I have been pretty preoccupied lately and you know what that means, right? I have to relate the DJ post to something that I am already doing. Among other things (my Dad is in ICU in Los Angeles, but we don’t need to deal with that), I am taking a “Modernist Literature” class for an elective. I didn’t review the syllabus well enough and lo! what do we have here; a shitload of poetry. Really boring poetry in arcane language that no one uses any more. Imagine my relief when I got to the 4 or 5 line mini poems like this:
“The Pool”
Are you alive?
I touch you.
You quiver like a sea-fish.
I cover you with my net.
What are you—banded one?
Yeesh. If I thought for one second something wasn’t alive. Poetry has a way of putting you in the scene somehow like literally poking at a dead fish in the sand. Who would write a poem about that? I thought I hated poetry until …
After a few pieces with the class summaries and analysis, I remembered that music lyrics are a form of poetry with varying degrees of quality and rhymywhyminess. Most of the turn of the 20th century poetry rhymes. Set some of it to music and I bet it works. Well, turns out it has been done.
I LOVE music with interesting lyrics that I can relate to. I have one of those “pattern seeking” personalities and find patterns everywhere so a lot of the music I like connects things in my mind somehow. I am not sure why I don’t like poetry; I should. When set to music I “get” it. On the page it reads like it came from a punch card.
Prose is totally different for me. The class did a unit on Faulkner’s “As I Lay Dying”. Totally get the story and how it relates to real life. (Hint: don’t make seriously bad decisions when many people are telling you they are bad decisions and your wife’s dead body is in a pine box on your rickety wagon.)
You guys may or may not be into poetry, but now is the tine to tell us about why you like the songs that you like:
- Poetry/prose set to music – Easy. If it was originally a poem or essay and someone set it to music it fits here. This applies to interpretations and mashups. I am surprised at how the music changes the poems.
- Music that can be poetry – This is totally subjective. If you think that Van Halen’s “Ice Cream Man” is poetry, who am I to say otherwise? If you can, provide a few lines to show us.
- Fun with metaphors – Poetry is full of them. So is music. You know what they are; have fun with them! Is the Ice Cream Man really something else?
Here is the playlist:
Here are your dedications for this week:
London – Santino
Chancre Sore – Thrill
William Wilson -Rich
My Mystery – Zurvan
Dig Lazarus Dig…!!! – WVR
The Raven – Grendel
** Update- my dad has been moved to a regular room.
WVR, I couldn’t easily put the lyrics in with the formatting.
I have always wondered about this passage. The song is ostensibly about Lazarus living forever, but the narrator interjects this passage about his mother and some sort of dustup with chairs. An assailant? Is his mother one of the “baby blasted mothers” here?
Anyway, it is a silly song on the surface but something else seems to be going on.
A good place to start is with some Tragically Hip.
Poets – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_RSJ6xuHbE
Flamenco – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KUKGI5_Qqc
Some Oasis
Don’t Look Back in Anger – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmpRLQZkTb8
Where Did it All Go Wrong? – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Nk_Oek5XEg
Good thoughts and prayers for your dad. I can relate, last year I moved my mom (88) to a nursing home close to where I live so I can visit often. Strong in mind but frail in body, a week does not pass when we are not either at ER or at her doctors.
A bit of Ambrosia always works for me;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FvyVkfM8aA
Quickest turnaround I ever had on a prayer, right there.
Aerials by System of a Down – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpEV0FQFUSY
Life is a waterfall
We drink from the river
Then we turn around and put up our walls
Swimming through the void
We hear the word
We lose ourselves but we find it all’
Cause we are the ones that wanna play
Always wanna go
But you never wanna stay
We are the ones that wanna choose
Always wanna play
But you never wanna lose
Enjoy the Silence by Depeche Mode – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyipPXE3Ijw
Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable
All I ever wanted
All I ever needed
Is here in my arms
Words are very unnecessary
They can only do harm
For Santino:
Jimmy by Tool – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PENR7ElKBg0
This part gets me everytime. (2:10)
Under a dead Ohio sky
Eleven has been and will be waiting
Defending his light and wondering
Where the hell have I been?
Sleeping lost and numb.
So glad that I have found you.
I am wide awake and heading
Home.
