• Amity
    5k


    '...relax, enjoy the ride...' :up:

    Oh, the memories. This commercial, fun blast from the past:

    'Chanson D'Amour' - Manhattan Transfer
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARfARi-gpWc
  • Wayfarer
    22.3k
    Coincidentally, perhaps, one of my least favourite songs of theirs. They were always a mixed bag, but at their best, the best.
  • Amity
    5k
    They were always a mixed bag, but at their best, the best.Wayfarer

    Tell me more...
    ...about the best ?
  • Wayfarer
    22.3k
    Well, here's another. It was a vocal - actually the term is 'vocalese' for the kind of jazz that they do, where they sing instrumental lines - anyway, a vocal adaption of a then-hit West Coast jazz band, Spyro Gyra, and The Shaker Song. It's not a deep song but the lyrics and the general musical artistry, not to mention the apparel, are just so, well, hip.....to this aging boomer anyway....

  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    You and I are everlasting lovers
    And I know this love will never die
    We will drift like clouds across the sky
    And watch the world spin by
    A lover's paradise

    You and I have always loved in freedom
    And I know this freedom is so rare
    So I say that you can go or stay with me
    You are the light that ends the night
    You are the reason why

    Yesterday my life was very empty
    All my dreams were shadowed in despair
    When you came you reached into my soul
    You melted me like snow
    in springtime's warming glow

    You're the one that I have always wanted
    And I know you've ever needed me
    So I'll stay forever in this ecstasy
    You are the light that ends the night
    You are the reason why...



    (composed and written by )
  • Amity
    5k
    It was a vocal - actually the term is 'vocalese' for the kind of jazz that they do, where they sing instrumental lines - anyway, a vocal adaption of a then-hit West Coast jazz band, Spyro Gyra, and The Shaker Song.Wayfarer

    Ah. Now that is just a little bit better, way cooler than 'Chanson'. But Chanson...well...I love it too.
    ...the lyrics and the general musical artistry, not to mention the apparel, are just so, well, hip.....to this aging boomer anyway....Wayfarer

    Bloomin' Boomers Bloom :flower:
    Difficult to make out the lyrics. Here they are:

    Shaker Song
    The Manhattan Transfer

    The fool screams, 'no more!'
    He grabs his shirt and hits the door
    What she needs from him he ignores.
    It's a bore. Oh it's a bore. Oh it's a bore. Oh it's a bore.
    (Oh it's a ...)

    Blast the radio.
    The hits just come and go.
    Block out what he knows that he has blown
    (That he has blown...)

    The night hangs its head
    As the fool crawls into bed.
    Still his hungry heart begs to be fed
    All the words she once said
    (That she said. That she said. That she said.)

    So then he grabs his Chevrolet
    In one more attempt to get away
    But the thoughts of all the crimes of passion lay in his way.

    He can shake the blues,
    But you know he still can get confused.
    It seems like such a waste
    'Cause he can't shake her.
    He can shake his tail,
    But you know his moves are getting stale
    He's on the make, but oh, his heart can't fake
    That he can't shake her.
    He can't shake her.
    No, he can't shake her.

    Romance falls like rain
    But all the motives are insane
    Everytime that he plays the game he feels the pain
    (He feels the pain. Who is to blame? Who is to blame?)

    He finds a joint that's jive
    Guys are spinning girls like 45's.
    All of the live bait sink for his lines they are so high

    He knows he is beat
    As his heart puts on the heat
    Run from the street that don't even fit his feet
    (Don't fit his feet. Now he can see. Now he can really see)

    Tell him here's a telephone
    He can beg to let the fool come home
    He tells her that his life's a drag alone
    (Can't be alone)

    He can shake the blues,
    But you know he still can get confused.
    It seems like such a waste
    'Cause he can't shake her.
    He can shake his tail,
    But you know his moves are getting stale
    He's on the make, but oh, his heart can't fake
    That he can't shake her.
    He can't shake her.
    No, he can't shake her.

    Songwriters: Willis Alta Sherral, Lasley David Eldon, Beckenstein Jay B
    For non-commercial use only.
    Data from: Musixmatch
  • Amity
    5k
    (composed and written by ↪Wayfarer)Olivier5

    Wayfarer ? Our Wayfarer ?
    What a find :cool:
  • Wayfarer
    22.3k
    Yeah, that Manhattan Transfer album was my favourite, along with Heavy Weather, and Aja, when I wrote that song. Like I said - aging boomer.
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    Yes, "our" Wayfarer. :-) He also plays the piano.

