The Nova Convention). 23skidoo 02:21, 5 September 2006 (UTC)

Why do the lyrics need to be pinned down to a specific event? The song is so obviously about the US as "Superman" in the Nietzschian sense. If you must have an event however, what about the Vietnam war, which finished just three years earlier, in 1975? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.143.63.86 (talk) 07:40, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

Introduction to the British public

Whilst is may be true that this was done by John Peel on his late night Radio 1 show, I specifically remember hearing it on Noel Edmonds' Sunday morning radio show, at the time the most listened-to radio show in the UK, when the track was played at full length. There was no introduction but after it finished, the DJ announced the name of the artist and track slowly and deliberately, three times. I suspect it was this event that propelled the track into the charts. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Aldermanhogg (talk • contribs) 04:17, 16 September 2007 (UTC)

Absolutely. Noel played it, I bought it. The claim here is not referenced (reference 3 doesn't mention John Peel), and John Peel championed many songs which weren't mainstream hits. This song needed more than just JP ~2026-31818-70 (talk) 18:44, 28 May 2026 (UTC)

I absolutely agree, the song was a hit because of Noel Edmonds; indeed I went out and bought the single after hearing it on the programme. John Peel played a vast amount of obscure music on his programme, the vast percentage of which never became hits. I have no idea whether he played 'O Superman' first, but his playing of it was not in any direct way responsible for it being a hit 203.114.139.60 09:16, 1 October 2007 (UTC)

Wot! The article is stuffed with new information for me, but that is bizarre. Noel Edmonds? Thanks to all contributors.Shtove (talk) 21:52, 12 December 2012 (UTC)

Is this the longest song ever squeezed onto a 7" record?

8:21 is at least 90 seconds longer than any other 7", 45rpm record in my collection. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 80.4.202.8 (talk) 01:27, 12 July 2009 (UTC)

The 7" single played at 33-1/3rpm. Here's a photo of it: [] Richard K. Carson (talk) 19:32, 22 July 2017 (UTC)

Does this song reference Nietzsche?

I thought the love, justice and force line was a reference to a Nietzsche quote on the topics. But I might be wrong as I couldn't find the original quote. Z o l t a r (talk) 21:59, 8 March 2011 (UTC)

"Postal creed"

I took out the "or heat," because she doesn't say that in the song. See for yourself at the 4:10 mark. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzYu88jIDYs 74.190.141.39 (talk) 03:37, 18 April 2011 (UTC)

Thank you, authors.

This is a totally excellent article which does justice to the great piece of art, this song is IMO. Especially since it is put in context with Massenets opera and a wonderful audio fragment of Caruso to boot.

This song has fascinated me always, I just wanted to find the exact lyrics and bumped into this article. Couldn't dream of knowing so much context and exact info about it. Thanks again, sorry if it's not proper etiquette to write this here. Jepz11 (talk) 17:53, 28 July 2015 (UTC)

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82.3.43.43 (talk) 02:07, 7 October 2017 (UTC)v00n200 Remember she also mentions "smoking, or non-smoking". One of the twin towers was hit first, and was "smoking" before the other one.

Maybe it's conjecture, and I'm flying off at atangent, but I hear what I already want to hear, I guess.

I'd like to run this flag up the flagpole and see who salutes, anhow. . . .

release year: 1980

hi, I corrected the release year, this was wrong here all these years. The original US single came out April 1980, there was a release party on the 28th, reference ^6 is actually the proof of that.

Also, the information in the Infobox / Recorded (date) can't be right. Maybe that's valid for the rest of the album, but this song must have been recorded earlier than that.

 Arselectronica (talk) 22:19, 24 February 2026 (UTC)

I'm seeing ref number 6 is The Guardian Mothers' Day list of songs which says 1981 release.

If that's not the reference you have in mind, please link to the one that supports your position. Binksternet (talk) 23:45, 24 February 2026 (UTC)

sorry, now it's 14. (I am not sure why i saw 6 yesterday)

Also the link under "Listening" contains a recording from said party

• Laurie Anderson Record Release Party for "O Superman" 7" 1980-04-28 at The Kitchen (NYC)

Arselectronica (talk) 10:44, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

When the page is in Read mode, the reference has the number 14. When the page is in Edit mode, the reference has the number 6.

This has to be a common source of misunderstandings, no? Arselectronica (talk) 13:01, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

UPDATE: I have additional new information and references. To put them on the timeline:

April 1980 or even earlier [logical deduction]: recording of O Superman (in Laurie's hallway, which would only later be named The Lobby, for music industry purposes)

April 28, 1980: Record Release Party for "O Superman" 7" 1980-04-28 at The Kitchen (NYC)

Laurie Anderson Record Release Party". Other Minds Archives.

May 11, 1980: Laurie plays O Superman live for the first attested time, at the Volume Magazine Benefit, Irving Plaza, NYC

May 11, 1980: The poster/flyer for the Benefit says that you "receive the new 45 by Laurie Anderson" for your donation.

There was no other "new 45" in 1980, but O Superman. (although technically a 33, but that's beside the point).

(There was a 7'' flexi-disc, called Private Property, but that was a limited edition of 100 and strictly tied to being distributed to galleries only, as part of a box titled 'Artifacts At The End Of A Decade')

(Also, although there is no year on the Volume Magazine poster, you can find confirmation of the Irving Plaza performance in the book Laurie Anderson - United States (Harper & Row, 1984) )

I believe with these references, my edit should be reinstated. If anyone wants to challenge the veracity of the sources, sure, but do so while my edit is the current, yes? Arselectronica (talk) 13:49, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

Regarding the Infobox / Recorded (date) bit: in reference 16, B George, the US single's publisher, says: "she recorded it in her hallway because it was the quietest place she could find". Logically, this had to happen before 1980-04-28 Arselectronica (talk) 11:12, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Was there an initial release of 1,000 copies which Anderson and friends sold mail order, then a later, commercial release? Is that where the confusion is coming from? DuncanHill (talk) 11:17, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Yes, initial release of 1,000 copies in the US, One Ten Records, April 1980, then going viral in the UK in 1981, then a release in both UK and US, Warner Brothers, October 1981. Arselectronica (talk) 12:05, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

This is just my speculation, but I think the very first pressing did not have proper printed jackets. One Ten Records also only registered © and ℗ in 1981, when the song started gaining traction. When they did print jackets, the jackets said © ℗ 1981 and that's one of the sources of confusion.

The only other explanation is that KPFA Radio and otherminds.org got THEIR date wrong, there IS a slight off chance of that. Nevertheless, what they present is a document and it's out there. Arselectronica (talk) 12:58, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Actually, I don't personally vouch for the "1,000 copies" part. Some sources say so, mostly much later puff articles. Arselectronica (talk) 15:38, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

UPDATE: I have new information and references. otherminds.org is NOT wrong. I'll put it as a reply to Binksternet above. Arselectronica (talk) 12:51, 26 February 2026 (UTC)

The 60 Minutes interview says it was recorded in 1980. DuncanHill (talk) 11:25, 25 February 2026 (UTC)

Laurie actually says in those 60 Minutes that she had a hundred copies on hand, when the 80000 UK order came in. Apocryphal, I know. Arselectronica (talk) 23:45, 25 February 2026 (UTC)