Phrases in some 6 popular songs — That makes too much sense to brush aside, just as a Lyrical element…
An easy jolly thought collection — written on the go, while listening to ecstatic multi-genre & varieties of music from across the world — Arabic, Indian folk, Carnatic & Hindustani, Spanish, Western classical, American Country, Jazz….
Forests Echo in Laughter —Stairway to Heaven, Led Zeppelin
Most of us may know that there are 100+interpretations to this song, aren’t we? What a song!! The slow pacing of the music for about 3/4th of the length of the song and the last pick-up, racing and the ending with the same, lethargy, hesitant note. Fine, no digression. I like this particular phrase because of the inherent positivism that prevails. It occurs to me (however incorrect my interpretation could be)that the echo of laughter in forests, is of the whole of the forests & the tress & animals & all life forms — for the men are ready to stand along by the side of life, and are ready to voice their concerns, possibilities, challenges (of sustaining & supporting life)in unison. Wow! wonderful — need of the hour. Need of the decade. In the journey towards 2030, we need this — that of human understanding, individual human consciousness on the continuous raise, and collectivism enhances. And that, if we want to reverse the damages that we’d caused in the last 150 years — however, minuscule the improvements would be.
No more pain and no more shame and misery — Love & hate
My recent favorite. One fine day, a few years ago,I was listening to my spiritual Guru and he was explaining the concept of Truth — and that Truth should be considered as the only authority and not authority to be considered as truth. He went on, to say, that “If we are in touch with truth, there shall be no suffering in us” — Well, to this moment, I may not be in a position to articulate the exact meaning, but, but, but — I realized it in my own way within a few months since the first time, I listened to this discourse. Oh! the connection — yes, I am coming there :) I see this phrase in the Love & Hate songs, means exactly the same. My interpretation is a person going beyond love & hate, sees the truth and is free from suffering. You love my interpretation or hate it, I don’t suffer anyway. :)
Out of the Tree of life I just picked me a plum — The Best is yet to come
Oh! what a line?!! It is strikingly straight-forward, on the face, lyric. Tell tale of life’s possibilities. Tree of life, ready to give us fruits as we ask, when we ask and solely working for our nourishment and growth. I could readily equate this with a story in Indian mythology about how an old woman sage, who unconsciously develops a bit of arrogance in her mind (owing to her wisdom and life experience) and is straightened by Lord Subhramanyam/ Lord Karthikeya (Referred to as the Hindu God of war — though there is much more to this much revered deity). On a regular sage day, somewhere in the southern Indian sub-continent, time or year unregistered, but long long ago (should most probably be BCE), the wise lady sage after walking a few miles decides to rest beneath a fig tree (common fig — Ficus carica) A shepherd, an young boy appears before her while she is dozing off. He disturbs her a bit and the two start to have small talk. She explains to the boy her background, her accomplishments and her renouncement — slowly, but surely her pride takes off. The young shepherd patiently listens to and asks her if she wants his help in getting a fig or two from the tree, as she is tired. She says yes. Just before, getting her fruits, he asks her if she wants a hot or cold fruit — to which she laughs and ridicules the boy’s idea of hot and cold fruits from the tree. The boy gently taps one of the branches with his shepherding stick and the fruits begin to fall to the ground. The wise old women sage, picks up one of the fruits fallen and blows air from her mouth in an effort to clean the fruit of any sand or dust particles.The boy looking at this action of the wise old lady sage — questions, calmly but as a demeanor “Grandma, is the fruit hot?” The wise old lady sage, realizes the divinity and surrenders & her pride is fallen. End of story.
So the phrase in this Frank Sinatra’s song, again conveys to me (or should I say whisper) the abundance of possibilities and potential of life. You pick a plum, blow it, bite it — not to your liking, be ready to throw it and pick one more. Where there is picking, possible — there lies the possibility of dropping as well, isn’t it? — but, we should try be tender, gentle and conscious in picking and dropping!! Life is the sum of all of our choices — the picking and dropping, isn’t it?
