analepsis

“So as to give them courage we must teach people to be shocked by themselves.”

Life Narrative (HUM470)

10 Comments Posted by apciv on January 25, 2012

I was going through your questionnaires looking for musical advice and selected a few of the artists mentioned. First, a remarkable clip of Billie Holiday singing Travelin’ Light:

The Temptations’ Papa Was a Rolling Stone:

Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing:

Your assignment for Tuesday (in addition to the required readings on they syllabus): send me a song (and lyrics) from youtube that you feel qualifies as a life narrative. It has to be “American.” Submit as a comment to this post by Monday evening @8 pm.

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American Autobiography, assignments, music

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10 Responses to Life Narrative (HUM470)

Paula January 26, 2012 at 12:54 pm
Such a great clip of Billie. She did so much with her limited vocal range, keeping her singing interesting and just timeless.

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- Paula January 26, 2012 at 2:15 pm
  Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHbCE53s9hQ ]
  
  Is this the real life-
  Is this just fantasy-
  Caught in a landslide-
  No escape from reality-
  Open your eyes
  Look up to the skies and see-
  Im just a poor boy,i need no sympathy-
  Because Im easy come,easy go,
  A little high,little low,
  Anyway the wind blows,doesnt really matter to me,
  To me
  
  Mama,just killed a man,
  Put a gun against his head,
  Pulled my trigger,now hes dead,
  Mama,life had just begun,
  But now Ive gone and thrown it all away-
  Mama ooo,
  Didnt mean to make you cry-
  If Im not back again this time tomorrow-
  Carry on,carry on,as if nothing really matters-
  
  Too late,my time has come,
  Sends shivers down my spine-
  Bodys aching all the time,
  Goodbye everybody-Ive got to go-
  Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth-
  Mama ooo- (any way the wind blows)
  I dont want to die,
  I sometimes wish Id never been born at all-
  
  I see a little silhouetto of a man,
  Scaramouche,scaramouche will you do the fandango-
  Thunderbolt and lightning-very very frightening me-
  Galileo,galileo,
  Galileo galileo
  Galileo figaro-magnifico-
  But Im just a poor boy and nobody loves me-
  Hes just a poor boy from a poor family-
  Spare him his life from this monstrosity-
  Easy come easy go-,will you let me go-
  Bismillah! no-,we will not let you go-let him go-
  Bismillah! we will not let you go-let him go
  Bismillah! we will not let you go-let me go
  Will not let you go-let me go
  Will not let you go let me go
  No,no,no,no,no,no,no-
  Mama mia,mama mia,mama mia let me go-
  Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me,for me,for me-
  
  So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye-
  So you think you can love me and leave me to die-
  Oh baby-cant do this to me baby-
  Just gotta get out-just gotta get right outta here-
  
  Nothing really matters,
  Anyone can see,
  Nothing really matters-,nothing really matters to me,
  
  Any way the wind blows….
  
  Reply
  - Paula January 27, 2012 at 1:22 am
    Just realized it has to be American…so here’s Johnny Cash’s “Boy Named Sue” (lyrics in the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gbtm-93oqE&feature=related
  - apciv January 29, 2012 at 12:10 pm
    I like it. Reminds me of my grandfather.
- apciv January 29, 2012 at 12:12 pm
  I know. Her phrasing is amazing.
  
  Reply
Monica Rinna January 26, 2012 at 11:23 pm
http://youtu.be/68nrURpTDOM

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Monica Rinna January 26, 2012 at 11:37 pm
http://youtu.be/QT9tEzjtIU

Ok, sorry to post 2 songs, I felt this was more appropriate to the personal narrative and did not know how to delete the first.

Reply
- Monica Rinna January 26, 2012 at 11:45 pm
  sorry everyone . . really and truly, after all that I entered it in wrong!!!! It is Lynyrd Skynyrd’s
  “Tuesday’s Gone”
  
  http://youtu.be/QT9_tEzjtIU
  
  Reply
  - apciv January 29, 2012 at 12:11 pm
    Nice.
Josh Smith February 2, 2012 at 1:05 pm
Montezuma – Fleet Foxes [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdN2bfov9JQ]

The opening lines to this song (So now I am older/ Than my mother and Father/ When they had their daughter/ Now what does that say about me?) help articulate a more self reflective life narrative. The song continues to find meaning and understanding in what it means to be in your 20′s in 2011-2012. Throughout, the singer (Robin Pecknold) seems to compare his current life to those of people in the past, people who now seem to have had their lives figured out or determined in some way, but perhaps were just as confused as he is now. I don’t know; I like it.

Lyrics:
So now I am older,
Than my mother and father,
When they had their daughter,
Now what does that say about me.
Oh, how could I dream of
Such a selfless and true love
Could I wash my hands of
Just looking out for me?

Oh man what I used to be
Oh man oh my oh me (x2)

In dearth or in excess
Both the slave and the empress
Will return to the dirt, I guess
Naked as when they came.
I wonder if I’ll see
Any faces above me?
Or just cracks in the ceiling,
Nobody else to blame?

Oh man what I used to be,
Oh man oh my oh me (x2)

Gold teeth and gold jewelry
Every piece of your dowry
Throw them into the tomb with me
Bury them with my name.
Unless I have someday,
Ran my wandering
Mind away

Oh man what I used to be
Montezuma to Tripoli
Oh man oh my oh me

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