    BTW, he titled it (or subtitled it?) "For Sophia", aka our good friend Wisdom.
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    The horizon is a dark line, with no option
    Two bodies that were once one
    Break that union
    They gave way to indifference and disappointment
    I know it was all part
    Of an ephemeral agreement

    I want to see the red of the dawn
    A new day will shine
    It will take away loneliness
    I want to be the red of dawn
    The sun will shine again
    It will take away loneliness

    In me you planted
    Images of you, of me that come to mind
    They are so intense and real
    They make me suffer
    I don't know how I manage to bear the situation
    Of a game with its intended end
    Between you and me

    I want to see the red of the dawn
    A new day will shine
    It will take away loneliness
    I want to be the red of dawn
    The sun will shine again
    It will take away loneliness

    Quiero ver el rojo del amanecer
    Un nuevo día brillará
    Se llevará la soledad

  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    For good measure...



    And I don't care about it at all
    Whether you laugh or dream, what you say or what you do
    I don't care about anything
    As much as I try, I'm playing and I don't care about anything….
  • Amity
    5k
    along with Heavy Weather, and Aja, when I wrote that song. Like I said - aging boomer.Wayfarer

    You. Are. A. Genius.
    How come I am just finding this out ?
    Along with all the other talented creatives on this forum...
    Come on @jamalrob @Baden et al.
    Really need a special creative space to showcase such - in 'The Symposium' or whatever.

    I am such a bloomin' lightweight who needs the inspiration with so much still to learn.
    I have only had a flickering glimpse at what is out there.
    Never heard of Aja but yes I heard Steely Dan and this:

    'Reelin' In The Years' - Steely Dan
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b64fHP9cpVQ

    Yes, "our" Wayfarer. :-) He also plays the piano.

    BTW, he titled it (or subtitled it?) "For Sophia", aka our good friend Wisdom.
    Olivier5

    How and when did you discover this amazingness ?
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    How and when did you discover this amazingness ?Amity

    By PM.
  • Wayfarer
    22.3k
    The back story is, Olivier mentioned Sophia, and I impulsively posted a link to my song of that name. Then I thought better of it, removed it from the thread, and sent it by PM to Olivier. I'm gratified that he posted it, and that you like it, it always means a lot to me.

    The back story to the back story - I wrote that song in my mid-20's, at the time, I was discovering...well, what was it....kind of 'consciousness trainings' through various sources. I went on retreat at a Buddhist centre in my locality, when I came back, that song came to me. There was a genuine sense of Sophia-wisdom that inspired it. Not that there was any great vision or imagery even, but a sense of the presence of wisdom. Subtle but real. At the time I was very much into the 'way of negation'.

    Not long afterwards, I did a jazz summer school at the Conservatorium and one of the instructors was a well-known female vocalist, Kerrie Biddell (no longer with us). I gave her a copy of the song on cassette tape, and much to my surprise, when I went to the well-known Sydney jazz venue, The Basement, not long after that, she announced that she was singing it. It became part of her repertoire for the next couple of years, although she never recorded it and I never made anything from her performing it. Since then I've continued to write songs, nowadays with music technology I have produced some of them, although the version that is linked was recorded analogue, keyboard, bass, drums and vocal direct to tape - different vocalist, and not really in her key, as any producer could tell from the recording. But I will always love that song, and the idea of Sophia as the 'beautiful feminine' has stayed with me always from that time.
  • Amity
    5k
    The back story is, Olivier mentioned Sophia, and I impulsively posted a link to my song of that name. Then I thought better of it, removed it from the thread, and sent it by PM to Olivier. I'm gratified that you like it, it always means a lot to me.Wayfarer

    Thank you. I am sure many more will more than 'like it'.

    The back story to the back story - I wrote that song in my mid-20's, at the time, I was discovering...well, what was it....kind of 'consciousness trainings' through various sources. I went on retreat at a Buddhist centre in my locality, when I came back, that song came to me. There was a genuine sense of Sophia-wisdom that inspired it. Not that there was any great vision or imagery even, but a sense of the presence of wisdom. Subtle but real.Wayfarer

    This is so very generous of you to share. 'A sense of the presence of wisdom'. Wow.

    At the time I was very much into the 'way of negation'.Wayfarer
    Sorry, but I don't understand this.

    Not long afterwards, I did a jazz summer school at the Conservatorium and one of the instructors was a well-known female vocalist, Kerrie Biddell (no longer with us). I gave her a copy of the song on cassette tape, and much to my surprise, when I went to the well-known Sydney jazz venue, The Basement, not long after that, she announced that she was singing it. It became part of her repertoire for the next couple of years, although she never recorded it and I never made anything from her performing it.Wayfarer

    This is astounding. You should be famous. And rich. Perhaps you are...in your own way, rich.

