I can listen to this song many times over. A friend brought it to my attention, I've probably failed to mention to said friend how much I've grown to love it.
It is originally, a ballad written by Billy Joel in 1983, though only released six years later. Beautifully crafted, he writes with an understanding many aren't able to. His is the version I've been familiar with, yet failed to pay it the attention it deserves.
For me it's how simple it is, that makes me love it so. The King's Singers vocal harmony arrangements just heighten my love for it that much more. I can, unashamedly, say this song brings me to tears, on the occasion. The King's Singers choral music is described as "... instantly recognisable for their spot-on intonation, their impeccable vocal blend, the flawless articulation of the text and incisive timing."
Here are the lyrics, made enchanting by The King's Singers:
In every heart there is a room/A sanctuary safe and strong/ To heal the wounds from lovers past/ Until a new one comes along
I spoke to you in cautious tones/ You answered me with no pretense/ And still I feel I said too much/ My silence is my self defense
And every time I've held a rose/ It seems I only felt the thorns/ And so it goes, and so it goes/ And so will you soon I suppose
But if my silence made you leave/ Then that would be my worst mistake/ So I will share this room with you/ And you can have this heart to break
And this is why my eyes are closed/ It's just as well for all I've seen/ And so it goes, and so it goes/ And you're the only one who knows
So I would choose to be with you/ That's if the choice were mine to make/ But you can make decisions too/ And you can have this heart to break/ And so it goes, and so it goes/ And you're the only one who knows
*The rose coloured text are my favourite lyrics in the song.
Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Saturday, 23 July 2011
"Girls!" Does Beyoncé's music rhyme with feminism?
The term "Girl Power" is associated with empowerment. I know someone who has been described as a powerhouse, as untouchable, exciting, always ahead of the game and simply as the best - her name's Beyoncé Giselle Knowles, her music embodies this supposed empowerment.
This is why I say this:
From her days with Destiny's Child, she has lead the trio in garnering success with female empowering anthems, that girls the world over would sing and dance to. They gave us Bills, Bills, Bills, Say My Name, Survivor, Independent Women (the track that went on to be the theme song for Charlies' Angels), Bootylicious and Nasty Girls. Okay, so the last track named could be a contradiction to what I just said, but the song's in fact about girls having to set their standards higher, to be appreciated for what they represent.
I write her name as Bee, well because, the theme of her B'day album was represented with bees. Others write it as Bey, I dare to be different. And that's that.
Bee, has won 13 grammys as a solo artist and three as a member of Destiny's Child since the start of her music career. She writes female-empowerment themed compositions and tours with an all-female band, called Suga Mama. Her most popular songs are the ones rearing women towards power, worth, strength and independence. I've read and heard many times of her being likened with a movement of a "new-age feminism", I don't agree with that.
I, personally, don't think Bee's trying to lead a political movement, however, she is well in tune with who and what she represents as a woman. She has a voice to voice these sentiments and that's what she does. I see her music as geared more towards creativity than politics and also, I feel that people take her songs too literally. We shouldn't forget that she's an artist first and foremost, her job is to sell records. Her success with achieving this has been founded in the "girl power" chants.
Feminism is about the fight for women toward equality, access and diversity. No song of hers carries a distinct message about that. Rather, they convey that women can be confident and embrace their sexuality, to take pride in their liberty to make choices concerning their happiness, in relationships mostly. To enjoy our femininity without compromising on our authority.
Well, her latest offering in Run this World (Girls) is open to interpretation. Yet, again, if taken literally it can be open to being taken in any and all contexts. For me, I would say I embrace the song as a chant to running my own world. A tune that's feel-good, motivation-like. Not about me prancing around with crazy notions linked with literally running "this motha".
We've been spoiled with many other "girl power" anthems from the beautiful Bee, these include Me, Myself & I, which starts off with "All the ladies if you feel me, help me sing it out..." going on about out being her own best friend and how she'll never disappoint herself.
Then we had Irreplaceable, a very memorable track and so near perfect. I remember hearing it EVERYWHERE, admittedly, I got sickened by it (I usually do when a song's liked by everyone) but now, years later I can listen to it again and appreciate it for all it's worth. The music video was also accompanied by the debut appearance of her band, Suga Mama. A smash-hit, sing-a-long that has become a staple in Bee's tours and live performances.
