This post is dedicated to this one song and my oppinion on the underlying meaning to it.
The Last Resort - The Eagles
She came from Providence, the one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's ways,
and how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere to the Great Divide
Seeking a place to stand
or a place to hide
Down in the crowded bars, out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all,
what it's like up there
And they called it paradise I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low while the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert through the canyons of the coast, to the Malibu
Where the pretty people play,
hungry for power to light their neon way and
give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus, people bought 'em
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind and sail to Lahaina
just like the missionaries did, so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign: "Jesus is coming"
Brought the white man's burden down
Brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design?
What is yours and what is mine? '
Cause there is no more new frontier
We have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and
justify our bloody deeds,
in the name of destiny and the name of God
And you can see them there, On Sunday morning
They stand up and sing about what it's like up there
They call it paradise I don't know why
You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye
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1st Verse
This verse speaks about people leaving the known world in the early years for what was called the new world. The continent of America. It is historically known that many people from assorted countries left the old world, central europe, some parts of Asia possibly to escape the problems of life to go to a place, untouched by human civilisation.
2nd verse
This verse continues off where the first verse left off. Arrival in the new world, where people smiled at the apparent paradise. Free from the touch of man's destructive works to manipulate its surroundings. The red man's ways would refer to the native Americans who were nicknamed Indians but their apparent worship and technical living off the land were well known. The land was more or less sacred and the Native Americans did little to change their surroundings but adapted to it rather then make it adapt to them. This verse also talks about the people of various parts of the old world who came over to the new world. Seeking a place to stand would be people coming to begin a new life, or possibly a place where life could be renewed. A place to hide would refer to people with problems back home in the old world. Such as British Colonists who moved to the new world to escape the heavy taxation back in England.
3rd Verse
This verse is quite apparent in showing life in the bars. A person who has seen the new world has apparently come back to share his or her tale about the new world and what it was like out there. But apprently the making of the mountains low could possibly refer to the destruction of landscape by mining, logging or other such geographic changing activites. All this is down as people talk about the new world as a paradise to be made.
4th Verse
This possibly highlights the arrival of the colonial governments of the various european nations in the new world. The coming of powers to the new world marked the begining of the end for the wonderous new world that was soon to become a paradise lost.
5th Verse
The arrival of the colonial governments also meant the arrival of the rich folk, rich business people who seeked a luxiourious, exotic life or possibly a new way to earn more money. These rich folk "raped" the land by drastically changing the landscape. Removing critical features like trees, land marks and various natural highlights. The ugly boxes refered to here would possibly be the construction of homes and buildings which would more or less resemble the shape of a box. As the new world was colonised and modernised, much of the paradise it used to be became less and less evident with many of its features lost forever. The hazy sun would refer to the pollution of industries that were built within the industrial revolutions or the production of various chemicals or such.
6th Verse
This speaks of an escape to yet another place, another paradise just like the missionaries did when they spread the word of christ around the world. But regardless of where people went to escape the impending destruction of any earthly paradise the movement of a person to a place as it gained popularity would be inevitable. The white man's burden would possibly refer to the ease of conversion of the natives to the receptiveness to european culture and less opposistion to european colonial rule.
7th Verse
This is no longer a story being told but a statement being made. Humans have come to the point where there is no where else to run to avoid their problems. The destruction of the "heavenly" paradises on earth meant that eventually it would come to where it had to stop where the lines say "We have got to make it here".
8th verse
This verse could be considered religious slander. This could possibly refer to the Christian Crusades. Christians killed any religious opposition to occupy lands to satisfy our lust to satisfy our needs and justify it as the lyrics go "in the name of destiny and in the name of god" This goes quite true as many people used to justify their actions because they thought it was to fufill destiny or to do god's will.
