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    Amsterdam and A Schoolgirl

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    The document discusses how different people perceive music. While most people focus on the lyrics of songs, the author rarely hears the words and is instead fascinated by the sounds. As a child, the only song lyrics they clearly remembered were from a song about a mouse in Amsterdam, which captured their imagination. Nearly 50 years later, the author was intrigued by the sounds of a schoolgirl reciting a poem in Korean on a TV show, even though they did not understand the words. Overall, the author is not focused on the meanings of lyrics but sees the human voice as another instrument, and finds the sounds of words compelling.

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    Amsterdam and A Schoolgirl

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    7 views1 page
    The document discusses how different people perceive music. While most people focus on the lyrics of songs, the author rarely hears the words and is instead fascinated by the sounds. As a child, the only song lyrics they clearly remembered were from a song about a mouse in Amsterdam, which captured their imagination. Nearly 50 years later, the author was intrigued by the sounds of a schoolgirl reciting a poem in Korean on a TV show, even though they did not understand the words. Overall, the author is not focused on the meanings of lyrics but sees the human voice as another instrument, and finds the sounds of words compelling.

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    A comment on musical appreciation

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    Amsterdam and a Schoolgirl

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    The document discusses how different people perceive music. While most people focus on the lyrics of songs, the author rarely hears the words and is instead fascinated by the sounds. As a child, the only song lyrics they clearly remembered were from a song about a mouse in Amsterdam, which captured their imagination. Nearly 50 years later, the author was intrigued by the sounds of a schoolgirl reciting a poem in Korean on a TV show, even though they did not understand the words. Overall, the author is not focused on the meanings of lyrics but sees the human voice as another instrument, and finds the sounds of words compelling.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Download as pdf or txt
    7 views1 page

    Amsterdam and A Schoolgirl

    Uploaded by

    Name
    The document discusses how different people perceive music. While most people focus on the lyrics of songs, the author rarely hears the words and is instead fascinated by the sounds. As a child, the only song lyrics they clearly remembered were from a song about a mouse in Amsterdam, which captured their imagination. Nearly 50 years later, the author was intrigued by the sounds of a schoolgirl reciting a poem in Korean on a TV show, even though they did not understand the words. Overall, the author is not focused on the meanings of lyrics but sees the human voice as another instrument, and finds the sounds of words compelling.

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    Amsterdam and a Schoolgirl

    How do we hear music? I don't mean in the car or while washing the dog, making
    love or on the factory floor. More precisely, let's ask how we perceive music. Do we
    all perceive it in the same way? That's unlikely.

    The majority of people listen to a song and the words leap out at them [citation
    required]. I rarely hear the words. Even when they're vitally important such as lyrics
    by The Smiths. Footnote: That's The Smiths not Morrissey. As a band, they formed a
    collective genius and even though Stephen P was the wordsmith, on his own he's a
    gobsh*te. Anyway, back to the point...

    I was surrounded by music since birth. Handel, Winifred Atwell, The Beatles, Dicks
    and Rudge, the list goes on. But it was always the sounds that fascinated not the
    message. It wasn't until aged eight that a songs's words really sunk in for the first
    time. I was in the kitchen watching my mother making cake when a song came on
    the radio. Being raised in 1960's South Wales valleys, I knew nothing about exotic
    locations like Amsterdam, and that story of a mouse somehow captured this young
    boy's imagination.

    I saw a mouse
    Where?
    There on the stair
    Where on the stair?
    Right there
    A little mouse with clogs on
    Well, I declare
    Going clip clippity clop on the stair
    Oh yeah

    The next lyrics that I 'heard' and made any sense were in a Joe Jackson song some
    20 years later.

    You can probably tell by now that I'm not one of the majority who finds song lyrics
    important. The human voice is just another instrument to my puny linguistic brain.
    Oh, but such a vital and important instrument.

    So, it was while watching a TV show more than 50 years after the mouse made its
    impression that another flash of wordy enlightenment occurred. A schoolgirl recited
    her own poem about a mountain. Only the subtitles gave it meaning because her
    spoken Korean is not my strongest subject. The words were interesting but this
    programme was filmed in the DPRK so they were possibly tainted with a smidgeon
    of propaganda (shurely not!)

    Anyway, like I said, I'm not big on words. But... their sound was so captivating and
    the way she performed was utterly compelling. It made me want to chop them up
    mercilessly.

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