A different kind of 'interpretation' with 10 English songs
In these “interpretations” I typically pick a Greek song, translate its lyrics, and then do the philosophy I would have done anyway. Put differently, I am using music as a starting point for a comment that might turn into a discussion… A failing tactic, for sure, but I digress.
The reason I pick Greek songs is to introduce this type of music to an international audience. Though you should not assume that I have a vested interest in it. I care about art, which knows no borders.
So here are 10 songs covering a variety of styles that I enjoy. I keep it to 10 because I do not have enough lives to appreciate in full everything people do. Sorted alphabetically:
- Boney M. - Rasputin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16y1AkoZkmQ (pretending I can pick one from Boney M.)
- Chumbawamba - Tubthumping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H5uWRjFsGc (good energy to keep you going)
- Deep Purple - Soldier Of Fortune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjIL2BemqBY (a personal story while you are catching your breath)
- Eagles - Hotel California https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09839DpTctU (I am almost conventional at this point)
- GALA - Freed from desire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3l7fgvrEKM (Will Grigg’s on Fire!)
- Peter Nalitch - Guitar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOzkN8dHnjk (the GOAT)
- Placebo - Every You Every Me https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMaycNcPsHI (“carve your name into my arm”!!!)
- Scooter - How Much Is The Fish? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbB3iGRHtqA (a fortune, mate—tough times)
- System Of A Down - Toxicity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iywaBOMvYLI (because I do not understand half of Chop Suey, lol)
- The Prodigy - Out Of Space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4eav7dFvc8 (just wake up your boring neighbours)
The gist of all this is that each person is multifaceted. Sometimes I do not want to listen to music at all. I enjoy the birds and the ambience of the mountains. At others I am keen on something more contemplative and at others still I will put on a dance song. As a matter of fact, while I am typing this out, Coco Jambo by Mr. President is playing from my archive, which is one helluva blast from the past!
In embracing our multifacetedness we free ourselves from the absurdities of ideological purity. Take any benign idea—love, beauty, peace—to an extreme and it becomes so inwardly corrupted it turns into its opposite.
In the expression of multifacetedness there is common sense. You allow each facet of yourself to thrive, because you are taking care to water all the plants. As such, you are creating an internal polyculture, which is resilient to disease. Diversity in harmony produces balance of the sort that is sustainable.
Balance can also be enforced through uniformity, adherence to dogma, and brute force. This is the singlefacetedness of monoculture that delivers short-term results and longer-term malaise. In terms of everyday behaviour it runs counter to our nature at times, even when it is done in the name of it, and thus ends up being pretentious in substance and performative in style.
The human condition is diverse throughout. The individual is, in this regard, both mirror and amplifier of group dynamics, of social trends, and historical trajectories. By exposing ourselves to others, we allow our own self to flourish and to become more rounded.
How can you know, for example, if you actually like dancing if you have never done it in earnest? Maybe what you are missing is exposure to that person and/or situation that will tease out whatever remains hidden deep inside of you.
Intellectually, I am a philosopher. Though a more generic term is explorer. I will go anywhere the wind sails because (i) I am keen on learning as much as I can, (ii) I recognise I am not in complete control of the world and so accept my fate, and (iii) I have the courage to deal with whatever danger awaits.
The danger with the explorer’s conduct and with diversity more broadly is that it can become wasteful of its own vitality if it is stretched too thin. Concretely, if I explore too much without integrating any findings into my life, then I reach a point where I am pulled in all directions, unable to actually do anything from start to finish.
Similarly, diversity for the sake of diversity does not produce any good results. Polyculture at its extreme is so competitive for each plant that there can be no one or few species that yield enough fruit.
It again comes down to balance and common sense, to avoiding the absurdities of the extremes.