Some Musical Truths

"You've got to be carefully taught" from South Pacific

"Gods Time IS The Best Time "
J.S. Bach

1. There may be no stupid questions, but there are stupid people.

2. The preamp is the most important piece in an audio system.

Music is not about sound, it's about learning to dance in the rain.

This really only works with Kate Bush singing it, but here are the lyrics.

I found a book on how to be invisible

Take a pinch of keyhole

And fold yourself up

You cut along a dotted line

You think inside out

And you're invisible

Oh so many.

If you go away on a summer day then you might as well take the sun away.

Really, its endless, this list, but I concur, many truths are found in lyrics. One former gf often criticized me for stating situations with appropriate lyrics. Why re-invent the perfect?

My mind is racing from Merle Haggard to John Lennon, and of course Townes in there to, and then there is...

"...if you can't fly you'll have to move in with the rhythm section,
either way you're bound to function....".

Parker's Band - Steely Dan

(to the OP - great idea for a thread)

1. Art need not be truth as art is freedom from truth.

2. A working class hero is something to be.

1) Don't eat the yellow snow

No officer, I didn't sniff the cocaine to get high. I just liked the way it smelled.

Dan Hicks: "How can I miss you when you won't go away".

Harlan Howard & Bobby Braddock: "God may forgive you (but I won't)".

B. Dylan: "We're idiots babe, it's a wonder we can even feed ourselves".

"...God must be a boogie man..."
Joni Mitchell

"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then."

"More is all you need" Metallica.

1) Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

2) Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug.

"Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans"
John Lennon

"When you think that you've lost everything you find out you can always lose a little more."
Robert Zimmerman

"All you need is love"
John Lennon

"the knack to know when and the gift to know how"

Head bone connected from the neck bone

Neck bone connected from the shoulder bone

Shoulder bone connected from the back bone

Back bone connected from the hip bone

Hip bone connected from the thigh bone

Thigh bone connected from the knee bone

Knee bone connected from the shin bone

Shin bone connected from the ankle bone

Ankle bone connected from the heel bone

Heel bone connected from the foot bone

Foot bone connected from the toe bone

" Don't arrange to have me sent to no asylum, it's just a game I play for fun."

I've seen the future, brother:
it is murder.

The mystery man came over
And he said I'm outta sight!
He said for a nominal service charge
I could reach nirvana tonight

"I saw a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vics and his hair was perfect."

"I'm five foot ten, a man among men, and you're seven two.
With all your faults, it's you I adore, when you stand up, your hands touch the floor. It had to be me, unlucky me, it had to be me."

All you touch & all you see, Is all your life will ever be.

She's little in the middle, but she got much back. Sir Mixalot.

Words are cheap but they can turn out expensive.

"The last whispered wish of age is to live it all again. So never blame
the rainbows for the rain"

"If you'll be my Dixie Chicken I'll be your Tennessee Lamb"

Little Feat:

When you ain't got nothin', you got nothin' to lose

I guess I'll never be the same/Since I fell for you

If the Army and the Navy/Ever look on Heaven's scenes/They will find the streets are guarded by/The United States Marines

I'm sure the OP had good intentions in initiating this thread, but it's spawning a lot of the same type of stupid, "supposed to be funny" responses as the other threads about your favorite love song, and your favorite lyrics to a song.

or "I got plenty of nothing and nothing's plenty for me"

John (Roxy54), I agree, except that some of the examples cited in the OP leave me uncertain as to whether the introductory sentences in his post were said tongue-in-cheek, or not. And that his intent therefore may have been to inspire the kinds of responses you referred to.

In any event, based on a serious interpretation of that post, my answer is as follows:

To me, the most all encompassing musical expression of human truths is represented by Symphony No. 1 of Johannes Brahms. It is not readily stated in words, however.

Best regards,
-- Al

Just because something is stated humorously, doesn't mean it's void of meaning. So many levels are at play here.

And, I agree with Al that some of the best music "spoken" to me is without language.

All the best,
Nonoise

you know, oh, oh
that you're over the hill
when your mind makes a promise
that your body can't fill

Al,
Yes, I also wondered if the OP's choices were meant to be serious, humorous or a mixture of both. I agree with you and Nonoise that what we experience when listening to music is at times too transcendent for verbal description.
Al, because I respect your opinion, I am going to make a point of purchasing that symphony ASAP. Please tell me which version you prefer. I am all digital, so it will need to be a CD.
Thanks to both of you for your positive words.

"Aint nobody messin with you but you"

Jerry Garcia

Thanks John (Roxy54). Taking into account both performance and sonics, I would suggest Chesky CD19, which is a CD remastering of a 1962(!) recording of Jascha Horenstein conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. It is out of print, but as you'll see at the link it is available both new and used from a number of sellers, albeit at a price.

Enjoy! Best regards,
-- Al

Hi Al,
It's 6:30 AM and I just got up. I saw your post, went to Amazon, and ordered a copy. They can be pricey, but I ordered a lightly used copy for about $18.00.
I'm looking forward to listening to it.
Thanks! John

Mine were offered deadly seriously.

My initial response to Roxy54 was "Why so serious?". But let me give a serious response to his comments.

Firstly, truth is hard to pin down and have even a majority agree upon. I intended my remarks to pertain only to subjective truths. If it makes sense to you, then everybody else be damned since it's your truth.

Secondly, if the observation that the heart of comedy is cruelty, then I would say most truths have an element of comedy within. You learn that you can laugh at yourself even in bad times.

Thirdly, an explanation of the specific truths I cited:

- Macarthur Park is a song about a bad lovers' breakup. The cake is his love and affection for another person and that person spurned him and left the cake out in the rain. There's a real poignancy to never having the recipe again. Do you think you'll ever fall in love again?

- Ray Charles said it so it must be true! When is it ever not the right time? Seal even said doing it in daylight is the latest craze.

- I have no idea what Lennon meant, but it sounds cool and it could even be true. Should I have said "Happiness is a warm gun"?

- If you've ever experienced true loss and pain, then you'll know why Wednesday's worst and Thursday's also sad. Lawd have mercy on me!

- Pink Floyd takes whole albums to say what Dylan said in a single line.

- The Charlie Parker tune is an instrumental, yet it clearly speaks to a truth. It also references the earlier mentioned Ray Charles song.

Music is very personally and at the same time it's something we share. I thank everybody for sharing some of their truths.

I think that this one from John Hiatt, on the subject of "faith" resonates:

"Still you angle for your options
and you argue for your case
like you wouldn't know a burning bush
if it blew up in your face"

Mine too.

but nobody was more deadly serious than Czarivey's entry, now that is one spooky lyric.

"don't you know there ain't no devil, that's just god when he's drunk"

John Hiatt, an absolute National treasure. Good one Marty!

I was standing in the bathroom just now, when my all-time number one truth expressed in song suddenly came to me:

"No matter how I struggle and strive
I'll never get out of this world alive"

Have truer words ever been spoken? And these by a hillbilly!

That same hillbilly also sang "'cuz if you mind your own business then you won't be mindin' mine."

Hank Williams, my favorite philosopher! Dylan's too, I believe.

I'll also give Tori Amos (not generally a huge fan) her due on this insight into male ego:

"So you can make me come. That doesn't make you Jesus".