Pages

Music

To hear or to listen… that is the question I shall ask

I have for the purposes of this post, decided to put in all the songs I mentioned for those of you who would actually like to listen to them and get a real understanding.


I read an interesting quote the other day, it said:-

“When you are happy, you enjoy the music but when you are sad, you understand the lyrics”.
Quote by Frank Ocean

Instantly a wave of nostalgia swept over me. I remembered two distinct memories.

The first was a memory of my brother, almost 12 years ago. I had been sitting in my room studying. He asked me to come into his room and listen to some music. I thought my eyes just about popped out of my head and I almost had a stroke. First of all, my brother spoke to me – no small triumph was this and secondly, he wanted to impart knowledge or bond with me. Something peculiar was definitely happening.

I went to his room and he played for me – Slipknot – Surfacing. Now anyone who knows me, knows that I have a special place in my heart for Slipknot and Corey Taylor. Just so we are clear, if you do not know who that is, well then there is this amaaaaazing invention. It’s called “the internet” and “Google”, you may use it to find and obtain useful knowledge… Who knew?

At the time, I was young, impressionable and still very attached to the pop culture of that decade. The most hardcore band or artist that I had listened to was Limp Bizkit, and only because of the monster success of their album Chocolate Starfish and Hot Dog Flavoured Water. Who could resist the wily charms of Fred Durst and his red or black cap that never left his head or Wes Borland in his (what was back then) outrageous stage outfits that he used to wear / paint on himself.
 Like I said… I was young and impressionable. (Just by the way, they are still cool and rock my world whenever I listen to their jams)

In all honesty hearing “Surfacing” for the first time wasn’t really a deal breaker. It wasn’t mind blowing or life changing, what I heard, was what most other people hear when they listen to Slipknot – and that is generally a bunch of shouting and a lot of cussing. I maybe heard 30-40% of the lyrics, but I had no real understanding of them. It just sounded like a lot of anger, rage and complaining. And so went probably one of the most pivotal bonding moments with my brother.

When I was a bit more educated in respect of music, I googled the lyrics, got the song and listened to the song whilst reading the lyrics. From that day on, consider my life changed. Every time I heard a song I thought I liked but wasn’t entirely sure of the lyrics, that is what I did and it is what I do to this day.

Slipknot - Surfacing. Album - Slipknot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo8DujdhXxA


The second memory was altogether quite different. I was a few years older and definitely within my tumultuous teenage years. I was sitting in my best friends’ room. My mind and emotions were in turmoil over my life and relationships I had with persons, the expectations I had of people and the expectations they had of me.
The song that my best friend played for me and which touched my soul so deeply was “Staind – Outside”. If anyone has ever been hurt by someone and retaliated in a not so appropriate manner, then this song is for you. As I listened, I realized that it was the first time that I heard every single lyric, every single note and to the depth of my core I understood it.

Staind - Outside. Album - Break the Cycle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN3WCja5QdY


You see there is a difference between listening and hearing. You can hear but not truly listen to anything. So when you hear ballies singing those raunchy “I wana touch your body and lick you everywhere” lyrics while happily bouncing up and down in the car. I can guarantee that they are not actually listening to the lyrics or what they are singing. And so was the case of my mother, when I caught her singing the chorus to Eminem “Welcome to Detroit City" whilst listening to the radio. Besides being somewhat impressed, I asked her if she actually knew what she was singing and if she knew what the song was about. To which she replied “No, it just sounds like a Happy song”. I almost choked on that one. I then had to explain to her that its about gangsters and thugs and a whole bunch of death. Take note... You old fogies :)


Youtube: Eminem ft TrickTrick - Welcome to Detroit City
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfyvWl741mQ


A few years more after all this transpired, I had the honour of educating the same brother when I took him to Burn (an alternative Nightclub here in Durban South Africa) and he heard Lonely Lonely by The Narrow (A South African band) for the first time. And I know that that song changed his life in more ways than one. It really is one of my proudest and happiest moments that I have ever had the privilege of experiencing.

