blind-fitter Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Kurt Vonnegut is one of my favourite writers. Most recently, I have been reading his "A Man Without A Country: a Memoir of Life in George W. Bush's America". On the subject of "Music", Vonnegut says: "No matter how corrupt, greedy and heartless our government, our corporations, our media, and our religious and charitable institutions may become, the music will still be wonderful. If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph: "THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD WAS MUSIC" Now, during our catastrophically idiotic war in Vietnam, the music kept getting better and better. We lost that war, by the way. Order couldn't be restored in Indochina until the people kicked us out. That war only made billionaires out of millionaires. Today's war is making trillionaires out of billionaires. Now I call that progress. And how come the people in countries we invade can't fight like ladies and gentlemen, in uniform and with tanks and helicopter gunships? Back to music. It makes practically everybody fonder of life than he or she would be without it. Even military bands, although I am a pacifist, always cheer me up. And I really like Strauss and Mozart and all that, but the priceless gift that African Americans gave the whole world when they were still in slavery was a gift so great that is now almost the only reason many foreigners still like us at least a little bit. That specific remedy for the worldwide epidemic of depression is a gift called the blues. All pop music today- jazz, swing, be-bop, Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Stones, rock-and-roll, hip-hop, and on and on- is derived from the blues. A gift to the world? One of the best rhythm-and-blues combos I ever heard was three guys and a girl from Finland playing in a club in Krakow, Poland. The wonderful writer Albert Murray, who is a jazz historian and a friend of mine among other things, told me that during the era of slavery in this country- an atrocity from which we can never fully recover- the suicide rate per capita among slave-owners was much higher than the suicide rate among slaves. Murray says he thinks this was because slaves had a way of dealing with depression, which their white owners did not: They could shoo away Old Man Suicide by playing and singing the Blues. He says something else which also sounds right to me. He says the blues can't drive depression clear out of a house, but can drive it into the corners of any room where it's being played. So please remember that. Foreigners love us for our jazz. And they don't hate us for our purported liberty and justice for all. They hate us now for our our arrogance." What do SongFactors think? N.B. I'm more focussed on his opinions about "music" here than the "political" points raised in the passage. I suppose I could have only quoted certain paragraphs- to the detriment of flow and continuity- but really, who am I to edit Kurt Vonnegut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daslied Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 I agree. Music is about the only thing that everyone likes, at least in some way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phil Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Agree. Just the fact that America created Blues, jazz and R&B is a good reason to love your country. The politics? I stopped paying attention 3 years ago. I'm looking for a different direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Agreed. Music is the great ambassador. Politically? They hate us for far more than our arrogance. The arrogance is just the hook upon which they hang their hate. Let me count the ways....affluence, freedom, world reach, homogeniztion, etc., etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Couldn´t agree more. America is the origin of nowadays music. (Among other things.) We wouldn´t have rock and roll, jazz or blues without it. Politically? They hate us for far more than our arrogance. The arrogance is just the hook upon which they hang their hate. Let me count the ways....affluence, freedom, world reach, homogeniztion, etc., etc. Now, couldn´t agree more once again, Joe... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Politically? They hate us for far more than our arrogance. The arrogance is just the hook upon which they hang their hate. We ARE pretty arrogant, though, aren't we? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Well, yes...I suppose I am. And who told you that you could talk to me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 The music that's coming out nowadays is atrocious and stands in stark contrast to the kickass music that was coming out during the VietNam War years. But, hey, look at it this way, during times of relative peace and stability we had britnay spears and jessica simpson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted April 8, 2007 Report Share Posted April 8, 2007 we're actually in an amazing era for rock music, contrary to popular opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 It's not opinion. It's the fugly truth What we need is an all-out war that ends all wars and kills off all hipsters and New Wave wannabes to finally pick up where the early 80s left off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 10, 2007 Report Share Posted April 10, 2007 KV is a jerk . My wife adores him , but she's a jerk , too . He's a space-' hippy -trippy ' ... little more as far as I've read ... :sleepy: :sleepy: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 I love his work. Him AND Moliere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daslied Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Moliere really pumps my nads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miamisammy29 Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted April 11, 2007 Report Share Posted April 11, 2007 Music as evidence of God is perfect; if that is what is needed to establish the fact. God invented it, afterall, and placed it throughout nature, long before man "invented" it (talk about arrogance ...) As to KV's societal impressions; to rant cynically, yet offer no solutions, is akin to a screaming child latched to a candy bar in the stand before the checkout counter, while the mother worries how she will feed the rest of the family for a week on what she has bought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcM Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 "When you're dead, you're dead. Make love when you can. It's good for you." KURT VONNEGUT (1922-2007) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 I dispute that - I think it was Hefner ! Either way , hardly profound , and not a great writer makes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcM Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Everyone is a critic! I am not a fan, I just heard he died today and that was the first thing I found by him that was on the topic at hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Wow! I didn't know he'd died even . R.I.P . The media is up to it's usual tricks going snakey on Don Imus these days ... Still , I have never enjoyed his books and though I agree with much of what he has to say on and off the record - I'm not a fan . Hmmm. Will that be all our own simple epitaths - Yeas or nays ? I guess it will be ... FYI : On the Day Kennedy was shot C. S Lewis also died - with barely a note , given the circumstances . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 (edited) Kurt Vonnegut died, aged 84 One of my favorite books of his was the short story compilation "Welcome To The Monkey House" Favorite line from one of his books (not sure which one): "Why don't you take a flying f##k at a rolling doughnut?" Edited April 12, 2007 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Favorite line from one of his books (not sure which one): "Why you you take a flying f##k at a rolling doughnut?" Was that spoken by one of his Filipino characters?. I felt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" his best. RIP, Kurt. The music did not die while still inside you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Edited my post to fix my error...sorry. I guess it's not good to type while laughing. I think the book that contained that phrase (several times) was "Slapstick", also a great book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Here's a question : do we really have to send our best wishes and hopes to the departed literatii ?! I mean if they haven't figured it out then what bloody awful and more powerful prayer has to be shed for we common folK ?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel2Velvet Posted April 12, 2007 Report Share Posted April 12, 2007 Dedicating a thought toward a recently departed may, in fact, have value for we living. I never pray for/to those already gone - words are of no consequence to them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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