Music & Song
Today is May 4 (may it be with you)- the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University shooting. For those not familiar, after days of student protests and rioting, the Ohio National Guard fired at protestors, killing four and wounding nine. 11 days later, police at Jackson State College (now university) in Mississippi shot and killed two students. These events are incredibly important in modern history in that they caused a lot of people distrust the government.
When he heard the news, rocker Neil Young sat down and wrote a song about it in something like 10-15 minutes. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded "Ohio" shortly thereafter and it was on the radio in record time.
I confess, I am left dumbfounded by the gift of songwriting. Man, writing words is hard enough, but music and then making it fit? Not one of the gifts I possess. I am in awe and eternally grateful to those who have that gift and share it with the world.
Words in books or songs or poems can strike your feelings if they're done really, really right. So, I thought I'd share some words from songs that I love and inspire me.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He captures what has to be the feeling of hopelessness and fear that was in the hearts of those sailors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3x2vcergP0
"His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes" from John Hiatt's', "Icy Blue Heart." I know that girl! The sense of loathing that those words portray- yikes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh_u44hip4
"Dressed as black a crow in a coal mine" from Randy Newman's, "Dixie Flyer." It describes a Southern mother dressed for a funeral. In a world of bad similes, you can see her in your head in an instant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Sor5XbyZk
"Losing him was blue like I'd never known
Missing him was dark gray, all alone
Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met" from Taylor Swift's, "Red." Lest anyone think I'm stuck in the past! But the imagery is so good. Pretty heavy stuff for a 25 year old to write. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlot0i3Zykw
"I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead" from The Band's, "The Weight." From start to finish, describing life's burdens in impossibly fine form. The whole song is just about perfection and deserves every accolade it's received. This video is from the Playing for Change series and demonstrates the worldwide impact of their work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ
Special shout out to Vivaldi and "The Four Seasons." I never realized the power of music without words to make one feel emotions, but he did. An incredible piece of work. How the Hell do you make someone feel it's spring through music?!
There are countless other song lyrics out there (I'll probably revisit this topic again) and every person on Earth has a favorite. Every song and lyric can (and should) affect people differently, just like a book. When I hear those (and others not listed) I sense and feel things and it inspires me to try and do that with my work. I do the same with books and writers because I understand it better...I think.
To all those who write and perform songs- thank you, keep up the good work!
When he heard the news, rocker Neil Young sat down and wrote a song about it in something like 10-15 minutes. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded "Ohio" shortly thereafter and it was on the radio in record time.
I confess, I am left dumbfounded by the gift of songwriting. Man, writing words is hard enough, but music and then making it fit? Not one of the gifts I possess. I am in awe and eternally grateful to those who have that gift and share it with the world.
Words in books or songs or poems can strike your feelings if they're done really, really right. So, I thought I'd share some words from songs that I love and inspire me.
"Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?" from Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." He captures what has to be the feeling of hopelessness and fear that was in the hearts of those sailors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3x2vcergP0
"His beer was warmer than the look in her eyes" from John Hiatt's', "Icy Blue Heart." I know that girl! The sense of loathing that those words portray- yikes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amh_u44hip4
"Those eyes are pretty hard to take
When they're staring back at you" from Bonnie Raitt's, "Nick of Time. Man, wanna know what it feels like to look at your aging/dying parent? Here you go. I've seen her twice and she's phenomenal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulM0nm0b2HM
"Dressed as black a crow in a coal mine" from Randy Newman's, "Dixie Flyer." It describes a Southern mother dressed for a funeral. In a world of bad similes, you can see her in your head in an instant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80Sor5XbyZk
"Losing him was blue like I'd never known
Missing him was dark gray, all alone
Forgetting him was like trying to know somebody you never met" from Taylor Swift's, "Red." Lest anyone think I'm stuck in the past! But the imagery is so good. Pretty heavy stuff for a 25 year old to write. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlot0i3Zykw
"I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half past dead" from The Band's, "The Weight." From start to finish, describing life's burdens in impossibly fine form. The whole song is just about perfection and deserves every accolade it's received. This video is from the Playing for Change series and demonstrates the worldwide impact of their work. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ph1GU1qQ1zQ
Special shout out to Vivaldi and "The Four Seasons." I never realized the power of music without words to make one feel emotions, but he did. An incredible piece of work. How the Hell do you make someone feel it's spring through music?!
There are countless other song lyrics out there (I'll probably revisit this topic again) and every person on Earth has a favorite. Every song and lyric can (and should) affect people differently, just like a book. When I hear those (and others not listed) I sense and feel things and it inspires me to try and do that with my work. I do the same with books and writers because I understand it better...I think.
To all those who write and perform songs- thank you, keep up the good work!
Comments
Post a Comment