Although Def Leppard’s lyrics are uniformly silly and lightweight -- and that’s putting it as gently as I can -- I still derive a great deal of joy from listening to their music. They consistently pack more career-making hooks into a single song than most contemporary bands can manage across three or four albums, and from that angle I consider them to be spectacularly talented musicians.
The circumstances surrounding Rick Allen’s loss of his left arm also win my admiration. Admittedly, the accident itself was pretty stupid, but let’s face it, he was 21 years old at the time. I don’t think many of us can claim they were much more responsible at that age, and certainly not if we had achieved similarly meteoric success by then. The band’s solidarity in standing by their injured comrade, as well as the singleminded determination of Allen himself in overcoming his limitation, serve as shining examples of human qualities that I consider particularly inspirational.
There is not a great deal I can say about this song that I couldn’t say about any of their other singles -- it grabs one’s attention immediately, then moves from strength to strength as it lights up the sensorium with its enthusiasm, excitement, energy, its high-spirited and uncomplicated sincerity. It is all but impossible for me not to feel cheerful and motivated when listening to this song, and for that I applaud Def Leppard unreservedly -- they have made my world a better place.
I suppose I do identify with one aspect of the sentiment expressed in these lyrics: until very recently, I had nothing but digital contact with my best friend. Metaphorically speaking, all I had was a photograph. Now that I have actually spent two radiant weeks with her, I have a new photograph to enjoy -- and it is rich with connotations of a wholly different kind.
Check it out on YouTube
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Sunday, 6 January 2013
Radioactive (Imagine Dragons)
If you enjoy this song, please be respectful of its creators by buying it.
More often than not, the songs I feature in this section are in effect gifts chosen for me by the universe. This is not the time to exhaustively discuss my religious views, but I will acknowledge gifts like these are central to substantiating my belief that more complex facets of reality exist than just the Newtonian world.
The sheer specificity of this song ‘randomly’ intercepting my path on YouTube, on the very morning of what I think of as a new phase of my life that can accurately be symbolised by the tattoo over my heart, far exceeds what I am prepared to dismiss as coincidental. Before consulting the lyrics, I thought the relevant line was ‘enough to make my systems glow’, which reflects my own self-perception of being alive with ionising electricity at moments like this, when my soul feels enmeshed so harmoniously with the infinite.
Another issue that resonates me is the theme of awakening. For a time, I was so unhappy in life that I suffered from what you might call a lite version of Cotard delusion. Because I was already aware of the way reality interacts with the individual, even though my understanding of this interaction was far more crude than it is now, this delusion manifested itself in the suspicion that my consciousness was caught in some kind of ongoing simulation.
I did not entertain the idea of cryopreservation very seriously, in the spirit of Abre los ojos, but the film did prompt me to wonder if I could not ‘wake up’ from whatever malevolent curse was keeping me trapped in an ongoing nightmare. (See, even then, I had an instinctual sense of the extent to which a person can make an overwhelming change through a persistent application of their will and determination.)
I have experienced three significant ‘awakenings’ since then -- the third of these cemented what could be described as an enduring sense of happiness, understanding, peace and stability. This comprehensively satisfies the need that drove my repeated pleas to anyone ‘out there’ who might be listening: I want to wake up.
This song represents a meaningful communication of faith from the universe that it is indeed time to once again leave behind a collection of shortcomings, to shed a skin as it were, and move forward into a new age. I feel it in my bones.
“When I float, weightless, back to the surface, I imagine I am becoming somebody else.”
I’m waking up.
Check it out on YouTube
More often than not, the songs I feature in this section are in effect gifts chosen for me by the universe. This is not the time to exhaustively discuss my religious views, but I will acknowledge gifts like these are central to substantiating my belief that more complex facets of reality exist than just the Newtonian world.
Another issue that resonates me is the theme of awakening. For a time, I was so unhappy in life that I suffered from what you might call a lite version of Cotard delusion. Because I was already aware of the way reality interacts with the individual, even though my understanding of this interaction was far more crude than it is now, this delusion manifested itself in the suspicion that my consciousness was caught in some kind of ongoing simulation.
I did not entertain the idea of cryopreservation very seriously, in the spirit of Abre los ojos, but the film did prompt me to wonder if I could not ‘wake up’ from whatever malevolent curse was keeping me trapped in an ongoing nightmare. (See, even then, I had an instinctual sense of the extent to which a person can make an overwhelming change through a persistent application of their will and determination.)
I have experienced three significant ‘awakenings’ since then -- the third of these cemented what could be described as an enduring sense of happiness, understanding, peace and stability. This comprehensively satisfies the need that drove my repeated pleas to anyone ‘out there’ who might be listening: I want to wake up.
