Why do we, humans, creatures, and whomever, continue on apath with the complete and utter knowledge lodged in ourminds that we are creating our own destruction. Willingly,even. Maybe it is out of lack of care, or the need tosatisfy curiosity. It seems as though, without tangibleevidence in front of us to show us the difference betweenbroken and functional (as a child would see spilled milk,and know to clean it up, yet would previously have pouredthe milk regardless of its weight or possible consequences)just to see what would happen; just to achieve his owndesires. Radiohead, a band, if you could even call themthat... more of a superhuman entity in my trite opinion, haswritten several songs about the irresponsibility of mankind.People strive to harm themselves, their earth, their minds,their well-being -- the list goes on. One of several songsis entitled Idioteque. (http://www.loyno.edu/cgi-bin/webmail3.cgi?cmd=url&xdata=~2-e54f2af48bb3db59151bd238f88456acf79400&url=http!3A!2F!2Fsadsteve.com!2Fpreview.py!3Furl=http!3A!2F!2Fwww.gillz.ca!2Fmusic!2F08!2520-!2520Idioteque.mp3!26song=Idioteque!26artist=Radiohead) Copy and paste that. Excerpts: "Who's in a bunker, loose in a bunker, women and children first, and the children first, and the children. I laugh until my head comes off. Ice age coming, ice age comin'. Let me hear both sides, let me hear both sides, let me hear both. We are not scaremongering, this is really happening."--Another brief song reference.--
Radiohead - Paranoid Android - "Off with his head, man.. Off with his head man! .. That's it, sir. You're leaving. The crackle of pigskin. The dust and the screaming. The yuppies networking. The panic, the vomit. The panic, the vomit. God loves his children, God loves his children, yeah."
(sorry i posted this on the wrong gmail account the first time!)
ReplyDelete-Tyler
I've heard Thom Yorke, the prolific songwriter of radiohead's music speak many times about issues concerning the environment and social justice(I.e. the extinction of polar bears, global warming, sweat shops, poverty). All this is very apparent in his song writing but i'm not sure it goes along with the theme of "self-destruction". Like many of the apocalyptic topics we cover in class discussions and readings, I like to try and hold on to the system of keeping any dynamic shifts value neutral.
When Thom Yorke is singing
"Flies are buzzing around my head
Vultures circling the dead
Picking up every last crumb
Big fish eat the little ones
Big fish eat the little ones
Not my problem give me some"
It seems to me that he is merely creating a lens, pointing to something, or illustrating a situation and saying "look at this!". We do the same thing with many issues we (or atleast myself) can't even begin to grasp. Our exploration doesn't go from an inability to comprehend to frustration, but rather to awe. If we attempt to process much of our apocalyptic literature through this lens we can see it a whole new way, and instead of backing down at the first signs of mental intimidation, we can simply say "that's not my problem, give me some".
I once did a visual essay in response to William Blake's poem "Auguries of Innocence," and I set the piece to Radiohead's song "National Anthem" from the album Kid-A. There was something about the gradual ratcheting up of the tune and the lines "Everyone is so near / Everyone has got the fear" that seemed to sync up with Blake's cumulative rhyming couplets. Radiohead definitely figures into a certain (or perhaps productively ambiguous) contemporary apocalyptic imaginary.
ReplyDeleteTyler - Upon reconsideration I think you're right. Don't know why I had a negative perception that day. Although global warming is a creation of mankind (and other elements, yes, but we are speeding it up at an insane rate) and so are many of the environmental problems of which Thom Yorke speaks, Radiohead has a beautiful way of leveling the playing field, so to speak. Songs like Optimistic (sweet quote reference on your part) remind us of that; of change. "The best you can is good enough". I think "I Will" is a perfect song for the class. I wish we could all listen to them or read them for assignments, as they are as influencial as many of the things we do read. "I will lay me down, in a bunker underground. I won't let this happen to my children, with the real life comin out of your shell. Cause white elephants, sitting ducks, I will. Rise up." There is an objectivity involved in perceiving the world, the next step is putting his words and advice into practice. Let's see it mankind...
ReplyDelete