Reading Music
Not the notes, but the meaning. You can read songs as well, not just listen to them.
The deception in music is that it is something to listen to, when there can be narrative layers, both at the time they are written, as laid down by the songwriter, but also through history.
Music becomes a geological metaphor.
Paul Simon's Hearts and Bones now has another layer of meaning after the death of Carrie Fisher, and will add others in the future.
I recall Elton John saying anecdotally that people appreciate the music first and the words second. This is a strange idea, given that the music he wrote was made possible by Bernie Taupin's poetry, and the layers that will appear in the future. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" couldn't have been as successful as an instrumental, especially if there are lines (strata) that gather later.
The deception in music is that it is something to listen to, when there can be narrative layers, both at the time they are written, as laid down by the songwriter, but also through history.
Music becomes a geological metaphor.
Paul Simon's Hearts and Bones now has another layer of meaning after the death of Carrie Fisher, and will add others in the future.
I recall Elton John saying anecdotally that people appreciate the music first and the words second. This is a strange idea, given that the music he wrote was made possible by Bernie Taupin's poetry, and the layers that will appear in the future. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" couldn't have been as successful as an instrumental, especially if there are lines (strata) that gather later.