This song represents a meaningful communication of faith from the universe that it is indeed time to once again leave behind a collection of shortcomings, to shed a skin as it were, and move forward into a new age. I feel it in my bones.
“When I float, weightless, back to the surface, I imagine I am becoming somebody else.”
I’m waking up.
Check it out on YouTube
Thursday, 20 December 2012
You Can Fly (MAMS)
In no small part because of the associated vid, this song really captivated me. It evokes with such precision and accuracy, what it feels like to be in the grip of freeform aerobaric wildness. I've never tried the flyboard experience, but I've certainly pulled Gs in a stunt plane, and believe me, this sounds like how that feels.
What inflamed me further was trying to locate a first-rate copy of the song so I could buy it. Despite exhaustive efforts, I had no success, however I have emailed the people behind the flyboard film and perhaps they will be able to help me.
There is little else I can say about this song. There is nothing particularly amazing about it lyrically or musically, but it is so gripping nonetheless that I have been looping it continuously. At the time of writing, I’ve listened to it more than 50 times today. Its message, also, is one I warm to: it urges one to take responsibility for one's own fulfilment, to go ahead decisively and aim for the greatest high achievable. And that, I think, is a sentiment worth sharing.
For me, this song is a visceral moment of pure artistic expression; perhaps it will inspire you with a sense of flight also.
Check it out on SoundCloud
What inflamed me further was trying to locate a first-rate copy of the song so I could buy it. Despite exhaustive efforts, I had no success, however I have emailed the people behind the flyboard film and perhaps they will be able to help me.
There is little else I can say about this song. There is nothing particularly amazing about it lyrically or musically, but it is so gripping nonetheless that I have been looping it continuously. At the time of writing, I’ve listened to it more than 50 times today. Its message, also, is one I warm to: it urges one to take responsibility for one's own fulfilment, to go ahead decisively and aim for the greatest high achievable. And that, I think, is a sentiment worth sharing.
For me, this song is a visceral moment of pure artistic expression; perhaps it will inspire you with a sense of flight also.
Check it out on SoundCloud
Monday, 29 October 2012
Dreams of Ordinary Men (Dragon)
If you enjoy this song, please be respectful of its creators by buying it.
When I was nine years old, this song was receiving enough airplay for me to notice it. At the time I had something of a fascination with archery in general and Robin Hood in particular (somewhat prophetic, you might say), so it is perhaps to be expected that I thought the song was about ‘dreams of all the merry men’.
I gave this song hardly any subsequent thought for the next 26 years. Then, this morning... bam. Less than a minute before driving into the parking structure near my work, I was transfixed by an intense compulsion to listen to ‘Ordinary Men’, and dug it up immediately upon firing up my terminal.
I have alluded before to the idea that I often feel as if information from the infinite is being transmitted specifically for my attention through the medium of music. This song represents a quintessential example: the lyrics could not be a more precise reiteration of my own beliefs regarding reality manipulation, and all but lays out a logical framework for the next series of ideas I was planning to discuss.
In my understanding, the song explores the notion that consciousness can affect reality, in the sense of “the dreams of ordinary men” having a role in actually creating “the world that we’ll be living in”. At the crux of the lyric is the issue of changing one’s world in the same way as one changes one’s mind, and that exact topic is very close to my own heart.
I love the emphasis on interactivity suggested by “we all must fit the pattern” immediately qualified by “the pattern must fit you”, as well as the brilliant montage of meanings between the spider “drawing webs”, and the fly “drawing nearer”.
In addition to the literary skill with which it was written, such sentiments make ‘Ordinary Men’ remarkably forward-thinking and insightful for a lyric written almost 30 years ago. And on that note, I should get down to business -- because to slightly paraphrase Todd Hunter’s words, I am impatient to show you how it is within our abilities to change our lives -- if we can only change our dreams.
Check it out on YouTube
When I was nine years old, this song was receiving enough airplay for me to notice it. At the time I had something of a fascination with archery in general and Robin Hood in particular (somewhat prophetic, you might say), so it is perhaps to be expected that I thought the song was about ‘dreams of all the merry men’.
I gave this song hardly any subsequent thought for the next 26 years. Then, this morning... bam. Less than a minute before driving into the parking structure near my work, I was transfixed by an intense compulsion to listen to ‘Ordinary Men’, and dug it up immediately upon firing up my terminal.
I have alluded before to the idea that I often feel as if information from the infinite is being transmitted specifically for my attention through the medium of music. This song represents a quintessential example: the lyrics could not be a more precise reiteration of my own beliefs regarding reality manipulation, and all but lays out a logical framework for the next series of ideas I was planning to discuss.
