As I stated in chapter five of The
Birth of Tragedy, music is the
highest form of art, the most supreme of that being tragedy. It
combines Dionysian musical beats with Apollonian imagery of words to
provide an experience for the listener which consists of the ways of
the world. 'Amsterdam' by Guster combines these two concepts
beautifully, with a catchy melody to draw in its audience while
imagery such as "From your red balloon you were/ a super
high tech jet fighter/ Floating over planet earth" retains the
audience's attention and stimulates the imagination. Through this
passion, the singer distances himself from the circumstances and
brings the experience to a higher level. It is no longer merely a
break up, but something worthy of memorializing in song. The singer's
grief, though expressing itself in a somewhat upbeat manner, turns
the song to a tragedy worthy of praise.
No comments:
Post a Comment