Need I Say More?

The Faces- Oo La La




I wish that I knew what I know now... This phrase seems to sum up everyones thoughts regarding this transitional point in their lives. The 1960s rock band The Faces evaluate the most baffling phenomena that strikes everyone at some point in their lives. If only I knew what I know now then maybe I could have done such and such. The song developes the structure of hierarchial knowledge passed down the family tree but only onto young, naive, deaf ears. I can recall numerous times my father has told me once only for me to be mistaken twice in order to get the picture. As an immature youth it is understood that I will be dumb and blind to all my elders can teach me, but that is just the way of the human race, and the growing of a young man. This song is a great example of the time phenomena. How many times have we all wished we could have bailed our former selves out of a situation with the knowledge we have now. On numerous occasions throughout my life I have noticed that it seemed like the knowledge I needed most always came a little too late.

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As I Grow Older

The Black Keys- You're the One

This song is one of my favorites. It sets out to sum up the feelings one feels as they grow older. The song starts off explaining the first relationship you ever have, the bond between a mother and son. As the singer grows older he is introduced to the second love you feel, the love of another. The song explains the feelings that come with a new relationship. The fear of love and lost is always present. For instance "Will you be true, till life is long?" is a great example of the fear of lost associated with something as fragile as committing to someone. I find this song fitting for the blog because when you're in that fundamental time frame from 18 years old to about 25 your brain is still developing, you know this is happening, yet an inevitable irrational feeling envelopes your body and mind. I for one find myself just wishing I was older, that time would speed up, in order to skip the mental anguish that is associated with this time period.



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Time

Pink Floyd pioneer the discussion of "time slipping." In the 1973 classic rock song Time, Pink Floyd virtually sums up the phenomenon of time passing more quickly as one ages. The song talks about the realization that everyone comes to in their life. The idea that time is not stagnant, constantly moving, and when you realize this you are already left behind.
People generally waste moments thinking how bored they were. Then in hindsight you eagerly remember how much "good time" has passed. At times it feels like you've spent forever doing nothing, constantly wandering towards some aimless goal. Even the seasons are more interesting then of what your life is composed of. But of course inevitably your life picks up quickly. Whether it be kids, a new job, a lack of a job, the mid-life crisis can often be crushing. At this particular point David Gilmour, the lead guitarist and singer, lets out an impressive guitar solo, one of mind melting proportions. The listener goes into a state of euphoria which slowly turns to depression and then invigoration as the gospel singers transition the song powerfully to the next verse.

I feel the last verse is the most important:

"And you run and you run to catch up with the sun but it's sinking. And racing around to come up behind you again, the sun is the same in a relative way but you're older, shorter of breath and one day closer to death!"

The lack of time in a day is always noted. 'I never have enough time to get things done' is a staple of our modern society.

Time is an amazing piece that is a great example of time slipping.

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Time Keeps on Slipping

In this 1976 classic the Steve Miller Band helps explore the effects of the blues and LSD. With its signature smooth vocals and "inhalation" buzzing in the background Fly Like An Eagle is a one of a kind experience. It is often wondered what the song is actually about. Some say Miller's intentions are about eliminating poverty, flying above "earthly" desires, and finding the solutions. Other say he is just a beatnik who wants to ignore the problems. Or maybe it is a social satire of how hippies spend too much time getting enlightened and not enough time fixing the issues at hand.

Either way Miller created a one of a kind song. Multiple covers of this song have been produced from the Eagles to SEAL's rendition in the movie Space Jam.

In relation to time, besides the aptly named title, the song is about how time seems to slip away. As if time is skipping like a record, one second you're here, the next second time has seemingly skipped years ahead.

Miller may have written the song this way in order to explain how things need to be addressed now. If you wait to confront poverty then time will just get away from you.

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What's With This Blog?

As I mature and grow I notice that time, as cliché as it sounds, is becoming shorter. I know time has not actually changed it's length or duration or span but I do think as we learn and absorb the vast amounts of information the world has to offer we notice less and less of the little things that mark the duration of time. We tend to believe time is "slipping away from us." But it is not. Time is the most subtle of killers. The serpent that lingers till your last breath. But how do we combat this phenomenon? How do we convince our attuned brains that life is still vibrant and long? The answer is stopping. Getting off the hamster wheel of life and detaching for a while each day. It is fundamentally important to the human psyche to take a moment each day to remind oneself that the world still turns at a constant rate, and that you are in fact not crazy and not slowly racing to your death.

What's with this blog?

Every so often I intend to post a song that reminds us to stop and reflect on the time passed or the time to come. Every song will in one aspect or another relate to time and its effects on every one of us.

To start, Moby- Natural Blues

Natural Blues is a song about reflection. In the video Moby chose to illustrate himself as an old man looking back on the finer things in life. This song tells the audience that the important moments are the ones hardly remembered. Moby uses a collage of footage from his childhood, his young adulthood, and an artistic representation of his future. The song is a testament to the personal struggles everyone faces as they grow older. The video shows the pain of losing ones you have loved, the crushing fear of being abandoned and alone, and the physical crippling of life itself.

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