Imelda Marcos Tells the BBC of the Wish Behind "Here Lies Love"
![David Byrne: "Here Lies Love" [standard cover]](http://www.nonesuch.com/files/imagecache/section-artists-image/media/images/byrne-here-lies-love-w-sticker.jpg "David Byrne: \"Here Lies Love\" [standard cover]")
Today was election day in the Philippines, with Benigno Aquino, the son of former President Corazon Aquino, currently in the lead. Imelda Marcos, the country's former First Lady and a former candidate for President herself, is on the ballot this time around for a congressional seat. She spoke with BBC News about her hopes for the country and offers her own perspective on her late husband's autocratic rule under martial law. In an interesting twist, the BBC has set the interview to clips from David Byrne and Fatboy Slim's recently released song cycle on her life, Here Lies Love.
In the interview, Marcos—who recently told the New York Times, after hearing Here Lies Love, "I'm flattered; I can't believe it!"—recounts for the BBC the story that inspired the project's title. They are the words, she explains, she hopes to have inscribed on her tombstone. Or, as the title song's lyrics explain, "When I am called by God above / Don't have my name inscribed into the stone / Just say: 'Here lies love.'"
Marcos also speaks freely about her infamous shoe collection, a topic Byrne chose not to address in Here Lies Love. Byrne's album does, however, feature Aquino's father, also named Benigno, whom Imelda once dated and who was imprisoned for his opposition to the regime and later assassinated.
You can watch the interview with Imelda Marcos at bbc.co.uk.
For his part, Byrne spoke with BBC News show Breakfast about Here Lies Love in late March. You'll find that interview on bbc.co.uk as well.
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What is she doing walking around? Why isn't she in prison for helping her late husband the awful dictator Ferdinand Marcos squirrel away billions of dollars the Filipinos can't afford to lose? Why is she running for a congressional seat? Has the Philippines gone mad? She is a great example of why capitalism is an evil and heartless system.
i would love love LOVE to break into that mausoleum where she keeps her husband's corpse and open the glass case, take a huge shit all over Ferdinand's face, and put the glass back like nothing happened
I LOVE CLOTHES, AND WELL REPRESENTING MYSELF AS AN ARTIST. REGARDLESS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THEY WERE NEVER CHARGED AFTER MANY YEARS OF TESTIFYING AS WHAT THEY HAD IS THEIRS. MAYBE THERE ARE FEW THAT THEY HAVE USED FOR THEIR OWN SELVES. MARCOS WAS RICH WAY BEFORE THEY WERE MARRIED. SHE LOVES ARTS AND YOU COULD NEVER TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ANYBODY LOVING THE BEAUTY OF ANY SORT OF ARTS-MUSIC,THEATER. THEY DID GREAT MORE SO THAN ANYBODY AFTER MARCOS. PHILIPPINES WAS ON TOP. SHOES AND ALL THE PROPOGANDAS PEOPLE ACCUSED THEM HAS NOTHING MORE TO SAY BUT BLAME. THE MARCOS DID HAVE A GREAT VISION OF THE NATION. DISCIPLINE AND PUT THE NATION OUT THERE . UNFORTUNATELY WHEN OTHER THREW THEM AWAY- TO THIS DAY- THEY CAN'T RUN THE NATION THE WAY MARCOS DID. IT WAS NICE REGARDLESS IF THERE /LET SAY CORRUPTION. