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40 Years After 'Horses', What Patti Smith Says About One of Her Most Controversial Lyrics Ever

It's been four decades since the release of Patti Smith's landmark debut, which has been hailed byas one of the top 100 albums of all time. Since then, she has unleashed ten other studio projects.
Tavis Smiley
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PBS talk show host, PRI radio host, NYT bestselling author

PBS talk show host, PRI radio host, NYT bestselling author
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It's been four decades since the release of Patti Smith's landmark debut Horses, which has been hailed by Rolling Stone as one of the top 100 albums of all time. Since then, she has unleashed ten other studio projects, been inducted into the prestigious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and earned the unofficial designation of "the godmother of punk." In addition to her iconic career in music, Smith is the bestselling author of two memoirs - the National Book Award-winning Just Kids, and her latest text, M Train, which chronicles her relationship with her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith.

In the clip below, Smith reflects with forty years of distance on one of her most controversial lyrics, the opening line in the song "Gloria" which declares, "Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine."

For more of our conversation, be sure to tune in to Tavis Smiley on PBS. Check our website for your local TV listings: www.pbs.org/tavis.

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