The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature by Levitin Daniel J

Author:Levitin, Daniel J. [Levitin, Daniel J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781101041369
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2008-08-18T20:00:00+00:00

Across all these examples, a common thread emerges: Knowledge songs tell stories, recount an ordeal, a saga, a particularly noteworthy hunt—something to immortalize. The demonstrated power of song-as-memory-aid has been known to humans for thousands and thousands of years. We write songs to remind ourselves of things (as in Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line”) or to remind others of things (as in Jim Croce’s “You Don’t Mess Around with Jim” or Fleetwood Mac’s “Don’t Stop”). We write songs to teach our young, as in alphabet songs and counting songs. We write them to encode lessons that we’ve learned and don’t want to forget, often using metaphor or devices to raise the message up to the level at which art meets science (rather than simple observation), making it at once more memorable and more inspiring, as Andy Partridge does in “Dear Madam Barnum” (performed by his band XTC). The name Madam Barnum is clearly made up, meant to portray her as the ringleader in some abusive emotional circus she has subjected the poor songwriter to, and from which he now hopes to extricate himself:I put on a fake smile

And start the evening show

The public is laughing

I guess by now they know

So climb from your high horse

And pull this freak show down

Dear Madam Barnum

I resign as clown

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.