Sound has more impact on life than we know or credit it for. Sound is not just significant to humans but many lifeforms. When we hear a loving voice, our mental mood & thoughts are different compared to a roaring voice of a harsh boss at office. The first voice of a newborn baby has deep mental impact on a mother, while hearing an authoritative voice of a policeman when you are repeatedly getting pulled over at checkpoints for riding on a ‘cool’ chopper may bring a different response.
Long-time pet owners will vouch that their dogs or cats hear and respond to their voice, maybe even specific words. I had a cat who recognised his name when called. He also knew and loved the word ‘chicken’ among other words. Cats and dogs also have a strong sense of hearing, while most people only ‘hear’ (punny) about their sense of smell (or the smell of what the cat left behind in your shoe).
The music company HMV stands for the words ‘His Master’s Voice’. The HMV official logo illustrates a painting titled ‘His Master’s Voice’ by Francis Barraud of ‘Nipper’ listening to a Phonograph cylinder, which was bought by the Gramophone Company in 1899. It shows a dog looking at the gramophone, supposedly playing the recorded voice of his master, hoping his master will appear soon.
A famous experiment conducted by Jagadish Chandra Bose at the Royal Society of London in 1901 demonstrated that just like humans, plants too have feelings. He was also the first to study the action of microwaves in plant tissues and corresponding changes in the cell membrane potential (Bose was a physicist, botanist and a pioneer in radio science).
Humans with their fast improving lifestyle and diverse cultures have developed sound into great folksongs, retelling histories and unexplained mysteries. People further developed them by writing songs and using musical instruments. With standardizing of common musical instruments, music composition and changes to ‘what is considered a singing-voice’, we now have a whole range of music genres to choose from – for entertainment, for ‘edu-taiment’ of kids, for relaxing, for hitting the gym, for romantic night dinners, for wild parties and more.
(Note: Regarding singing voice, it is true that: when he was 14, young Elvis was given a C- grade for music, “below average”, with his teacher specifically commenting that he “had no aptitude for singing.” Later his audition to a local quartet failed, again because of his perceived lack of talent. After a performance at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry (Oct. 2, 1954), Elvis was allegedly told by an Opry manager that he was better off with his day job as a truck driver because he would never make it as a singer. Two weeks later he appeared on Louisiana Hayride & signed on for 52 Saturday night appearances on the radio show, thus launching his legendary career.)
Do songs or prayers motivate you? Does instrumental music for meditating or repeating a particular word/phrase/name help inspire you and give you desired results? Did a recording of historic words after first footsteps of man on the moon make you want to learn more about science or mechanics of how rockets or engines work?
Below are references to these misconceptions about songs written by legendary singer-songwriter John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival (listed at no. 40 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of 100 Greatest Songwriters).
1. ‘Lookin’ Out My Back Door’ is not about drugs at all.
This song appeared in the album: Cosmo’s Factory.
The intriguing name of the album had trippy lyrics such as –
“Won’t you take a ride on the flyin’ spoon? Dood-n-doo-doo
Wonderous apparition provided by magician
Doo, doo, doo, lookin’ out my back door”
The song came up again in the trippy iconic movie ‘The Big Lebowski’ (1998) where ‘The Dude’ is looking through his rearview mirror as the song is playing. A movie by incredibly talented writer-director duo Coen Brothers.
All this will make any parent grab and destroy that CD (unless they are really hardcore Rock fans and look up stuff).
Well, the song is what John wrote when he came home to his 3-year old son.
With reference to: www.AmericanSongWriter.com
In interviews and in ‘Bad Moon Rising: The Unauthorized History of Creedence Clearwater’, John Fogerty is quoted as saying the song was actually written for his then three-year-old son, Josh. He has also said, the reference to the parade passing by the door was inspired by the Dr. Seuss story, ‘And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street’.
2. Another hit song from this wonderful album was ‘Run Through The Jungle’
No Sir, it is not about Vietnam War.
With reference to: AXS TV interview and quoted in www.rollingstone.com
In a TV interview that was also mentioned in Rolling Stone magazine in Jan-2016, the master-songwriter said:
“I’ve seen it written that ‘Run Through the Jungle’ is about Vietnam, but that’s not true. I was speaking about the landscape in America. I had been thinking about the idea ever since 1966, when Charles Whitman had gone on a rampage, killing sixteen and wounding thirty-two others, shooting from the observation tower at the University of Texas. The song is really about gun control.”