She never drinks the water and makes you order French champagne — Livin La Vida Loca
Can’t take my smile off - when this song plays, anywhere, anytime. Such energy and worldly meaning. My ex and current — are both alike in this manner. They always want the best for them and the others around — never settles for less, not even in the worst of the worst situations. At times this provokes, irritates and annoys me to my core. However, I always find them to be fascinating ladies. In hind sight if I scan the many situations that I was irritated by their insatiable quest & demand for the best (of people, things, places & situations), their expectations that they’d set of themselves and the rest, their incessant efforts to raise the bar in(of) any given situation — it baffles, intrigues and enthralls me, makes me fall in love all over again. Such is their decisiveness. And I, as a man, have had the fortunate opportunity in observing this (raising the bar, never settles for less)in many women around me — some my close friends and family, some at workplace, in Government offices, in Showrooms.. the list goes on. I tend to believe, Women, mostly for most part of their — knows what they are doing(backed by my being as a witness in personal first-hand situations (good and bad and worst)and in observations & personal experiences)
And that makes this line in one of my all time personal favorite.
I have questions and they know everything — Eagle, ABBA
Respect depicted all the way, in the song — Take it either for “The Eagles — band” or as shown in the official video of the song, the bird — Mountain Eagles. Most part of our adult life, we presume things and events. We hesitate to ask the questions. We hesitate to accept “I don’t know”. Wherever there is a “I don’t know” — there is a possibility, a potential. We may tend to say and act “I know” or may implicitly get offended when we are called out for “you didn’t/don’t know” or even “you should’ve known/known better”. Again, to me, this phrase reveals a great and a live invigorating secret — That, I have questions… That I don’t know, and the existence, the life knows and is always. And that Life is a complete answer in it’s own right, unless we are too ego-sensitive to ignore it. And that, is wholly my interpretation. No offense, please. :)
This could be heaven or this could be hell — Hotel California
How true!! Reminds me of the beautiful, Elegant, short skirted Elizabeth Hurley, giving a piece of her devil’s mind to a confused Brendan in the last scene of the movie — Bedazzled. Yep! I will come back to Hotel California. When I listen to this song and this line & phrase in particular it reminds me of John Milton’s Paradise lost —
The mind is its own place, and in it self
Can make a Heav’n of Hell, a Hell of Heav’n
We choose, what and how we want to be. We expand our horizons, we expand our realms of understanding things & events & situations, we tell ourselves to see reality as it is — without any twists & turns, we take care of our health — of our body & mind, we see truth as the whole & sole authority — Then, would we choose Hell or Heaven? Would we choose our mind to be dusty, dirty, blurred, boggled, tweaked & twisted by belief systems? Or would we choose it to be made of clarity, grounded in reality, in sound sense & reason? Having listened to this song since my teenage, this line is deep-rooted in me and reveals an open universal secret to me, time and again & most definitely on days that I tend to choose dullness and confusion over Lucidity & clarity. A note to the readers — please don’t confuse this with inspiration, as this isn’t inspiration but beyond a short-lived inspiration, and a firm holding on the truth & power of our choices.
If I risk it all
Could you break my fall? — Writing’s on the wall, Spectre
I saved the best — for last. The character of James Bond, to me is a symbolism of abandonment. To live life with a sense of abandon, is one of my cherished but yet to attain, way of leading and living life. This phrase from the movie Spectre, sums it all, but with a twist, an emotional one, that is. A significant deviation from the usual James Bond character sketches. The lyric portrays the vulnerability of the character. Isn’t it wonderful? That a character like James bond terminating & tormenting every other villain’s devilish plans with intellect, reason and patriotism & an unconquerable zeal to save the world, and whatnot, wants to live — a stable life. He is asking someone, most probably the sweet lady Dr. Swann to be his support. How wonderful? being open about one’s vulnerability is the show of trust in one’s own and the person that it is shared with. It shows not just trust, but in most cases Love. When I listen to this, I hear the whispers of angels (or goblins.. doesn’t matter) telling me to quit my pride, quit my personality and be open & transparent about my vulnerabilities, my issues & challenges and most of all, the whisper tells me about living life with abandon.
Views expressed are not only mine. Many of them are influences on me by good, bad, beautiful & ugly people and situations, that I’ve experienced.
Ignore my fallacies or advise.
Love
Aravindh V Bala