    Since then I've continued to write songs, nowadays with music technology I have produced some of them, although the version that is linked was recorded analogue, keyboard, bass, drums and vocal direct to tapeWayfarer

    Well. This is astonishing. How many more superlatives can I find. Not enough.
    Are they being performed anywhere ? Do you still feel that sense of wisdom when you create...?
    You can tell, I am just a wee bit overwhelmed by all of this...
  • Wayfarer
    22.3k
    At the time I was very much into the 'way of negation'.
    — Wayfarer
    Sorry, but I don't understand this.
    Amity

    It is of course a very difficult thing to explain, but it’s a facet of the mystical text ‘the cloud of unknowing’. At the time I had had my first encounter with formal meditation practice. Nothing fancy, 20 minute sessions, but complemented by a lot of reading, hanging out at the Adyar Bookshop (which of course no longer exists.)

    Anyway, long story short - not long after all of that, I met my to-be wife. Now have two grown sons, three (almost four) grandchildren. ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’ has remained one of my favourite sayings. I never did get a career in music, but then, it’s a notorious field of dreams. At least I can write and play. Have I retained that sense of wisdom? Well, I’d never claim to be wise, but I think it’s imparted a sense that there is such a thing, and that we should aspire to it. Maybe that’s enough. It sure gave me a sense of why the ancients dedicated those beautiful sculptures to Sophia. You have to have that feeling for philosophy to be meaningful. Which leads back to the remark that Olivier made, which led me to post this song.
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    Welcome. I love Casal for her music, now realize that the lyrics are a bit bland... Anyway. Deep is relative.
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    I'm gratified that he posted itWayfarer

    This thread is dedicated to the relevance to our personal philosophies of modern popular songs and musics -- jazz, blues, rock, pop, to which I add a meager spicing of franco-italiano-spanish chansons, often poorly translated in English by your humble servant not to offend the gods of TPF. This place is for songs saying meaningful things to people.

    Songs in German have been posted here. That should tell you how open we are. ;-)

    You were kind enough to link me up to a song about (essentially) philosophy, or the pursuit and love of wisdom, written by a TPF regular (yourself), a song which I liked quite a lot. You bet I'm gonna post it here. Thank you for it.
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    This is good for working, though a bit hypnotic like house music can be. It's about rhythm in life and speech in an African context. Not without its clichés but a decent take.

    Life has a rhythm, it's constantly moving.
    The word for rhythm ( used by the Malinke tribes ) is FOLI.
    It is a word that encompasses so much more than drumming, dancing or sound.
    It's found in every part of daily life.
    In this film you not only hear and feel rhythm but you see it.
    It's an extraordinary blend of image and sound that
    feeds the senses and reminds us all
    how essential it is.

  • 180 Proof
    15.3k


    I remember the thirty-five sweet goodbyes
    When you put me on the Wolverine
    Up to Annandale

    It was still September
    When your daddy was quite surprised
    To find you with the working girls
    In the county jail
    I was smoking with the boys upstairs
    When I heard about the whole affair
    I said oh no
    William and Mary won't do


    [Chorus:]
    Well I did not think the girl
    Could be so cruel
    And I'm never going back
    To my old school

    Oleanders growing outside her door
    Soon they're gonna be in bloom
    Up in Annandale
    I can't stand her
    Doing what she did before
    Living like a gypsy queen
    In a fairy tale
    Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
    I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
    She said oh no
    Guadalajara won't do


    [Chorus]

    California tumbles into the sea
    That'll be the day I go
    Back to Annandale
    Tried to warn you
    About Chino and Daddy Gee

    But I can't seem to get to you
    Through the U.S. Mail
    Well I hear the whistle but I can't go
    I'm gonna take her down to Mexico
    She said oh no
    Guadalajara won't do


    [Chorus]

    "My Old School" (5:48)
    Countdown to Ecstasy, 1973
    Steely Dan

    *



    Long distance information,
    give me Memphis, Tennessee
    Help me find the party
    trying to get in touch with me
    She could not leave her number,
    but I know who placed the call
    'Cause my uncle took the message
    and he wrote it on the wall

    Help me, information,
    get in touch with my Marie
    She's the only one who'd phone me here
    from Memphis, Tennessee
    Her home is on the south side,
    high up on a ridge
    Just a half a mile
    from the Mississippi bridge

    Help me, information,
    more than that I cannot add
    Only that I miss her
    and all the fun we had
    But we were pulled apart because
    her mom did not agree
    And tore apart our happy home
    in Memphis, Tennessee

    Last time I saw Marie,

    she was waving me goodbye
    With hurry-home drops on her cheek
    that trickled from her eye
    Marie is only 6 years old,
    information, please
    Try to put me through to her
    in Memphis, Tennessee

    "Memphis, Tennessee" (2:12)
    B-side single, 1959
    Chuck Berry
  • Amity
    5k
    it’s a facet of the mystical text ‘the cloud of unknowing’.Wayfarer

    OK. But that still doesn't help me understand what you mean by the 'way of negation'.
    Do I need to read the text ? Or can you paraphrase ?

