The crowd scenes strike a chord, entranced young faces and outstretched arms reaching for the figure on a stage, memories of Frank Sinatra stirring the emotions of a young generation coming of age in a dark wartime world.
They called it "swooning" then, young girls moved to tears by the promise of love and happy endings beyond the hard realities.
Barack Obama's ballad is political, not personal, but he is striking notes of hope and caring to a post-MTV generation that in the Bush era has heard only cynicism and despair. This time they are not only filling arenas and cheering but, by the evidence of recent primaries, going to the ballot box and voting.
It will take time for politicians to grasp that we are beyond demographics here into a realm where the old song-and-dance routines are not enough. Bush-Cheney-Rove replaced them with bitter dissonance and discord, but those sounds have run their course, too.
Now, a new generation that hasn't known any other kind of politics is hearing something new, the music of "Yes We Can," and their response to the rhythms is crossing over to older listeners.
If Obama can provide the right lyrics in the coming months, we may all be dancing to a new tune in November.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Love, Actually
Anglophilia is hard to resist. Like a Hugh Grant-Richard Curtis movie, the British just can’t help charming us.
After politely following our lead into Iraq, they are now getting out in their understated way by quietly withdrawing their troops and disposing of Tony Blair.
Less stodgily, they are stoking nostalgia this weekend by re-creating Woodstock--music, mud and all. In Glastonbury, 175,000 of their young are sloshing around in what, for most of us, evokes memories of a happier time:
"Many party-goers had been up all night at the silent disco, where revellers plug into personal stereos to listen to dance tunes. The aim is to dance the night away in silence...
"Another big attraction overnight was at the King's Meadow where Banksy, an anonymous graffiti sensation who has rocked the art world, had erected a mock version of the Stonehenge prehistoric site out of graffiti-strewn mobile toilets."
More than two centuries after the unpleasantness between us, the British are still colonizing our spirit. When that boob George Bush is gone, come back, Your Majesty, and bring along the young princes. We’ll have a ball. A dignified one, of course.
After politely following our lead into Iraq, they are now getting out in their understated way by quietly withdrawing their troops and disposing of Tony Blair.
Less stodgily, they are stoking nostalgia this weekend by re-creating Woodstock--music, mud and all. In Glastonbury, 175,000 of their young are sloshing around in what, for most of us, evokes memories of a happier time:
"Many party-goers had been up all night at the silent disco, where revellers plug into personal stereos to listen to dance tunes. The aim is to dance the night away in silence...
"Another big attraction overnight was at the King's Meadow where Banksy, an anonymous graffiti sensation who has rocked the art world, had erected a mock version of the Stonehenge prehistoric site out of graffiti-strewn mobile toilets."
More than two centuries after the unpleasantness between us, the British are still colonizing our spirit. When that boob George Bush is gone, come back, Your Majesty, and bring along the young princes. We’ll have a ball. A dignified one, of course.
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