Glad to hear your dad is doing better!! I’ve learned about the power of the will to live. Both of my parents have been in ICU over the last couple of years and amazingly are living at home right now. Sending positive e-thoughts your way.
What about this one? Every line in it sounds like it came from the Tao Te Ching.
River of Deceit by Mad Season – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyn_HfkjM-k
My pain is self-chosen
At least, so The Prophet says
I could either burn
Or cut off my pride and buy some time
A head full of lies is the weight, tied to my waist
Arsonist’s Lullaby by Hozier – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eJbxI-jZbA
When I was a man I thought it ended
When I knew love’s perfect ache
But my peace has always depended
On all the ashes in my wake
All you have is your fire
And the place you need to reach
Don’t you ever, tame your demons
But always keep ’em on a leash
Say It Ain’t So by Weezer – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wdpSFQTulo
Dear Daddy
I write you
In spite of years of silence
You’ve cleaned up
Found Jesus
Things are good or so I hear
This bottle of Steven’s
Awakens ancient feelings
Like father
Step-father
The son is drowning in the flood
Say it ain’t so
Your drug is a heart breaker
Say it ain’t so
My love is a life taker
Thanks, guys! It means a lot to me that you are thinking about him. He is having angioplasty today so I can hope to be able to talk to him tomorrow. He was pretty weak the other day. He may get to go home on Tuesday.
These are great selections. Thrill, those verses by Tool are great. From having to read it, poetry is not all flowery language, especially during WWI.
Rich – Alan Parsons did a lot of Poe. Here it one of them:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrrIm4ozbUc – Cask of Amontillado
21 Pilots – Stressed Out – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXRviuL6vMY
From the poetry is in the eye of the beholder department.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IivGqwQvdCI
Forgot about the most epic of them all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnaUvPoiTfQ
If, read by Michael Caine
The epic poem of Beowulf, is to no surprise one of my favorites….
part 1 of a abridged reading.,..
part 2.
Recessional
BY RUDYARD KIPLING
1897
God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle-line,
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies;
The Captains and the Kings depart:
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
Far-called, our navies melt away;
On dune and headland sinks the fire:
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe,
Such boastings as the Gentiles use,
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget—lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard,
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding, calls not Thee to guard,
For frantic boast and foolish word—
Thy mercy on Thy People, Lord!
As for a song that i feel is a poem, i present Fire on the Mountain
Another one Winterborn by The Crüxshadows
Dry your eyes
And quietly bear this pain with pride
For heaven shall remember the silent and the brave
And promise me they will never see
The fear within our eyes
We will give strength to those who still remain
So bury fear, for fate draws near
And hide the signs of pain
With noble acts
The bravest souls endure the heart’s remains
Discard regret, That in this debt
A better world is made
And children of a newer day might remember and avoid our fate
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be your light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am Winterborn
Without denying, a faith is come
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
Hold your head up high
For there is no greater love
Think of the faces of the people you defend
And promise me they will never see
The tears within our eyes
Although we are men with mortal sins
Angels never cry
So bury fear, for fate draws near
And hide the signs of pain
With noble acts, the bravest souls
Endure the heart’s remains
Discard regret
That in this debt
A better world is made
That children of a newer day might remember and avoid our fate
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be your light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am Winterborn
Without denying, a faith is come
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
Within this moment I am for you
Though better men have failed
I will give my life for love
For I am Winterborn
And in the fury of this darkest hour
We will be your light
You’ve asked me for my sacrifice
And I am Winterborn
Without denying, a faith is come
That I have never known
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
I hear the angels call my name
And I am Winterborn
And in my dying
I’m more alive than I have ever been
I will make this sacrifice
For I am Winterborn
Some of the quirkier bands from the 80s did this kind of stuff:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az1ouIgegWs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NVO3cxTbxg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJhfgybmfZQ
Lord Byron:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W_wYLgCsc4
No secret that I love this one.
Bullet the Blue Sky by U2 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj3_m6VxW-U
I can see the fighter planes
Across the mudhuts as the children sleep
Through the alleys of a quiet city street
Up the staircase to the first floor
Turn the key and slowly unlock the door
A man breathes into a saxophone
Through the walls we hear the city groan