Music

Ophelia, you must remember…

"Ophelia" by John Everett Millais

I rarely shroud myself in silence. When I’m at home, the first thing I do in the morning is turn the radio on; unless I’m reading or writing I also play music in the office. And in the lab music is often indispensible. When I’m driving I like music too. There’s a lot of it in my life! But not much of it on the blog. Maybe because you can’t take pictures of it.

I have perhaps a bit of a strange relationship with music. As I have no musical talent whatsoever, but have a proper fascination with words, I focus quite some attention on the lyrics. And sometimes it gets compulsive. Sometimes a song starts haunting me, and as I can only play a song in my head if I know the lyrics, such a song will often tumble around like a moth around a flame; only when I can play it in its entirety in my head will it stop fluttering about, and can spread its wings.

Recently I had that with “Ophelia” by Tori Amos, from the album “abnormally attracted to sin”. And the only bit I remembered was “Ophelia, you must remember…” Not enough! Margot must remember. So I played the song over and over. Until I knew it all.

The next step should be trying to find out what it all means. I have never read Hamlet, or seen it performed! And there’s many more references in the text; for instance to “the Eve of St. Agnes”; a poem by Keats. Never read that either! And she sings “Veronica’s America is not like Charlotte’s"; who are Veronica and Charlotte? That I may never find out, but I should read the two literary works. Music for me is largely words, and words lead to more words! Should I just give this blog entry the tag “books”, even though I tried to write about music?

A painting by John Everett Millais based on "the Eve of St Agnes"

Ophelia by Tori Amos

Ophelia your secret is safe
Ophelia you must break the chain
Some girls will get their way
Some fathers will control from the grave
Ophelia you must remember

Veronica's America is not like--
Is not like Charlotte's, one to savor
Cosmic flavor
Then Alison whispers, "remember
Change waltzes in with her sister Pain
Waiting for you to send her away
Wish her well break the chain
Break the chain"
I feel you
Ophelia

"The Eve of St. Agnes",
A poem he can't reach you in
Ophelia you know how to lose
But when will you learn to choose
Those men who choose to stay
Those mothers who won't look the other way
Ophelia you must remember

Veronica's America is not like--
Is not like Charlotte's, one to savor
Cosmic flavor
Then Alison whispers," remember
Change waltzes in with her sister Pain
Waiting for you to send her away
Wish her well break the chain
Break the chain"
I feel you
Ophelia