I am always fascinated by the back stories, how someone comes up with the inspiration to create, compose, conceive or conceptualize something. The germ of conception has a kernel of a real life experience but the final creation arcs tangential from the point of origin and creates its own space.
So can we truly interpret a work of art? Just by looking at the final product reverse engineer all the way to the source, the thought process and pinpoint the trigger?
My answer would be no, art cannot be surgically evaluated. However this doesn't protect it from the curious minds looking for a meaning, or interpretation. Rather the answer lies in acceptance of duality, the inspiration of the artist and the interpretation of the critic can exist at completely different planes but both equally qualify to exist but not necessarily agree with one another. The character and history of any piece of art is built on this interaction between art and it’s surrounding- the artist and the audience.
Now that we have got the philosophy out of the way, I wanted to talk about a Colin Hay song that somehow catalyzed this stream of consciousness (also the Grammy are underway, the previous blog too warranted some answers-the germs are all around for this outburst).
I am talking about the song Down under-Colin Hay. Talking about the origin of the song Colin Hay noted that “the verses were very much inspired by a character he had called Barry McKenzie..".
The character was a parody of the boorish Australian overseas, particularly those residing in Britain – ignorant, loud, crude, drunk and punchy – although McKenzie also proved popular with Australians because he embodied some of their positive characteristics: he was friendly, forthright and straightforward with his British hosts, who themselves were often portrayed as stereotypes of pompous, arrogant, devious colonialists
"The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the over-development of the country. It was a song about the loss of spirit in that country. It's really about the plundering of the country by greedy people. It is ultimately about celebrating the country, but not in a nationalistic way and not in a flag-waving sense. It's really more than that."
Today it is a popular and patriotic song in Australia. It became the unofficial theme song of the Australian team at the Sydney Olympics and the band performed the song during the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
For all this recognition bestowed on the song Colin had this to say, "I love the song, I have strong feelings about it because it's looked after me for many, many years."
Don McLean voiced the same sentiment regarding the song, ‘The Day the music died’. When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to”..
How something is conceived and how it is perceived follows a path of its own which might not necessarily reflect the vision of the creator. But in a way that is the inherent characteristic of everything that lives and survives, it finds its own trajectory.
My answer would be no, art cannot be surgically evaluated. However this doesn't protect it from the curious minds looking for a meaning, or interpretation. Rather the answer lies in acceptance of duality, the inspiration of the artist and the interpretation of the critic can exist at completely different planes but both equally qualify to exist but not necessarily agree with one another. The character and history of any piece of art is built on this interaction between art and it’s surrounding- the artist and the audience.
Now that we have got the philosophy out of the way, I wanted to talk about a Colin Hay song that somehow catalyzed this stream of consciousness (also the Grammy are underway, the previous blog too warranted some answers-the germs are all around for this outburst).
I am talking about the song Down under-Colin Hay. Talking about the origin of the song Colin Hay noted that “the verses were very much inspired by a character he had called Barry McKenzie..".
The character was a parody of the boorish Australian overseas, particularly those residing in Britain – ignorant, loud, crude, drunk and punchy – although McKenzie also proved popular with Australians because he embodied some of their positive characteristics: he was friendly, forthright and straightforward with his British hosts, who themselves were often portrayed as stereotypes of pompous, arrogant, devious colonialists
"The chorus is really about the selling of Australia in many ways, the over-development of the country. It was a song about the loss of spirit in that country. It's really about the plundering of the country by greedy people. It is ultimately about celebrating the country, but not in a nationalistic way and not in a flag-waving sense. It's really more than that."
Today it is a popular and patriotic song in Australia. It became the unofficial theme song of the Australian team at the Sydney Olympics and the band performed the song during the closing ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
For all this recognition bestowed on the song Colin had this to say, "I love the song, I have strong feelings about it because it's looked after me for many, many years."
Don McLean voiced the same sentiment regarding the song, ‘The Day the music died’. When asked what "American Pie" meant, McLean jokingly replied, "It means I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to”..
How something is conceived and how it is perceived follows a path of its own which might not necessarily reflect the vision of the creator. But in a way that is the inherent characteristic of everything that lives and survives, it finds its own trajectory.
So if you still looking for meaning, go figure!(for that little sliver, the needle in the hay stack)..
For the song find the link here:
Background information about the song from Wikipedia.
