The Flowers of Punk: how Baudelaire gave Patti Smith the punk spirit
“Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine”. These lyrics, taken from the opening track of Patti Smith’s seminal 1975 album Horses, encapsulated the punk spirit of the New York scene she helped to create. Her effect on the origins and popularisation of punk music is undeniable, though often underappreciated. Over the years, countless artists, from The Slits to The Smiths, have cited Patti Smith as a major influence. Her own inspiration, however, often came from the world of literature rather than her punk contemporaries.
Smith has always been open about her love of literature. Over the years, she has referenced a wide range of writers and poets as being influential to her musical career. In her autobiography, Just Kids, she explained her early appreciation for the written word, “I was completely smitten by the book, I longed to read them all, and the things I read of produced new yearnings.”
Such was her appreciation for literature that when she set her sights on New York in 1967, Smith’s copy of Illuminations by French poet Arthur Rimbaud acted as a sort of Bible. The collection of poems would guide Smith through her early days in ‘The Big Apple’, as she embarked on a life of music and artistic expression that would inspire so many.
Unsurprisingly, Rimbaud inspired Smith and various other musicians over the years. The young French poet had abandoned literature at the age of 20 to live a hedonistic, drug-fuelled lifestyle characterised by world travel and a romantic relationship with Paul Verlaine. In many ways, Rimbaud embodied the pinnacle of the rock and roll lifestyle that many future artists became known for.
Patti Smith deeply appreciated poetry, particularly the works of Rimbaud and Sylvia Plath. During the 1970s, the proto-punk pioneer developed a deep love of Charles Baudelaire. Often hailed as the first modernist, the French poet was instrumental in establishing a style of prose-based poetry that focused on urban life. A precursor to the work of writers like Rimbaud and Verlaine, his book Les Fleurs du mal focused on the changing face of Paris under the Haussmann renovation in the mid-19th century.
As a notable figure in the concrete jungle of 1970s New York, it should come as no surprise that Smith connected with Baudelaire’s work. The modernist poet inspired Smith’s stage attire of a black suit and tie, describing the look as her “Baudelaire dress suit”. He seemed to influence the punk spirit, which Patti Smith embodied, so much so that in 1977, she penned a short poem in tribute to him. Entitled où est Baudelaire, the short work appeared in a piece Smith wrote for Creem in 1977. Within the piece, the songwriter praises Baudelaire for his ability to “see for miles” while noting that “Critic does not mean criticise. It means to open the eyes. To be the translator of the demon of creation”.
Much like the French poet she adored, Smith opened many people’s eyes through her music. A stalwart of the New York scene, she soon transcended her proto-punk roots, reaching a global audience and spawning the next generation of literary-inspired punk rockers.