    I never did get a career in music, but then, it’s a notorious field of dreams. At least I can write and play.Wayfarer

    'At least' - and it is never too late. Even now, you could be a 'one-hit wonder'...which might lead to more.

    It sure gave me a sense of why the ancients dedicated those beautiful sculptures to Sophia. You have to have that feeling for philosophy to be meaningful. Which leads back to the remark that Olivier made, which led me to post this song.Wayfarer

    I hate to admit this but I can't even remember seeing any sculptures of Sophia !
    What remark did Olivier make ?
    [Edit: I got it - https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/comment/554910 -
    'It's another way to defang our good friend Sophia: make her a bureaucrat' ]

    I met my to-be wife. Now have two grown sons, three (almost four) grandchildren. ‘Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans’ has remained one of my favourite sayings.Wayfarer

    I like that saying too. You appear to have had a most balanced and fulfilling life... and it ain't over yet.
    Ta for sharing :sparkle:
  • Amity
    5k
    though a bit hypnoticOlivier5

    It is mesmerising. My eyelids became heavy and I almost dropped off at 5mins in.
    But I struggled to keep awake and it was SO worth it.

    In this film you not only hear and feel rhythm but you see it.
    It's an extraordinary blend of image and sound that feeds the senses and reminds us all
    how essential it is.
    Olivier5

    Even as I listened and watched, I couldn't help but feel how our way of life and rhythm differs.
    Strange experience to watch this old culture struggling to keep alive...from the comfort of my home with all modern conveniences and technology.

    We have the rhythm of tap-tapping our keyboards...essential in some ways...
    And we listen to 'deep songs'...
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    , I couldn't help but feel how our way of life and rhythm differs.
    Strange experience to watch this old culture struggling to keep alive...from the comfort of my home with all modern conveniences and technology.
    Amity

    I'll try and see where that takes me... I will start with the platitude or cliché that Africans have a good sense of rhythm. I think this is broadly borne by facts, as a crude generality, although there are good percussionists outside Africa of course (in India notably) -- African rhythms have a certain spontaneity, a dense creativity, an intensity that's difficult to match.

    The movie tries to show how, in a Mandingue context (a tribe somewhat dominant in Mali), rhythm is everywhere, explicitly so.

    Note that the Mandingue are said to have invented the blues. So their culture is more than alive: it has become a big part of our culture, through the music brought to the Americas by African slaves from the gulf of Guinea. From your desk top maybe you also listen to blues and jazz once in a while? If yes, you're listening to (highly evolved) Mandingue music.

    As the griot says, rhythm is everywhere. In breathing, heart beats, life. In walking; in working (especially working together as shown in the movie). In speech and in music.

    I bet something funny happens when you listen to it... The rhythm takes over you. First it makes you dizzy. Then, you want to surrender your body to it, and your soul too. You want to dance. Dance is a sort of walk to nowhere, in which your body follows or rather inhabits and marks the rhythm. So you start to move your feet under your desk. Tap tap tap. Shake your hand a bit, tchick tchick...

    Them Mandingue make you want to move your ass and work with them, dance with them, play with them in that rhythm.

    Rhythm becomes you. And you want to add to it, to contribute your own creativity to it. To blend in it but still exist in it as you.

    And if they are several of you listening, you can dance together by the magic of the rhythm. Your dance becomes a ballet.

    So rhythm is about being together, about several souls (or organs, for the body) fusing and becoming one in the same action but without losing individual identity and creativity.

    Rhythm makes room in our mind for collaboration, like in a ballet, or like three guys hammering the same pole. Ting. Ting. Ting.
  • Amity
    5k
    like three guys hammering the same pole. Ting. Ting. Ting.Olivier5

    That was quite something.

    I'll try and see where that takes me...Olivier5

    Rhythm becomes you.Olivier5

    if they are several of you listening, you can dance together by the magic of the rhythmOlivier5

    We can be together even when apart.
    Ting, ting.

    You probably know that your writing is quite mesmerising and magical - are you tempted to 'dance' competitively ? https://thephilosophyforum.com/discussion/11252/poll-short-story-competition-proposal

    Even the one-liners are appreciated:
    'When the wise points at the stars, you dissect his finger.'
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    'When the wise points at the stars, you dissect his finger.'Amity

    Ha ha! Glad you liked it. I felt pretty good after nailing that one. :-)
  • Olivier5
    6.2k
    Some Mandingue blues...

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