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG TO LOVE FASHION AND REPRESENT HERSELF AS SOMEBODY. WE ALL BRING THE BEST OF OURSELVES IN ANY JOB AND DUTIES ONE HAVE. SOMETIMES WE TEND TO FORGET THEIR ARE SO MANY GOOD THINGS THEY HAVE DONE TOO. THAT IS WHY A LOT OF FILIPINO'S REGRET LOSING THEM. BUT THEN AGAIN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T SEEM TO SEE THE EVIL OF PERSON WITHOUT LOOKING AT THEIR OWN REFLECTION IN A MIRROR. WHY FOCUS ON BEING POOR WHEN ONE CAN LOOK BEAUTIFUL IN AND OUT. SHE EMBODIES THE FUN FEARLESS WOMEN OF THE WORLD. WITH ALL THE THINGS THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH. ONLY THE FAMILY HAS A GREAT VISION TO MAKE THE PHILIPPINES A GREAT ONE ONCE AGAIN. THEIR KIDS ARE GREAT KIDS AND IN THE POLITICS SERVING THE NATIONS STILL. THE SHOES? SHE REPRESENTED THE MARKETING OF THE MARIKINA SHOES INDUSTRY IN THE PHILIPPINES. AS AN ARTIST I DO THAT. OSCAR AWARD THEY WEAR WHAT THEY WANT TO SELL. IMELDA DID GREAT! THE CD ALBUM IS GREAT BUT WISHING DAVID BYRNE WOULD LOOK AT THE OTHER GREAT DEEDS AND AMAZING QUOTES IMELDA HAVE GIVEN OUT. THERE IS A GREAT SIDE IN ALL OF US. "I AM GREEDY, FOR ME GREEDY IS GIVING" IMELDA MARCOS RESPONDED TO A QUESTION. "I HAVE DONE SO MANY GREAT THINGS FOR THE NATION" PEACE.
i love arts and fashion so is Imelda. SHE WAS A BEAUTY/graceful AND REPRESENTED THE NATION WELL. THE MARCOS has never been charged because what they own is theirs. MARCOS was rich way before he married her. SHOES and all the PROPAGANDA'S well its all what people tend to say just to keep blaming. THEY HAVE TO THIS DAY SERVES THE NATION even their KIDS, They testified to their ability and if they are guilty they say they would not be around and in politics. WE ALL HAVE DIRTS ON OUR FACE but lets focus on what IMELDA HAVE CONTRIBUTED to the nation. As onced aked her "are you greedy?' " I AM GREEDY, GREEDY FOR ME IS GIVING" Imelda Marcos, in response to the article on a magazine. SHE HAD GIVEN SO MUCH to the needs and arts cutlture and well representing the nation. WE people do reresent ourselves in any good ways by means of having a great wardrobe in any affairs we have or jobs. SO never single them out as if they ARE ALL THIS AND THAT. THE MARCOS was great and put the PHILLIPINES on TOP, NEVER one do manage to run a nation after MARCOS regardless if one says they took the money. THEY HAVE MONEY. gifts are gifts. and that is their own properties. SHOES? a lot of women loves shoes. she loves fashion and the truth is she wears the MARIKINA SHOES to sell the marketing strategy of the industry in the PHILLIPPINES. little things like that do have an impact in selling oneselves to the world. LETS NOT BE TOO CRITICAL. THEY DID AND STILL HAS GREAT INTENTIONS TO PUT PHILLPINES IN THE MAP AGAIN. DAVID BYRNE the MUSICAL WORK IS SUPERB but HOW I WISH that somehow you concentrate also the the good side of IMELDA. NOT A GIRL WITHOUT A SHOES. BUT A GIRL WHO HAD DREAM OF BEING A WOMAN WHO LOVES FASHION. and SHE DID HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. I WOULD. SHE HAS GREAT QUOTES and it would be great to see also whats REAL MEANING OF beauty FOR HER because when i watch her on youtube= she means everything she says with wit and truth coming from her heart. BECAUSE SHE MEANS WELL whenever she response to any comment. SHE IS FUN FEARLESS WOMEN that somehow we need to acknowledge of greatness and should somehow to be inspired inspite of all the accusations against her. SHE STOOD UP and to this day SHE CAN DEFEND HERSELF because she could. PEACE.
Mrs Marcos still walking around because she's innocent.
The Marcoses are no longer in power for so many years, and still the Philippines is in such a mess. So open your eyes widely, then think harder before you accuse the late President Marcos as a corrupt President. Don't let these current politicians to brain wash you. Educate yourself properly so you will be able to think on your own feet You don't want the Philippines to end up like Somalia. God Bless ...
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