Your song
Face the music
I recently heard my favourite song played in the morning while I was home. Is it
A. A neighbour using his home KTV system to serenade the people in my block
B. A party that has not ended even when the sun has risen
C. A block party that people forgot to invite me
D. A funeral march
If you guessed A or B, my neighbours do not share my taste in music. If you guess C, the people in my block are extremely inclusive. If you guessed D, congratulations on reaching an almost full circle of life.
Imagine a hit song that teenagers once purchased CDs of their music. Imagine a hit song that even strangers join in for the chorus in a karaoke. It was so popular, that certain groups used it as their unofficial anthem. Now it is included as a song for the departed. The thing is that the song is only thirty years old.
I have witnessed my song list change radio stations. First, it was the station that played the hits. Then it moved to the station for the working class. I accepted the move as I was starting work at that time. So there was a chance to listen to a catchy song to brighten one’s mood at work. Then suddenly, the songs descended to the station that played oldies. This was before I had reached middle age.
Sad songs (say so much)
The answer seems to be in a forty-year-old song. Fans of Elton John would have caught the title. It is a song about how people can find solace in the radio station. For listeners who missed Elton John’s message, don’t feel bad. I only learned this while writing this article. Ironically, a song about hits hitting the spot failed to reach number one.
Some songs never go out of style. Paint it Black is one of them. A movie has used the song or one of its new covers every decade since the 80s almost unfailingly. But the song was released almost sixty years ago. I can accept it as a swan song. Swans were supposed to sing a beautiful song as their last act. As myths go, some swans do have a death rattle that does not sound like honking which one could argue is more symbolic.
Earworms
For readers interested in the origin of the term earworm, it is borrowed from the Germans. On a side note, the English language borrowed many terms from the German language. The fact the word name came from the Germans suggests that the loan is much larger than most people expect.
But back to the topic of music. Earworms are songs that you cannot get out of your head. People with children know this. Either the child plays a toy that produces the song or they sing it enough times to make it annoying. The alternative is better than a young adult playing music loudly at night or on public transport. Headphones have existed for more than a century. For those who want a more advanced music solution, there are directional speakers.
Hit songs stay with us because they capture a moment of our life. Some are tragic like the Candle in the Wind song that Elton rewrote for a princess. The original song was for Marilyn Monroe whose real name was in the song. If you believe the songwriter, it was initially for a gentleman called Montgomery Clift. But the Marilyn Monroe angle sounded better.
Requiem
On the topic of songs for the departed, I found an interesting device that is now included in some graves. Some people have solar-powered devices that play songs or chants while the sun shines. The best part is these solar-powered sound machines are so cheap, that you can replace them frequently. The downside is that they only play a few tunes. I am surprised that nobody has weaponized this device to get the last words in.
Perhaps the best revenge is a dish served cold. Or one says it best when you says nothing at all.
I would like to end the story with another popular funeral march. It is called “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. It is about the death of the lead singer’s father. Some people use it to symbolize the September 11 incidents. Other insensitive people use it as a literal wakeup call for the lead singer on social media. It got so bad that the lead singer joked about writing a song called “Shut The Fuck Up When October Comes.” That is one song that will be played at my funeral.