The other day a friend of mine needed some help in the philosophy behind U2. She had written in her SOP and now she needed something to support her statement during the interview. Just before I had started writing this, we had this extended conversation about how important and personal U2 was and how they reflected what we thought and our moods sometimes. The whole discussion was not about the songs, but more about the music and a line here and there. This was how the conversation went:
SHE: wht u doing up so late?
ME: nothin much had some work now watchin a movie plannin to write something into my blog don feel like sleepin off wat r u doin ?
SHE: i thought i'd come and dig some more info about u2, cos i have very nicely written in mica form that i admire u2's philosophy but i stiilll havent found somethingi dont know.
ME: lol yeah n wat is their philosophy exactly ?
SHE: i have no clue. bloody hell as if i knew i was gonna make it to the inetrview.
ME: hehe u said u knew some things so was just wondering
SHE: yeah, but philosophy?
ME: but then something made u think u liked their philosophy right ? which means there must b some link which u like evn though u wrote it just 2 get mileage
SHE: ahh , basically the whole thing about experimenting in the 90s.. they have albums and videos which pathetic and superb... and the constant humanitarian effort.. cant recall anyone else doing it. these two, thats all.
ME: wat bout their songs ? the lyrics theres a lot on wiki probably n the way they make u feel SHE: yeah there is yes, the way they make me feel is taken care of.. i was looking into lyrics n stuff now.. so basically time n again the have used their 'star power' to voice their concerns.. sarajevo, nelson mandela, suu kyi, martin luther king..
ME: yeah more like a political statement n if u don mind
SHE: haan
ME: how do they make u feel ?
SHE: yes? ooh. some of their songs have struck a connection with me, because maybe i was goin thru that phase or something... but they are special because , u know.. they voice my longings n irritations sometimes..so thats all.. nothing deeper you?
ME: i dunno
SHE: how do they make you feel?
ME: they do strike n the music sometimes does feel like it was exactly suited for me
SHE: yeah
ME: n most of their songs are pretty accurate representations of my confused state n my longing to b as simplified as possible and they are more of a personal thing true.. their shows r brilliant SHE: totally
ME: but i'd much rather listen to their songs with an ipod and the earphones on they seem to b only for me
SHE: same pinch.
ME: n don rly find a need to share them in public kinda feels like an invasion of privacy then
All this leads to another bigger question. What is the philosohy behind music ? Why do people say that they identify themselves with a certain song or a certain kind of music even though, when you ask them, they have absolutely no idea? Why is it that we keep playing the same song over and over again when we are in a certain mood. What is the philosophy behind music? What do we think about when we think about music? Why do some of us hate listening to Floyd after a certain period of time and switch over to something as stupid as John Mayer? What is the philosophy behind music? There a loads of references to the logic behind and the interpretation of certain songs. Most of us got a rude shock when we learnt that "Stairway to heaven" was about a hooker on drugs or that "every breath you take" is about a stalker talking about his/her victim. Which leads us to the question, would things have been different if these songs had not been spelt out? Would we have ever thought about the hooker if Rave did not come out with its list of misinterpreted songs. Is the philosophy the property of the singer or the listener?
Music is supposed to free us, or at least thats what the good ol folk at Woodstock said. But, with the dissection of music, is it possible to be absolutely free any more?
People say that piracy is what is killing the music industry. I think Rolling Stones, Rock Street Journal and Rave are killing it. Whats the use of your own identity if someone else does the thinking for you.
Sunday, 16 March 2008
Sunday, 9 March 2008
of dandruff and the universe
Spring is finally here. With the globe and its stupid warming, lets very well say - summer is here. Life is finally better. Moreover, the latter half of the day becomes better. With all the urban animals out of their hibernation, life seems to be back in the nights. Go out. Drink well. Eat a little. Stop worrying about jackets or shivering. Summer is brilliant in so many ways.
