Monday, February 01, 2010

Longing for the Imagined

One of my favorite songs right now is "Liz On Top of the World" from the "Pride and Prejudice" soundtrack. The following is what the song sounds like to me, not what's actually going on in the movie. I love the high point of the song, which moans an ache of yearning that sounds as if it has, until this point, been suppressed. And now it is released and sings out its refrain. It's not a sadness, but a longing for something that can't be had. This something is so ideal, so perfect, so beautiful. You can't fully comprehend it; it is only an idea, a wish of a world and of a life that you can only gaze at through a foggy glass window. A window that is far in the distance; a distance that can never be crossed. Because that distance is the dichotomy between reality and things that will not be.

No, this isn't a sad post on my dreams that will never be. Nor are these the feelings the character feels as the song is playing. It's just what the song sounds like to me. I love listening to music--to gentle lyrics, to the sighs and moans of a violin, to the whispers of strings and the hopes of the winds--and hearing a story that only I can hear. That means one thing to me at one time, and something different at another. I love hearing a story that probably wasn't the story intended by the composer but speaks to me far more personally than his would have. Another beautiful longing song I'd recommend is "Rose Garden" from the "Becoming Jane" soundtrack. Oh, and "First Impressions" from the same is a great song as well. Yes, I love sad, beautiful songs :) "Liz On Top of the World" is below. I couldn't find "Rose Garden," or "First Impressions" but they're on iTunes. I bought "Rose Garden" and think I listened to it 40 times in less than a week!





PS There's a new Great Quote to the left. And... I haven't changed my room picture yet! Terrible.

1 comment:

Melissa said...

absolutely beautiful, Mo. You have excellent taste :)