The dual disc album, gave us simultaneous releases of If I Were A boy and Single Ladies (Put a ring on it) to demonstrate her dueling personalities. I don't have the dual disc, mine is the 20 track platinum edition; I absolutely love the album, the ballads on it are breathtaking.
Both tracks were international chart toppers, however, Single Ladies overshadowed the beautifully written narrative. It won Bee Song of the Year, Best R&B song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance accolades at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
And now, she's graced us with Run the World (Girls), represented by a video where she and many other ladies grind to popular African dance moves. It is undeniable that this woman knows how to capture an audience, whether in favour of or not. Does she represent contemporary feminism? I'd love to hear your feedback.
I am of the opinion though, that she uses aesthetically and lyrically pleasing calls to female-empowerment, less in a general sense, more so for fulfilment in personal relationships.
This is why I say this:
From her days with Destiny's Child, she has lead the trio in garnering success with female empowering anthems, that girls the world over would sing and dance to. They gave us Bills, Bills, Bills, Say My Name, Survivor, Independent Women (the track that went on to be the theme song for Charlies' Angels), Bootylicious and Nasty Girls. Okay, so the last track named could be a contradiction to what I just said, but the song's in fact about girls having to set their standards higher, to be appreciated for what they represent.
I write her name as Bee, well because, the theme of her B'day album was represented with bees. Others write it as Bey, I dare to be different. And that's that.
Bee, has won 13 grammys as a solo artist and three as a member of Destiny's Child since the start of her music career. She writes female-empowerment themed compositions and tours with an all-female band, called Suga Mama. Her most popular songs are the ones rearing women towards power, worth, strength and independence. I've read and heard many times of her being likened with a movement of a "new-age feminism", I don't agree with that.
I, personally, don't think Bee's trying to lead a political movement, however, she is well in tune with who and what she represents as a woman. She has a voice to voice these sentiments and that's what she does. I see her music as geared more towards creativity than politics and also, I feel that people take her songs too literally. We shouldn't forget that she's an artist first and foremost, her job is to sell records. Her success with achieving this has been founded in the "girl power" chants.
Feminism is about the fight for women toward equality, access and diversity. No song of hers carries a distinct message about that. Rather, they convey that women can be confident and embrace their sexuality, to take pride in their liberty to make choices concerning their happiness, in relationships mostly. To enjoy our femininity without compromising on our authority.
Well, her latest offering in Run this World (Girls) is open to interpretation. Yet, again, if taken literally it can be open to being taken in any and all contexts. For me, I would say I embrace the song as a chant to running my own world. A tune that's feel-good, motivation-like. Not about me prancing around with crazy notions linked with literally running "this motha".
We've been spoiled with many other "girl power" anthems from the beautiful Bee, these include Me, Myself & I, which starts off with "All the ladies if you feel me, help me sing it out..." going on about out being her own best friend and how she'll never disappoint herself.
Then we had Irreplaceable, a very memorable track and so near perfect. I remember hearing it EVERYWHERE, admittedly, I got sickened by it (I usually do when a song's liked by everyone) but now, years later I can listen to it again and appreciate it for all it's worth. The music video was also accompanied by the debut appearance of her band, Suga Mama. A smash-hit, sing-a-long that has become a staple in Bee's tours and live performances.
The dual disc album, gave us simultaneous releases of If I Were A boy and Single Ladies (Put a ring on it) to demonstrate her dueling personalities. I don't have the dual disc, mine is the 20 track platinum edition; I absolutely love the album, the ballads on it are breathtaking.
Both tracks were international chart toppers, however, Single Ladies overshadowed the beautifully written narrative. It won Bee Song of the Year, Best R&B song and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance accolades at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
And now, she's graced us with Run the World (Girls), represented by a video where she and many other ladies grind to popular African dance moves. It is undeniable that this woman knows how to capture an audience, whether in favour of or not. Does she represent contemporary feminism? I'd love to hear your feedback.