That said, there is his unique take about such a control:
“Now, I’m a hunter. And I’m intrigued, even fascinated, by weaponry through the ages. But you don’t take a machine gun to go deer hunting,” he said. “There’s got to be some sort of lid on this thing.”
(since 9/11 & Snowden and diminished rights of citizens) “I think it is important that our citizenry is armed. I believe this acts as a deterrent – whoa! Deterrent? Against what? Let’s just say that the fact that there are millions of armed people ready to defend their homes probably acts as a huge roadblock against those who would try to seize the country for their own ends.”
Fogerty also wrote about this song in his 2015 autobiography, ‘Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music’, echoing much of the same, saying he was a hunter that favored gun control.
3. Well, does that overload your heart & mind and wanna listen to the trippy song about Seuss’s characters with some whisky & women?
Well, here is another gem from this very album that promises a better stress-buster and true freedom. Freedom to ride, enjoy, explore, party, make friends, see the unseen beauty all around.
The name of the song is ‘Up Around the Bend’. Yes! It is about riding your motorcycle with the wind blowing, a smile for company.
With reference to: www.unmask.us
John Fogerty explains, “This was inspired by riding my motorcycle. I just remember riding along, and the title phrase came to me. Just the feeling of going. Movement.”
Well, movement is definitely important. Apart from physical, metal exercises, make sure to exercise your motorcycle engine, gears, throttle & roll those wheels. While a laid-back man may joke about moving parts causing more wear and tear, a biker knows by experience that a human body & mind regenerates only through exercise, not by stagnation – especially not of ‘spirit’.
And of course, the biker takes enough care to service & repair his/her motorcycle. Bikers personify their bikes, treat them like a person, with dignity & respect! They give their bikes a name. Some may advice you that, abuse of your machine will throwback bad surprises on some faraway highway. It may also be a metaphor for your life & health!
Life has it’s ups and downs, just like riding a big V-Twin on winding mountain roads or dirt tracks in small detours. You also get to ride smooth and fast on many highways and outside big cities.
Depending on all the mental / physical luggage, you may or may not reach your full-engine-capacity / efficiency. One man’s life though is not as similar as their friend or neighbour’s motorcycle of the same make & model.
So, there would be some rocking and some rolling & tumbling – depending on the path you choose to ride on. But you gotta gotta ‘Ride On’ !
So, cheer up and listen to this one below:
* * * * * * * * *
Song: “Up Around the Bend”
written by John Fogerty
from Album: “Cosmo’s Factory by Creedence Clearwater Revival
There’s a place up ahead and I’m going
Just as fast as my feet can fly
Come away, come away, if you’re going
Leave the sinking ship behind
Come on the rising wind
We’re going up around the bend
Ooh
Bring a song and a smile for the banjo
Better get while the getting’s good
Hitch a ride to the end of the highway
Where the neons turn to wood
Come on the rising wind
We’re going up around the bend
Ooh
You can ponder perpetual motion
Fix your mind on a crystal day
Always time for a good conversation
There’s an ear for what you say
Come on the rising wind
We’re going up around the bend
Yeah
Ooh
Catch a ride to the end of the highway
And we’ll meet by the big red tree
There’s a place up ahead and I’m going
Come along, come along with me
Come on the rising wind
We’re going up around the bend
Yeah
Do-do-doo-do
Do-do-doo-do
Do-doo-do
Do-do-doo-do
Yeah
Do-do-doo-do
Do-do-doo-do
* * * * * * * * *
References: Very brief excerpts of lyrics or interviews are taken solely as examples for further explanation. Their copyrights remain with their author & copyright owners.
Royalty-free images courtesy www.unsplash.com and its contributors
unsplash.com Images Acknowledgement List:
“silhouette starry sky” by Greg Rakozy
“kid singing aloud on the microphone” by Jason Rosewell
“girl listening to radio tape-player” by Eric Nopanen
“uniformed men holding rifles with military motorcycle” by Kyppy84
“misty mountain (empty) roads” by Fritz Bielmeier
“man riding motorcycle loaded with lot of luggage” by Lars Bo Nielsen
Edited mages:
“vintage military motorcycle resting against a wall in Rhodes Greece” by Mason Summers and “compass market direction” by AbsolutVision – was further edited by Wayfarer as “wayfarer-stagnant-direction”
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