48 Here Lies Love
the extent that these dreams can support Western fantasy-production of
the feminized ex-colony. We might even say that dreaming for Imelda is
encouraged, which explains the persistence of Western interest in Imelda.
As for Estrella, devoid of capital and power, Western imaginary
imposes on the codes of dreaming, which is manifested in “Here Lies
Love.” Estrella’s dreams are dependent on Imelda’s dreams. Dreaming for,
in this sense, means that Estrella’s character cannot even dream if not for
Imelda, and only as imagined by Byrne. Estrella’s dreams are interpreted
only in relation to Imelda’s limited scope of dreaming.
The act of dreaming for Estrella is heard in “Solano Avenue.”
Although it seems like a song about Estrella’s anger and her desire for
revenge against the ungrateful Imelda, it is actually a song of a desperate
appeal. In the final notes, Estrella still yearns for Imelda’s acknowledgment
of Estrella’s existence, as though Imelda’s recognition is proof of life.
Estrella can only dream about Imelda, nothing more. Which is why we
have no idea what happens to Estrella when the album ends.
The final song, “Why Don’t You Love Me?�� reinforces how the
album limits Estrella’s dreams in contrast to Imelda’s. The two characters
sing the same line from different positions, with different addressees. It is
clear that Estrella is addressing Imelda: I rose each morning/Worked way
past midnight/Exhausted, expired/Now you kick me out?” Meanwhile,
Imelda’s lament is addressed to a larger audience—the World. “I gave you
my life/I gave you my time/What more could I do?/I’m broken inside…”
followed with “Just look at Nixon/They tore him apart/How could you
be so hard?/I gave you my heart.” The voices merge in the end, as though
conflating the experience of Imelda and Estrella, which only serves to gloss
over how the album privileges Imelda’s dreams over Estrella’s.
The Stuff that Dreams are Made Of
While “Here Lies Love” favors Imelda’s voice at the expense of
Estrella’s, it is worth considering if this ambitious album has anything
else to offer. As music sociologist Jacques Attali averred regarding noise
and power, “With music is born power and its opposite: subversion”
(1977/2009, 6). A question we can ask is this: can this album be saved?
There are two songs in “Here Lies Love” that stand out in terms of music
and words that may be worth saving. These are the songs that go beyond
the scope of Imelda’s personal dreams.
The first is “Order 1081,” which tries to comprehend Imelda’s
rationalization of Martial Law. The strength of the song lies in the calmness
of the music in contrast to the urgency of words. It begins softly and slowly,