Quarantine Day 61

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“Goodbye Horses” is a 1988 song sung by Q Lazzarus. It was written and produced by William Garvey. Four versions of the song exist, which last 3:12, 4:20, 5:40 (video version) and 6:28 (the extended version).

According to its writer, “the song is about transcendence over those who see the world as only earthly and finite. The horses represent the five senses discussed in the Bhagavad Gita and the ability to lift one’s perception above these physical limitations and to see beyond this limited Earthly perspective.”[1] The song was featured in the 1991 film The Silence of the Lambs,[2] and was released as a single in the UK via All Nations Records.

Q Lazzarus (born December 12, 1965) (date of birth is not confirmed anywhere by a reliable source) Is a former singer known for her 1988 song “Goodbye Horses”, written by William Garvey, which was featured in the films Married to the Mob and The Silence of the Lambs, both of which were directed by Jonathan Demme.

Q Lazzarus has a deep, husky, androgynous contralto voice. She was born in New Jersey, married young, fled a marriage of domestic abuse, which later would inspire her to write her song “Tears of Fear”. After she fled her marriage, Q moved to New York City and became a nanny for an English man named Swan, who did not encourage her musical gifts, trying to steer her towards a “practical occupation”. Q decided to drive a taxi instead and continued making music independently with her band The Resurrection. She was discovered as a singer when she worked as a taxi driver in New York City.[1] She picked up famous director Jonathan Demme, who heard her demo playing in the taxi. Demme took her to Hollywood, where, despite his encouragement, record companies refused to sign her, because they believed she couldn’t be marketed. Q replied, “I market myself, I’m an African-American woman who wears locks and sings American rock and roll.”

Q Lazzarus’ band was called Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection. The members included Mark Barrett, Garvey, Glorianna Galicia, Janicia, and backup singers Denise, Liz and Yvette W., Howie Feldman, and Ron Resigno. Q Lazzarus and the Resurrection appeared at SoHo gallery parties and often performed at Boy Bar on Saint Mark’s Place and the Pyramid Club. The band disbanded sometime before 1996, and Q Lazzarus dropped from the public eye.

After decades of speculation about her status (including rumors of her death due to substantial unclaimed royalties), some news outlets were reporting that fans were able to track her down, claiming as of 2018 that she is a bus driver on Staten Island.[2

Another interesting read from Dazed Magazine about her whereabouts.