In my understanding, the song explores the notion that consciousness can affect reality, in the sense of “the dreams of ordinary men” having a role in actually creating “the world that we’ll be living in”. At the crux of the lyric is the issue of changing one’s world in the same way as one changes one’s mind, and that exact topic is very close to my own heart.
I love the emphasis on interactivity suggested by “we all must fit the pattern” immediately qualified by “the pattern must fit you”, as well as the brilliant montage of meanings between the spider “drawing webs”, and the fly “drawing nearer”.
In addition to the literary skill with which it was written, such sentiments make ‘Ordinary Men’ remarkably forward-thinking and insightful for a lyric written almost 30 years ago. And on that note, I should get down to business -- because to slightly paraphrase Todd Hunter’s words, I am impatient to show you how it is within our abilities to change our lives -- if we can only change our dreams.
Check it out on YouTube
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Silent Lucidity (Queensrÿche)
If you enjoy this song, please be respectful of its creators by buying it.
Considering the combination of unrelenting stresses in my life, and the fact I’ve had an anger mismanagement problem since time immemorial, I often cleave to music that I perceive as having a calming effect. ‘Silent Lucidity’ is a song that for me, takes the tone of a comforting lesson from someone of great learning and experience. Although it continually skirts the perimeter of being patronising, it never quite crosses the threshold.
I do wish it was possible to remove the four-sentence crash course in ‘dream control’ without damaging anything else in the song. This ghastly interlude notwithstanding, the overall subject matter is admirably ambitious for a 1990 release. This is not the place to set forth my own views about active dreaming, but suffice it to say, I warm to the fact Queensrÿche wrote a very successful song about an esoteric discipline that is close to my heart.
Aside from the sentiments expressed therein, the lyrics themselves are composed with considerable skill. I always think highly of poetry in songwriting, even if it’s not an issue that can ruin a composition for me if other qualities are strong enough to carry the piece as a whole. Favourite moments include “Living twice at once, you learn”, “A round-trip journey in your head”, and “A doorway that I run through in the night”; extra points are also earned for painstaking attention to the complex rhyme patterns and meter.
The expansive orchestration is also very forward-thinking for its time, and serves to greatly enrich 'Silent Lucidity'. Although listening to a song -- no matter how exquisite -- is no substitute for the Land of Dreams itself, this represents a lovely window into it. Even if that window is open for just shy of six minutes at a time.
Check it out on YouTube
Considering the combination of unrelenting stresses in my life, and the fact I’ve had an anger mismanagement problem since time immemorial, I often cleave to music that I perceive as having a calming effect. ‘Silent Lucidity’ is a song that for me, takes the tone of a comforting lesson from someone of great learning and experience. Although it continually skirts the perimeter of being patronising, it never quite crosses the threshold.
I do wish it was possible to remove the four-sentence crash course in ‘dream control’ without damaging anything else in the song. This ghastly interlude notwithstanding, the overall subject matter is admirably ambitious for a 1990 release. This is not the place to set forth my own views about active dreaming, but suffice it to say, I warm to the fact Queensrÿche wrote a very successful song about an esoteric discipline that is close to my heart.
Aside from the sentiments expressed therein, the lyrics themselves are composed with considerable skill. I always think highly of poetry in songwriting, even if it’s not an issue that can ruin a composition for me if other qualities are strong enough to carry the piece as a whole. Favourite moments include “Living twice at once, you learn”, “A round-trip journey in your head”, and “A doorway that I run through in the night”; extra points are also earned for painstaking attention to the complex rhyme patterns and meter.
The expansive orchestration is also very forward-thinking for its time, and serves to greatly enrich 'Silent Lucidity'. Although listening to a song -- no matter how exquisite -- is no substitute for the Land of Dreams itself, this represents a lovely window into it. Even if that window is open for just shy of six minutes at a time.
Check it out on YouTube
Monday, 10 September 2012
Seven Wonders (Fleetwood Mac)
The music of Fleetwood Mac has always been close to my heart for several reasons. One of them is the uniquely feminine yet feisty perspective pwned by Stevie Nicks (as well as Christine McVie and Sandy Stewart), which makes a refreshing break from stereotypes both in its time and today.
For me, the core of ‘Seven Wonders’ is the simplicity and sincerity of the speaker’s reflection on the person who moved her so. It was just the touch of her beloved’s hand -- “all the way down to [the misheard] Emmaline” -- that filled her heart with such beauty that not even the Seven Wonders of the world could exceed it. I don’t think Sandy Stewart, who wrote most of the lyrics so passionately delivered by Stevie, was conscious of the paradoxical implications of living to see wonders that had, in six out of seven cases, returned to dust long ago.
