Song in the subway
April 18, 2010 // Link
The TED talks are terrific. I’ve lost count of how many times they’ve made me rethink an opinion, or form one in the first place. Such beautiful, wonderful people with such beautiful, wonderful things to say about technology, art, science, culture, design and world issues.
Every time I dive into the TED website I come away with my mouth agape and my mind awhistlin’. It feels less like learning and more like having ideas planted in me.
At this year’s TED talks (where I was, once again, as ever, somehow not present) Natalie Merchant sang 19th Century poetry set to music. So lovely.
I was in a subway station a couple of years ago wearing headphones and listening to Natalie Merchant sing “Noah’s Dove.” Soon I realized a busker on the opposite platform was playing the exact same song, but just a few beats off. A million in one chance and we got this close. That’s the kind of near-miss that stays with you.
This blog post has nothing to do with TED talks, and nothing to do with Natalie Merchant, and everything to do with music in that subway station.
Suzanne McCarthy commented:
Natalie Merchant sings so beautifully! I loved the first song/poem, the one about the giant, especially. I can’t tell if the rest of the blog is about something sad or something happy. Maybe both? Maybe just something else beautiful too? When I see you next I’ll hug ya hard just in case, k? ^_^
spencer page commented:
what are the lyrics to the one about not getting married?
Ken Rose commented:
Thanks for the TED link, I never heard of that before its amazing. Do you have other ones to recommend I start with? There are so many and so many look good.
Carrington commented:
Suzanne: I can’t tell if it’s something sad or happy either. And hugs are one of my favourite inventions.
Spencer: It’s “If No One Ever Marries Me” by Laurence Alma-Tadema.
Ken: It’s hard to say. Off the top of my head: Woody Norris (the first one I ever saw); Hans Rosling; Julia Sweeney; and Larry Lessig. Ask me tomorrow and I’d probably choose all new ones. Just dive in!
Unworkably Quixotic commented:
Being an irrevocable-insatiable-audiophile, this entry makes me happy. In the end.. that’s what it’s about, as you’ve stated: music in the subway station. Admittedly I haven’t been to a subway station in many a year, I concur that some of these deep dark places are source to beautiful sound - a place that can pick you up and set you down in a better place-no matter how brief.
Cheers.
C
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