And the best part is up there. Its seems ages since I've looked up and seen a clear nightsky. Thankfully, city lights have not spoiled its interesting randomness. Stars have always been part of corny lines, of midsummer nights dream, of creation and creativity, of joining the dots, of dandruff, of big bears and half-horses, of beautiful women and messages from the other world, of the part of life that everyone has always taken for granted.
And this, precisely is what is brilliant of them. They are just points. Shiny points with a hint of mystery. You can do anything with them. Pick one up here and another there and create your partner's face. Laugh about them as parts of the latest Head and Shoulders Ad. Seek deeper meaning. Get sick of the deeper meaning and simply go to sleep under them. The big bluish black sheet with glitter thrown all over it is all you need. You can do whatever you want with that glitter. It helps you dream (and fuck the whole theory about rapid eye movement.. dreaming is a good thing). It helps you create something that is yours and entirely yours. Even if you're a show-off you wouldn't ever be able to explain or make someone else see what you see in the aforementioned fabric. Feels like a customised God of the self. Feels like the center of this huge semi-sphere.
Someone said that nature loves symmetry. I think nature loves chaos and randomness.
And the best part is up there. Its seems ages since I've looked up and seen a clear nightsky. Thankfully, city lights have not spoiled its interesting randomness. Stars have always been part of corny lines, of midsummer nights dream, of creation and creativity, of joining the dots, of dandruff, of big bears and half-horses, of beautiful women and messages from the other world, of the part of life that everyone has always taken for granted.
And this, precisely is what is brilliant of them. They are just points. Shiny points with a hint of mystery. You can do anything with them. Pick one up here and another there and create your partner's face. Laugh about them as parts of the latest Head and Shoulders Ad. Seek deeper meaning. Get sick of the deeper meaning and simply go to sleep under them. The big bluish black sheet with glitter thrown all over it is all you need. You can do whatever you want with that glitter. It helps you dream (and fuck the whole theory about rapid eye movement.. dreaming is a good thing). It helps you create something that is yours and entirely yours. Even if you're a show-off you wouldn't ever be able to explain or make someone else see what you see in the aforementioned fabric. Feels like a customised God of the self. Feels like the center of this huge semi-sphere.
Someone said that nature loves symmetry. I think nature loves chaos and randomness.
Saturday, 1 March 2008
organised chaos
Apparently, Indians are obsessed with chaos. Apparently, nothing ever works unless there is confusion around us - may it be the politics, the public transport system, the bazaar, the family or any other aspect of our life. This might be what has actually worked for us. This might be what has baffled "thinkers" in and around everywhere. This probably isn't a myth once you're in Bombay.
Everyone has his or her experiences in Bombay. It is said that you always carry a piece of the city with you wherever you go. Everyone is baffled by the mere functioning of day-to-day life of the city, leave alone it being the commercial capital and one of the cities with the best growth. It makes you think a lot - about life, about travelling, about survival, about persistence, about organised chaos.
the chaos
To realise the criticality and the extent to which we Indians have been horny, all you have to do is be at the Dadar station at six in the evening on a spring Friday. I, for one, have not seen so many people at a single place (apart from live shows and Reliance stockholder meetings). The entire city seems to be infested by humans. Everyone swarming around in their respective directions without really thinking much about how they affect things around them. This is probably necessary. This is probably required. Probably, the only way you can help being at peace with chaos around you is to stop thinking about it and go in the flow of the direction. But it is all very wierd to people who are not really used to the pace. All that we poor souls can do, is to take advice from whoever remotely credible. But even then it takes conditioning. For instance, you are always told that, at the station, to stand with the exiting crowd and that you would be pushed along with the flow. What they don't tell you, is that the move horribly backfires at you if it is not done right. Having taken the advice a bit too lightly, I stood at the end of the outgoing crowd and thought things would proceed as normal. Alas, I had hardly placed a foot on the station, when I was pushed back into the stupid locomotive by people rushing in. It was only by fighting and suffering a few minor injuries that me and my bag were able to get down at the same station. Probably, it takes getting used to. But then again, that is the last thing that goes on in your mind if you're in that situation.