Or perhaps I am being obtuse, and that was the exact point being made; honestly, I have not researched the rumours (~_^) about this composition conscientiously enough to make a truly informed decision. Suffice it to say, I love the fact that the speaker makes a point about her loved one’s “intensity”, and relishes such a simple pleasure: the touch of that person’s hand. There is not even so much as a kiss involved! It is something more subtle and meaningful, in context.
I also warm to the serenity of “if our paths never cross”. Although she does “hope and pray” that “it might work out someday”, the speaker has already gained so much from the encounter that she is at peace with the idea that she may never “live to match the beauty again”. What a heroic perspective to take, instead of lamenting the possibility that she may never again meet this person who has made such an impression on her!
I have, myself, experienced similar epiphanies based on the most meagre contact with people who have had such electricity that they have changed my very essence. So I suppose it is inevitable that this song carries the signature of a kindred soul -- a signature executed in the most gorgeously fluid musical calligraphy.
Check it out on YouTube
For me, the core of ‘Seven Wonders’ is the simplicity and sincerity of the speaker’s reflection on the person who moved her so. It was just the touch of her beloved’s hand -- “all the way down to [the misheard] Emmaline” -- that filled her heart with such beauty that not even the Seven Wonders of the world could exceed it. I don’t think Sandy Stewart, who wrote most of the lyrics so passionately delivered by Stevie, was conscious of the paradoxical implications of living to see wonders that had, in six out of seven cases, returned to dust long ago.
Or perhaps I am being obtuse, and that was the exact point being made; honestly, I have not researched the rumours (~_^) about this composition conscientiously enough to make a truly informed decision. Suffice it to say, I love the fact that the speaker makes a point about her loved one’s “intensity”, and relishes such a simple pleasure: the touch of that person’s hand. There is not even so much as a kiss involved! It is something more subtle and meaningful, in context.
I also warm to the serenity of “if our paths never cross”. Although she does “hope and pray” that “it might work out someday”, the speaker has already gained so much from the encounter that she is at peace with the idea that she may never “live to match the beauty again”. What a heroic perspective to take, instead of lamenting the possibility that she may never again meet this person who has made such an impression on her!
I have, myself, experienced similar epiphanies based on the most meagre contact with people who have had such electricity that they have changed my very essence. So I suppose it is inevitable that this song carries the signature of a kindred soul -- a signature executed in the most gorgeously fluid musical calligraphy.
Check it out on YouTube
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Crazy (Icehouse)
If you enjoy this song, please be respectful of its creators by buying it.
Icehouse is an Australian band who enjoyed their greatest commercial successes through the 80s. I have admired their effortlessly sophisticated compositions, and thoughtful and imaginative yet understated lyrics, since my early childhood. The juxtaposition of the speaker’s “pocket full of holes” against his love interest’s “ribbon of rainbows” is picturesque and evocative, even if the imagery becomes diluted by the second verse. This particular song also showcases Iva Davies’ considerable vocal prowess.
It is a very special feeling, to remember I was privileged to enjoy ‘Crazy’ -- and other songs of its era -- at the very time they were first released. Icehouse has cemented its iconic status in Australian rock history, and for good reason: when I revisit compositions like this one from the perspective of having much greater experience in music, I am afforded a new appreciation of what talent and skill went into their creation.
I do not believe music was ‘better in my day’. Just as there is no shortage of atrocious classical compositions, there are many contemporary artists whose work features the same genuine talent and adroit musicianship as this song. Only time will tell if they too leave a legacy that future generations may find breathtaking.
Check it out on YouTube
Icehouse is an Australian band who enjoyed their greatest commercial successes through the 80s. I have admired their effortlessly sophisticated compositions, and thoughtful and imaginative yet understated lyrics, since my early childhood. The juxtaposition of the speaker’s “pocket full of holes” against his love interest’s “ribbon of rainbows” is picturesque and evocative, even if the imagery becomes diluted by the second verse. This particular song also showcases Iva Davies’ considerable vocal prowess.
It is a very special feeling, to remember I was privileged to enjoy ‘Crazy’ -- and other songs of its era -- at the very time they were first released. Icehouse has cemented its iconic status in Australian rock history, and for good reason: when I revisit compositions like this one from the perspective of having much greater experience in music, I am afforded a new appreciation of what talent and skill went into their creation.
I do not believe music was ‘better in my day’. Just as there is no shortage of atrocious classical compositions, there are many contemporary artists whose work features the same genuine talent and adroit musicianship as this song. Only time will tell if they too leave a legacy that future generations may find breathtaking.
Check it out on YouTube
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