You're The Only One Who Knows

I was searching my computer for the Billy Joel song So It Goes, just because I need to hear it every few weeks, when I realized that it was on my other computer, and rather than boot that one up, I punched "so it goes" into youtube, assuming that a music video would come up and I could hear the song.

While that page was loading, I began talking to my friend Austin on a instant message chat. He asked how my students were doing, and I said "some are passing, some aren't...but so it goes" just thinking of the song. But that made him think of Vonnegut, who he's been reading intensely for several months now, and the line from "Slaughter-House Five."

So, interesting, yes. But when I turn back to youtube to see what my search brought up, it was this video, which is a lovely tribute to Vonnegut, but uses Billy Joel's song. I had seen it a year or so ago when Vonnegut had just died, so it goes.

I think this sort of idea that "there are no accidents" is probably something that Vonnegut would have disagreed with - most of his writing suggests to me that life is essentially random and that we might as well go along with it: embracing what is rather than imposing a make-believe order. I disagree with him (if I am accurately reporting his stance), but enjoy his writing nonetheless.

Kurt Vonnegut died on April 11, 2007, so it goes.

All You Need.

Listening to the Beatles classic "All You Need Is Love" again, since its Vday, I'm struck not by the dropping, easy/lazy vocals, or the slightly circus organ rythym (especially as it breaks into the outro, recalling the lyrics to their earlier hit with its "Love you...yeah yeah yeah") of the trumpets; no, what I'm most in tune with is the violins. After the first chorus, there is a moment where the wittle down the essence of the melody to a bare draw, a perfect squiggle in time. And a minute later the tempo opens up and we get the circus act.

Is that like love? The Take it Easy slow build, the moment of truth, and then the fun drops from the sky and the party begins and carries you into forever.

Gemma Hayes

I'd like to suggest listening (?deeply/?seriously/*strongly) to Gemma Hayes. She has a penetrating voice and sense of placement about herself that must be timed very closely with the human condition - her piece "Work to a Calm" is wrenching. It sets out the soul on edge like the grinding of gears does my teeth. The sound itself, however, is quite lovely.

Her album Night on My Side begins with the words "Oh good God, what has he done / traded a heart for a bullet and mind for a gun" and never fails to match the promise of tragedy and ache.

Gemma Hayes.