the civilisation
But a few hours into the city and on the central railway, and you'll start finding logic in it. You might probably even appreciate the entire situation. The system is filled to capacity. It takes a minimum of two hours to travel from one point to the other. But then again, given the expanse of the city, the system is pretty robust. Moreover, people are nice when they have the time. The problem is, most of the times they don't. But whenever they do, they would stop to talk to you and help you out. It doesn't really matter who you are or what you do. On the train and at the office, everyone is pretty polite and nice. I was helped throughout my stay by people at the Pan shop and at the gates of offices. The good folks at Business World helped me out with the other addresses I had to visit in that area (I was there on media work). Having noticed my famished state, the good (and good looking) people at The Times of India offered lunch and tea. Trust me, if you have only two days and loads of travelling to do, all this is a luxury. Moreover, no one is really out there to judge you. Your girlfriend might wear whatever she feels comfortable in and you would not really have to be worried about passing glances - when there are none.
In general, everyone should go there at least once. There is a lot more to it than people write about. You can't really talk much about the experience of catching sight of a Rolls and Porsche showroom side by side when all you are thinking about is water. But then these are the small things that Bombay is all about. Thats what makes it wierd and brilliant at the same time. Much like Buzkashi.
Everyone has his or her experiences in Bombay. It is said that you always carry a piece of the city with you wherever you go. Everyone is baffled by the mere functioning of day-to-day life of the city, leave alone it being the commercial capital and one of the cities with the best growth. It makes you think a lot - about life, about travelling, about survival, about persistence, about organised chaos.
the chaos
To realise the criticality and the extent to which we Indians have been horny, all you have to do is be at the Dadar station at six in the evening on a spring Friday. I, for one, have not seen so many people at a single place (apart from live shows and Reliance stockholder meetings). The entire city seems to be infested by humans. Everyone swarming around in their respective directions without really thinking much about how they affect things around them. This is probably necessary. This is probably required. Probably, the only way you can help being at peace with chaos around you is to stop thinking about it and go in the flow of the direction. But it is all very wierd to people who are not really used to the pace. All that we poor souls can do, is to take advice from whoever remotely credible. But even then it takes conditioning. For instance, you are always told that, at the station, to stand with the exiting crowd and that you would be pushed along with the flow. What they don't tell you, is that the move horribly backfires at you if it is not done right. Having taken the advice a bit too lightly, I stood at the end of the outgoing crowd and thought things would proceed as normal. Alas, I had hardly placed a foot on the station, when I was pushed back into the stupid locomotive by people rushing in. It was only by fighting and suffering a few minor injuries that me and my bag were able to get down at the same station. Probably, it takes getting used to. But then again, that is the last thing that goes on in your mind if you're in that situation.
the civilisation
But a few hours into the city and on the central railway, and you'll start finding logic in it. You might probably even appreciate the entire situation. The system is filled to capacity. It takes a minimum of two hours to travel from one point to the other. But then again, given the expanse of the city, the system is pretty robust. Moreover, people are nice when they have the time. The problem is, most of the times they don't. But whenever they do, they would stop to talk to you and help you out. It doesn't really matter who you are or what you do. On the train and at the office, everyone is pretty polite and nice. I was helped throughout my stay by people at the Pan shop and at the gates of offices. The good folks at Business World helped me out with the other addresses I had to visit in that area (I was there on media work). Having noticed my famished state, the good (and good looking) people at The Times of India offered lunch and tea. Trust me, if you have only two days and loads of travelling to do, all this is a luxury. Moreover, no one is really out there to judge you. Your girlfriend might wear whatever she feels comfortable in and you would not really have to be worried about passing glances - when there are none.
In general, everyone should go there at least once. There is a lot more to it than people write about. You can't really talk much about the experience of catching sight of a Rolls and Porsche showroom side by side when all you are thinking about is water. But then these are the small things that Bombay is all about. Thats what makes it wierd and brilliant at the same time. Much like Buzkashi.
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