It's (not) only rock and roll.
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" If I could stick my pen in my heart
And spill it all over the stage
Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya
Would you think the boy is strange? Ain't he strange?
If I could win ya, if I could sing ya
A love song so divine
Would it be enough for your cheating heart
If I broke down and cried? If I cried?
I said I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it
I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it, like it, yes, I do"
-The Rolling Stones
I have recently been working on a piece called "Die Wise", but I have been stuck, so I did what I always do, I put it aside and let it ferment in the darker spots of my brain. It may be the most important piece I have written for myself (though in my typical fashion of always willing to share) so I did not want to rush it.
So, I did what I always do, I try to distract the process and step into another sphere of influence and inspiration. Though I have never played a musical instrument, but it is next on my list, music has always been an important piece in my life. But until yesterday, I did not truly appreciate the true, deep, all-encompassing art in rock and roll music. I was schooled, and loved every minute of it.
The Rolling Stones were a genius bunch, I knew it to a degree, but not to the degree that the exhibit "Exhibitionism" displayed their genius. I walked away head spinning and understanding a little more what true genius is, from another perspective. These fellows were writers, poets, musicians, actors, performers and they brought it all together, note by note, word by word. And
then, somehow they would sit in a room and bring each others personal genius together and some how harmonize it into things we hear, things that mark moments in our lives, enrich our souls, touch our lives. Music is strange, unlike a movie or a play, we can listen to a good song a hundred times and never get tired of it, instead, it only gets better, it gets richer.
I am keeping this one brief, because my head is still swimming with ideas, inspiration and thoughts. It is amazing where we find the muse sometimes, inspiration, sometimes one only has to open up a different door, a proverbial side door to something we thought we were already familiar with, to find the next level down the rabbit hole of creativity and wonderment. These are the good things of life, I search them out because they make my life better, deeper, richer, more interesting and exciting. They help me see a world that I would not otherwise see; there is so little time.
Starting painting some 8 years ago was a step into this wonderland for me, then a few years learning latin and American style ballroom dance 9 years ago took things a level deeper, now 4 plus years into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu that physical form moving art has further opened my mind and world to things I never could have imagined. I have now decided that music must be added next. Who cares that I am now 50 years of age, it is never too late to learn and stay young in the mind. I cannot fathom what lies inside this world of music, I am excited, it has been too long in the waiting.
Finding myself lying on my death bed some years or decades down the road ruminating and wishing I had done something is not really a logical option for me. Regret is worse than death itself in my mind. So, the next stage has been determined. Music has been a big part of my existence and it is time to try and find out the deeper reasons as to why; I wrote about this topic here, a piece about Gord Downie titled "Dear Gord: Silence's Ransom".
Oh of the things to come in life. When I hear someone say they are suffering of boredom, I want to slap the stupid out of them. The problem they do not see clearly is that, they think they have time.
"If I could dig down deep in my heart
Feelings would flood on the page
Would it satisfy ya, would it slide on by ya
Would ya think the boy's insane? He's insane
I said I know it's only rock 'n roll but I like it
I said I know it's only rock'n roll but I like it, like it, yes, I do" - Mic and Keith
-Shawn