9th verse
This is the conclusion to it all. It possibly highlights the people who hide behind the justification of their deeds by destiny or the name of god, as hypocrites. They can stand in church on sunday mornings and sing all they can about what the greater paradise in heaven would be like. But it all boils down to the same ending. If humans cannot make paradises on earth last and hide behind the reasoning of destiny or religious crusades, there is no room in heaven for them. Their final paradise is as good as gone thus "call some place paradise, Kiss it goodbye".
This song is the inverse of most popular beliefs that this was how the west was won. But The eagles have done a fine job here in portraying how the west was lost. With its beautiful landscape and its native people removed it became more or less a sad demise to a paradise lost.
12/24/2006 08:28:00 pm
Wednesday, December 20, 2006So goes the end of another sad day in December. Apart from a $300 windfall..thank you god!...I think i'm still abit off mood. Although i felt ecstastic yesterday I have lost the mood since then. I did alot of practice today starting at 11.30 and ending at 3.30pm. Starting again at 7 to 8 and again at 10 to 11. I'm just bored...
Today i learnt to play two pieces. Danse Macabre (Dance of the dead) on both Alto Sax and flute and March from the Nutcracker on flute. I spent much time on Danse Macabre because of its more intricate fingering for Alto Sax... F sharp B Flat, F sharp G Sharp B flat and so on so forth.. but on Flute it was much easier. Danse Macabre is a fast moving piece that has a rather solemn sounding tune to it which makes it sound quite sad to some varying extent at different parts. Danse Macabre is called the Dance of the Dead which was a potrait that was showcasing the fact that death is universal to all people. Whether you're the pope, a king, a peasant, a rich man, a young lady or anyone, death is the same to all.
An interesting piece with a nice history behind it. Although what i have is only the shortened one. I actually look forward to playing the full song in an orchestra or band one day.
I'm tired but I still wanna go for a game...blast the damn weather. I wanted to do some running but the rain kept me indoors all day. But at least i made good use of my time with some indoor exercises inbetween.
12/20/2006 12:36:00 am
Sunday, December 17, 2006There comes a time in every life
Oops I'm sorry its not A time but many times. This is just one i guess.
I'm feeling slighlty unnerved. Low cash even with the bonuses, No job, no happiness at the end of the year. A lonely christmas. My brother's gone to stay at my Cousin's place due to army. I haven't achieved one of the prime goals i set for myself. I will not mention it here. No resolution for that.
I think i should go dormant honestly. Cut off all negatable feelings for the otherside. Worry only but one's self and personal happiness. Does it really pay to be nice? Does it really pay to be humble? Does it really pay to give way to things which you honestly just cannot stand?
Its debatable but i'm in no blooming mood for it. I can see it all now. A person studying Physchology so he can understand himself better. What a joke yeah? Thanks bro for all those books. I have nothing left to do so might as well start canning it again.
Although it turned out a huge joke, Black Adder's a Christmas Carrol...was particularly true. When you're good and caring for everyone else, you are the most unhappiest and stuffed up person because you just can't let it out. When you're scheming and nasty, you are happy with yourself and your personal goals but in the end you're not really happy. So what is happiness then. Happiness is about morals we are told. What pleases someone else should please us just as much because it brings a smile to another persons's face even if it's from you.
I should be spotting happy but i'm not. I'm unhappy and i feel rather left out. I want to go back to the old days. Where i could sit down as a follower and not a leader. To be a junior and not a senior. To have the power to turn back time and do more useful things with my past years. Have the past 16 and a half years been a waste?
Where were you when others took music seriously? Where were you when others took up important skills? Where were you when others pulled up their socks and strove harder? I don't know where was I, was I there? or was i not. I know the answer to the first and i definately know i hated music as a boy. I could'nt be bothered to learn if that was more what it meant. I could have started more seriously. Had i taken it seriously i would have become a guitarist. But i did'nt and I have become a Flautist, Clarinetist and Saxophonist but with little profession. I'm not unhappy because i did'nt become excellent in those instruments when i was younger but more or less I'm unhappy because i just can't match up to the people around me. Am i just a washout? A reject of Music. Plainly put I think music is not my cup of tea. I don't know what others think but unless its the truth i don't want to hear it. I don't want friendly consolences of You're good or don't worry you're still starting out. Plain and simple if i suck i don't want to hear it from you but if its good then make it worth hearing. It definately will morale on my end. I seriously doubt anyone would read this or take it seriously anyway.
