Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The Sound of Silence

This is one of the all-time classics and has gotten play in many movies including The Graduate, Old School and Watchmen. I've always interpreted this song as being a commentary on the lack of communication between people, which was appropriate back in the 60's and today. The root cause of many problems between people is the failure to communicate adequately.

Song: The Sound of Silence
Artist: Simon & Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend
Ive come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of
A neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

And in the naked light I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.
People talking without speaking,
People hearing without listening,
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence.

Fools said I,you do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you.
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon God they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the signs said, the words of the prophets
Are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls.
And whisperd in the sounds of silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hUy9ePyo6Q

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Gran Torino

This is an original song from the movie of the same title, starring and directed by Clint Eastwood. The song is essentially a mirror of what the movie is, which is one of forgiveness and redemption. In the movie, as the neighborhood Walt (Eastwood) lives in changes around him, the things that remain consistent are his house and his Gran Torino. After having lost his wife, besides his dog, the car is the only thing he can be happy about. Walt must learn to come to peace with his past mistakes and lift that burden off his shoulders. Eastwood was in on the musical side of the song. When the movie's end credits roll, Eastwood actually sings a couple phrases from the song before Jamie Cullum takes over.

Gran Torino
Music by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens
Lyrics by Jamie Cullum
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEXF7U5TYV8

So tenderly
Your story is
Nothing more
Than what you see
Or What you've done
Or will become

Standing strong
Do you belong
In your skin
Just wondering

Gentle now
The tender breeze blows
Whispers through my Gran Torino
Whistling another tired song

Engine hums and bitter dreams grow
Heart locked In a Gran Torino
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long

Realign all the stars
Above my head
Warning signs
Travel far
I drink instead
On my own
Oh, how I've known
The battle scars
And worn out beds

Gentle now
A tender breeze blows
Whispers through a Gran Torino
Whistling another tired song

Engines hum and bitter dreams grow
Heart locked in a Gran Torino
It beats A lonely rhythm all night long

These streets are old
They shine with the things I've known
And breaks through the trees
Their sparkling

Your world
Is nothing more
Than all
The tiny things
You've left behind

So tenderly
Your story is
Nothing more
Than what you see
Or
What you've done
Or will become
Standing strong
Do you belong
In your skin
Just wondering

Gentle now a tender breeze blows
Whispers through the Gran Torino
Whistling another tired song

Engines hum and bitter dreams grow
A heart locked in a Gran Torino
It beats A lonely rhythm
All night long

May I be so bold and stay
I need someone to hold
That shudders my skin
Their sparkling

Your world
Is nothing more
Than all
The tiny things
You've left
Behind

So realign
All the stars
Above my head
Warning signs
Travel far
I drink instead
On my own
Oh
How I've known
The battle scars
And worn out beds

Gentle now a tender breeze blows
Whispers through the Gran Torino
Whistling another tired song

Engines hum and better dreams grow
Heart locked in a Gran Torino
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long
It beats a lonely rhythm
All night long