Joshua Norton
1811 - 1888
Joshua Norton was an entrepreneur who sold equipment to California's gold prospectors and made money that way. After losing his entire fortune through a bad investment, he started putting up posters in San Francisco declaring himself Emperor of the United States. Surprisingly, the people of San Francisco loved his humour and fancy uniforms, and his "imperial edicts" were enthusiastically received: for example, he demanded women's suffrage, the building of a bridge over the Bay, and a fine for anyone who mouthed the word FRISCO.
lyrics
JOSHUA NORTON
He lived in San Fransisco - next to the golden gate
You could see him strolling down the city promenade
Dressed in a fantasy uniform with medals , things and plates
He was ready to decrease his very own parade
Here comes the emperor, make way for the emperor
Long time ago he was a wealthy guy and worked as businessman
Rumour is he lost it all, he didn’t have a lucky hand
You could see he was all fake but people thought he’s great
For them he was the emperor of the United States
Buoyant vocals and a varied palette of synths work in perfect tandem to create gorgeous art-pop that's able to address big realities. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 2, 2019
Slick and brooding, synth-heavy electro-pop from a Quebecois trio, by way of Paris-based tastemaker label Entreprise. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 30, 2016
Over 3 years, Paris-based Entreprise has become a go-to label for superb psychedelic- and electronic-tinged pop releases. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 18, 2016