The Narrow - Lonely Lonely. Album - Travellers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZ4Zn6MaSQI

So obviously every one has a theme song, you do have a theme song, right?!?!?!?!
And here’s a recommendation, it is a little creepy but I find it works and I’m pretty sure most of you do it anyway. But get the song, this song or your theme song, go to your room in the evening, turn off the light, lie down on the floor, close your eyes, turn it up full volume and just listen. Its life changing, it really really is.

Usually theme songs change over a period of time, but to this day, and it has probably been over a decade, I can still say that what I have below is my theme song. It doesn’t matter which way you cut it or where I am in my life – this song still applies.

In terms of my most influential song, in respect of lyrics, and do not laugh because it is a chick band, they still rule (Girl Power ftw!!). It is My Ruin – Terror. I’ll save you the trouble of having to google or youtube search it, simply because the youtube music video is just siff and does no justice to the song whatsoever. So here are the lyrics and the song.

My Ruin - Terror. Album - Speak and Destroy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_GVrQQnvXQ
(Lyrics at 4:44 should be "Own" not Only)

Lyrics:
Terror

This is what you call me...

I strike terror among men.
I can't be bothered by what they think.
I bare my cross,
My soul,
Myself.
I forgive,
but i never forget.
I've been put upon this earth in female form.
But I can handle myself with the best of you,
As well as the worst.
And I often have.
I have the right to remain silent,
But i choose to speak,
Sing,
Scream
I am lips,
Hips,
Tits
I am the power of a woman,
Strong like music,
True like friendship,
But without my friends,
There would be no music.
Only spoken word.

I am able to change,
So I live without regret,
Without remorse,
Only a remix.
I am drunk,
I am sober.
Heaven doesn't want me
And Hell's afraid i'll take over
Don't bother trying to censor me,
Or shut me up,
Because it won't work.
I am cold and distant,
Yet warm and close,
To those who deserve to see that side of me.
Part of me the heart of me.
You find me so hard to understand in your world.
The world you perceive to be so normal.
I am deformed,
Scorned ,
Reborn.
I am me,
And i know exactly who i am,
What i am
And the wrath i bring.
The ugly beauty,
The lying truth,
The virgin whore
The quiet storm
A lover,
A fighter,
A saint,
A sinner,
A sister,
A daughter
Old school.
A beginner.
I have decorated myself with love,
Hate,
Truth,
You.
All of you,
Both of you,
None of you,
More than one of you

With lips like sugar.
Eyes like meat.
I've watched men come,
And go,
And cheat.
I sleep to dream
And dream of sleep.
I had a dream joe
That you were standing in the middle of an open grove.
I had a dream joe
That your hands were raised up to the sky
And your mouth was covered in foam.
I've been crucified,
Justified,
And mortified by my behavior.
Both feminine,
And masculine.
I am a contradiction,
And juxtaposition.
My relief is my release,
And only time will tell.
All's well that ends well
I am unsweetened,
Unclean,
Been called drama queen.
Ex girlfriend,
Ex member,
The tantrum,
The temper.
I point my finger,
Take the blame.
And this time I will own the name.
Because no one is going to ruin me.
If i have to,
I will ruin myself.
And it will be 'My Ruin'(My Ruin)


If you read the lyrics of Terror carefully, doesn’t it just remind you of the movie V for Vendetta when Evey has sent off the train and the Detective asks who V was and she replies: “He was Edmund Dantes… and he was my father and my mother…my brother and my friend. He was you and he was me. He was all of us.” I think that sometimes that is the best explanation of an idea or even the human soul. It is that we are capable of anything and we are capable of being anything that you should choose to be.

I really believe that people sell themselves short simply because they label themselves or their personality. What is stopping you from being everything? There are times when I dress up to the 9’s and 10’s, wear evening gowns, highheels and form philosophical and intellectual conversation with the best of society and then there are the times where I go out in a vest, jeans, and trainers and will mosh my little heart out to heavy metal in a dark and dingy nightclub. These are all facets of my personality, they do not define me, but together they make me, me.

So now, here is a thought… What makes you, You?

No comments:

Post a Comment