This song has always been one of my favorites. It has a very whimsical sound that draws you in as soon as you hear the first notes on the radio. The music has a certain quality that evokes strong emotions in the listener. When I listen to the music, it's almost like sitting under a moonlit sky with someone special. The music is moving because it is so dynamic. This is not a cookie cutter romantic hit. Rather it changes keys several times, swooping up and down along the scale, almost symbolic of the ups and downs that come with being in love and sustaining a relationship.
Having some background knowledge about how this song was “reborn” so to say, helps me understand a little about the emotion that Mama Cass gives to the music, and why her version is seen as the most popular version. Knowing that the group decided to do the song when they heard about the death of one of the writers shows the that the emotional connection that an artist has to the work can come through in the music. The added fact that Cass Elliot herself died young, just two days after performing this song, gave the piece some added meaning. The connection that the commentators made between the song and the deaths of people surrounding it brought up images of death and dreaming that gives extra layers to the song. Now when I listen to the song, I think of the writer and the singer who are themselves “dreaming a little dream.”
The analysis of the song by the commentators draws upon those events for most of their commentary, with only minimal attention to the music itself or the cultural significance of the work. While it is true that America is a nation of individuals, I would have liked to hear a little more about what makes this work significant to American culture, rather than the extensive individual history that they presented. The failure of the commentators to do so seemed to take away some of the importance of the song as a significant American work.
Fire and Rain: James Taylor
Fire and Rain is a sad song that always seems to resonate with me. It is a powerful commentary on the importance of living with purpose, rather than procrastinating things that are really important. As humans we always expect that there will be another day, another opportunity to see our friends and right our wrongs, but often those opportunities never come. This song poignantly points out this sad truth, but still there is a feeling of hope and brightness about it that contradicts the meaning of the words. You come away from listening to it with a good feeling, like you've reached closure with some of your problems.
Before I listened to the NPR presentation of this song, I was unaware of the background of the three verses. Now that I understand partly the feelings James Taylor was experiencing at the time, I can see why this song is so powerful to him as an individual and to so many others. I thought it was interesting when Taylor talked about how the experience changes for him based on the audience's involvement in the song. The audience has to receive the song and be connected with it for him to maintain the emotional connection that he had when he wrote it. I think that says a lot about why this song is significant, because it really brings out some powerful connections to the American audience.
Overall, I liked how this song was presented. It really highlighted the artists' involvement and care in creating a song that could move the American public. In the interview with Taylor, he mentioned several times that making a song is a communal effort, and that his songs are shaped by the emotional and political aspects of the surrounding culture. For this reason I think that Fire and Rain is a significant American song because it reflects the communal gathering of emotions, cultures, and circumstances. It is an important observation as well that not only do the people of the country help define the music, but the music in a lot of ways defines and shapes the people who listen to it.
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay: Otis Redding
When I first listened to “Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay,” I didn't really listen to the words very closely. I liked the sound of the music, but I didn't see much merit to the words. It seemed almost like some lazy guy complaining and wasting time away, instead of living an active and engaging life. I listened to a few other Otis Redding songs, and they seemed to be similarly morose and somewhat depressing, but always with an upbeat sound. The contrast between sad words and upbeat music is an interesting expression of optimism, but it is effective in its purpose.
Listening to the circumstances that surrounded the making of the song enforced the point that this song was meant to be optimistic in spite of lonely or depressing situations. I thought that Otis' good spirit and frequent jokes highlighted this point. He may not be able to change his circumstances, or fulfill every order that comes his way, but he will stay strong and firm in his own determination. In a way this is an anthem to all the people who think that they are stuck in a rut and that life is beating them down. For those people, this song says that your circumstances don't have to define you, but you can roll with the punches and keep going with life.
The presentation of “Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay” was effective in bringing out the points that I have mentioned. I would have liked, however, to see a little more of the historical background of the time period, and how Otis' songs both reflected his life and the circumstances of the times. The 1960's were filled with protests and struggles for many minority groups in the U.S., and it may have seemed to many like there efforts weren't doing much good, and this song may have been a catalyst that helped people to persevere and stick to their purpose.
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