I am of the opinion though, that she uses aesthetically and lyrically pleasing calls to female-empowerment, less in a general sense, more so for fulfilment in personal relationships.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Thursday, 7 July 2011
The Measure...
I recently read, The Measure of A Man by Sidney Poitier, peculiar title for a woman to find interest in, right? Well, I always think that you can never truly understand or know different worlds if you aren't willing to learn about them. Besides, this autobiography is worthy to be read by anybody and everybody.
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Who is Sidney Poitier? --An actor, director, writer, diplomat, aged somewhere in his eighties. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor, 1963, for his role in Lilies of the Field and starred in three other well-received films only about four-years later. Anyway, the man has achieved remarkable accomplishments in his lifetime and is well-honoured too.
Sidney, narrates his memoir so well and in such fine detail that it leaves somebody as inquisitive as me, well satisfied. I took away many profound lessons from this reading, such as, that sometimes standing up and remaining steadfast in your core set of values and beliefs will earn you the respect you deserve - no matter the length of time it'll take.
That even the little and insignificant holds tons of value.
That love trumps money.
That doubts and depression and feelings of inadequacy are human.
The struggle for balance. Courage. Culture. Religion. Spirituality.
About gratitude, reflection, strength and weakness, lies and truths, pain, joy, illusions and realities, you know, it's filled with many treasures hidden or poignantly revealed.
He mentions being shot down by failure, miraculous joys and wrenching guilts; everything every human experiences at least once in their life. It's a pleasant and note-worthy mention that this autobiography is not just a recollection of many dates and moments. It's a story, like any other, with many encounters.
I could quote the book endlessly but I won't bore you, so I'll refrain from doing that. If you do happen to pass the book in a bookstore, step back, grab it, open it to page 181 - para 3, here he defines the measure of a man in his own words... goosebumps!
Sidney's success came at a slow and steady rate and that resonated most with me. I've always had this crazy idea that life could be planned and I'll be able to reach my ambitions at more-or-less the rate I wanted.
Life doesn't measure like that.
It didn't for Sidney. It isn't for me.
But with a determined spirit, it will pan out as it should. I still hear the echoes of his life journey and I hope one day when I re-open The Measure of a Man, my life would have measured up too. And I'll read it then with a sense of reflection, and not with the burden of looking forward.
To lift the heaviness, I'll end off with one of my favourite lines from the book:
"I listened intently until each point had been driven home. Then I said, "fuck you," in the nicest way I could.
Sidney, narrates his memoir so well and in such fine detail that it leaves somebody as inquisitive as me, well satisfied. I took away many profound lessons from this reading, such as, that sometimes standing up and remaining steadfast in your core set of values and beliefs will earn you the respect you deserve - no matter the length of time it'll take.
That even the little and insignificant holds tons of value.
That love trumps money.
That doubts and depression and feelings of inadequacy are human.
The struggle for balance. Courage. Culture. Religion. Spirituality.
About gratitude, reflection, strength and weakness, lies and truths, pain, joy, illusions and realities, you know, it's filled with many treasures hidden or poignantly revealed.
He mentions being shot down by failure, miraculous joys and wrenching guilts; everything every human experiences at least once in their life. It's a pleasant and note-worthy mention that this autobiography is not just a recollection of many dates and moments. It's a story, like any other, with many encounters.
I could quote the book endlessly but I won't bore you, so I'll refrain from doing that. If you do happen to pass the book in a bookstore, step back, grab it, open it to page 181 - para 3, here he defines the measure of a man in his own words... goosebumps!
Sidney's success came at a slow and steady rate and that resonated most with me. I've always had this crazy idea that life could be planned and I'll be able to reach my ambitions at more-or-less the rate I wanted.
Life doesn't measure like that.
It didn't for Sidney. It isn't for me.
But with a determined spirit, it will pan out as it should. I still hear the echoes of his life journey and I hope one day when I re-open The Measure of a Man, my life would have measured up too. And I'll read it then with a sense of reflection, and not with the burden of looking forward.
To lift the heaviness, I'll end off with one of my favourite lines from the book:
"I listened intently until each point had been driven home. Then I said, "fuck you," in the nicest way I could.
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