I know computers because i spent a long part of my life working with it. My beeping and twittering little friends. But what is the use of a computer person in the world nowsadays? You meet up with other labrats and yay you get along but when you find your interests largely differ and your goals are mountains apart...you start to wonder if your friendship was just one of convienience or one that was legitimate. You start to wonder what is it that your friends see in you. A hinderance? A pest? or a true friend? Do they trust you? Find you pleasing to be with? Comforting?
Life sucks now because of the times. Money, Jobless, unhappy with personal life and feeling useless.
What people see of me is but a farce. You don't see me unless you are me.
I don't expect anyone to ever read this because simply put I'm that guy that nobody finds interesting because he's just too damn different and too damn untalented. This is only here because i need to let off some steam. One day i'll probably look back on this and laugh my head off but its not anytime soon.
12/17/2006 08:45:00 pm
Wednesday, December 13, 2006Make the rich poor
This the season to be....BROKE. I see nothing much jolly about Christmas this year. I'm jobless, near broke and damn busy. Being busy with choir is nothing to me , i enjoy that. But being BROKE hurts the most. No cash means no good presents for friends and family. This month alone i need $160 for repairs , $650 for a new instrument and an unknown amount for christmas gifts.
FUCK TEST, STUPID COMPANY. WANT TO HIRE FASTER LAH WASTE SO MUCH TIME CB....
Because of that STUPID company i'm jobless if not I would have gone to apply at a hotel earlier. Waste my time. I won't work for you even if you called me now. I need the cash and its because of you bastards at TEST that I don't have a job. If you're not going to hire at least tell the person dammit. Waste our time.
Made worse is the stupid PAP scheme. Raising GST to 7%.
WTF 7% GST IS ALREADY ONE OF THE HIGHEST IN THE WORLD>
You wanna help the poor? By making the rich poorer? And literally smacking the middle class in the balls and making them bleed to death? How the hell did we ever end up with a government that claims that it helps the poor by raising the GST? You raise GST, the poor ones who are buying goods ALSO HAVE TO PAY HIGH PRICES. Soon there will only be one monetary class. Its called the damn poor. All thanks to the PAP. Pay and Pay. You want help the poor get richer? You damn ministers use your own damn pays and help them. Don't overtax the innocent working people. I may not work but my parents do. Wtf Lousy government policies, no job, no good stuff.
12/13/2006 11:20:00 pm
Sunday, December 10, 2006Back from melbourne and feeling good. Just performed but feeling really tired. So i won't post anything much tonight other then this. I practiced alot in melbourne and i sound better or at least i think i do. Night.
12/10/2006 11:22:00 pm
Friday, December 01, 2006Blogging from Changi
Yo, here I am from Changi using the free terminal access. The plane is at 9.55am and here i am blogging lol. If theres anything i'm going to miss in Singapore while I'm overseas would be my friends here. Brennan and Joven my Kopi buddies. Joven (again) and Liz who we literally spent the whole of last week seeing each other almost every single day. Sigh it seems like a whole long time ago that we performed at the meritus mandarin on monday yeah? I'm going to miss all the choir peeps too and someone, whoose name i can't mention here for descretion purporses. I'll be back next friday 8/12/06 at 2.30pm approximately. I'll bring back lots of stuff yeah?
Aaron and Joven please be early for your weekday practices alright? Don't make Liz wait forever for you guys to come :P. See you all next friday. If you see me online i'm using my friends PC and I'd probably be in Melbourne.
PS: Jo and Liz guess what i heard at the airport terminal playing in the background :) .... I saw three ships was playing in the background lol!