That moment when a piece of music envelops you
One is doing something around the house, the radio is on – and suddenly something seems to burst out of the air and into your heart. Or you are at a gig, the band are playing ok - and suddenly something seems to burst out of the air and into your heart.
This is that moment when a piece of music envelops you. Here is a great example.
On a Thursday evening way back when, we were about to sit down to eat dinner (minced beef and mash). I remembered that Top of the Pops was about to start. I did enjoy catching up with some of the current pop, even if the show was, quite often, somewhat cheesy. So we sat in the lounge with our dinnerplates on our laps. There was the usual light-hearted chat and a couple of light pop songs.
Then Steve Wright announced the new song from Kate Bush.
A sound came hurtling from the screen like a fast-approaching storm. It was coupled to a strong, repetitive drum figure - repetitive and insistent. Then a striking slip/whip synthesizer sound, like an urgent cry, up and down.
I was frozen. The sound bored deep into my chest.
Kate started singing. Her melody was simple and reflected the slip/whip synthesizer sound. The urgency of her voice, reflected the vital message ... that we could swap places and understand each other better. (It seemed “vital” in both senses – “crucially important”, and also “life-giving”.)
I shivered, and the cutlery rattled on my unconsidered plate.
I felt as if the whole song was shouting “Please!” - “You must!” - “It’s NOW!” The music was pouring down from Somewhere Above, into Kate and through Kate.
The storm sound was a cluster of notes that stayed the same throughout the song, undercutting any changes in chords. This signature drone continued all the way through the song and the final chords sat down as the drone faded.
The lyrics? I don’t always “do” lyrics (we'll come to that in a later blog) but one line in particular struck me. “Is there so much heat for the ones we love?”.
(When I bought the LP I checked this and it is quoted as “Is there so much hate for the ones we love”. I was surprised – and delighted - because this, for me, is a wonderful ambiguity.)
For me it is a beautiful song.
Note - the picture I have posted for this is not Kate (I took it at a folk festival a few years ago) but I thought it reflected that feeling that the music pours down from Somewhere Above.