While researching the aims of Hinduism Wealth/Success and Liberation I found that both aims seemed prevalent. Unlike the last assignment, where I had to go onto youtube to find some songs for Community Service, I was able to find examples of both Wealth/Success and Liberation on my iPod. I think there are some good reasons as to why it isn’t hard to find examples of both and I will start with Wealth/Success. Of course Wealth/Success was an easy find, possibly easier to find the Pleasure because by living in America we live in a Capitalist society that is obsessed with money (Interestingly enough most of my songs are written by people from the United Kingdom, so I suppose they are just as obsessed?). It isn’t difficult to find songs that have to do with Wealth/Success because that is something that most people aim for in life. As far as Liberation goes, I didn’t find it too difficult to find songs that have to do with that. I feel that it is somewhat easy to find examples of Liberation as it is something that a lot of Americans are seeking, whether they realize it or not. Liberation can mean several different things to different people, be it Liberation from social constraints, from oppression, from mental confines, from a situation. The concept of Liberation is something that has be very prevalent in our society over the last 100 years with the Women's Rights movement and the Equal Rights movement. Liberation is something that our society has been singing and writing about for quite sometime, however this type of liberation isn’t exactly what the Hindu meant when they discussed the aim of Liberation, and finding songs that have to deal with the Liberation of the soul from Samarsa is something much harder to find. The Hindu Aim of Liberation is very different the the idea of Liberation that popular music mostly focuses on.
Song Choices:
The music I used for Wealth/Success requires some explanation as some of the songs are a bit cryptic. Peter Gabriels‘ “Big Time” and “The Barry Williams Show” don’t really require much explanation, “Big Time” is about a man from a small town gaining wealth and success and “The Barry Williams Show” is a song about a talk show hosts fame and success. The Sex Pistols “EMI” might require explanation for those who have never heard it, Its a song about the manufactured music group used to gain wealth by a record company. Elvis Costellos’ “National Ransom” and “Dr. Watson, I Presume” does require some explanation. “National Ransom” is a song of Costellos new album that talks about people working hard everyday to pay off the debt and gain their own wealth and success. “Dr. Watson, I Presume” is an extremely cryptic song and the only reason I used it for this assingment is because I have heard Costello explain this song. “Dr. Watson, I Presume” is a song written about a conversation Costello had with Doc Watson, a successful musician, about how to gain success and it focuses on the advise that Doc Watson gave Costello.
The Music I used for liberation might require some explanation as well:
Peter Gabriels cover of Arcade Fires “My Body is a Cage” is a pretty self explanitory song about a man who wishes to have Liberation from his body so he can be free to be with the one he loves. Elvis Costellos “Hidden Shame” is a song about a man trying to tell his love about all the bad things he has done in his life so he can be free from the pain his shame is bringing him. Joseph Arthurs “You Are Free” is another song about personal Liberation and about being able to break free from your former self. XTC “Ball and Chain” is a fun song about breaking free from constraints. Finally Neutral Milk Hotels “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” is an amazing song about being free of this world.
