Two Songs

I didn't realize that this song is from the 90s, though it seems obvious after watching the video (and Alix says it's in Empire Records, which is also a clear giveaway):



The song really does it for me. However, I'd assumed that it was a 90's style rip-off that came out around the same time (2003) as this song:



Aside from being a decade apart, I think these songs have a lot in common. First, they both have videos with the leader singer making weird faces. It's a nice reminder that most people look silly when singing, especially when they're not actually playing music. Stylistically, they nail the heavy pop rock sound - something rarely done. I'd also argue that both songs have bridges with enough hook to be choruses. In fact, all three parts of the traditional verse - bridge - chorus structure are solid in both songs. That's a rarity, like getting in all clean shots on a jab - cross - hook combo. Knockout.

Over and Under

At the end of every summer, as the school year arrived, I would tell myself how much I'd changed since the last year. How much cooler I'd be, for whatever reasons, and how much it would impress others. Then I'd find myself re-immersed in the day to day social and academic world of school, and realize that, for the most part, I was the same.

A similar process happens when I reflect on certain philosophical and spiritual ideas. At times, I will feel I've reached some sort of revelation, a new way of seeing the world and myself. But as time goes on I will find my overall perspective unchanged.

This isn't something I'm realizing now, though. After a couple of school years without significant growth in coolness, I'd say to myself: Yeah, I thought I was cool going into those last few years, but this year is totally different and I have a whole new perspective. Then I'd start to think that reflecting on one's coolness isn't very cool, and so I'd just let things ride. Be cool. Still, I was the same.

In my deeper reflections, I'd tell myself that constantly seeking progress in great leaps only held me back from further progress. Then I'd try to progress by letting go of my desire to progress.

I can't believe that I'm alone in this type of thinking. Rather, I assume that most people do it. Or at least most people under the same cultural influences as me, because I think that my culture creates this conception progress and growth. I'm not, however, referring to the obsession with get-rich-quick schemes or revolutionary diets. Rather, it's in our stories, our histories and myths. Here we have flashes, sudden revolution and invention and enlightenment that changes everything.

Supermen

I took a Russian literature course in college, titled "Outsiders, Supermen, and Ordinary People." The professor, a young woman from Russia who matched the description of all I'd imagine when told that the professor is a young woman from Russia, often provided much-needed insights on Russian culture as we discussed Pushkin, Lermontov, Turgenev, Tolstoy, and Dostoevsky, among others. She also brought up characteristics of American culture, sometimes to contrast with the Russian perspective.

As the course title implies, we gave a lot of attention to the place of individuals in society, both as the individuals perceive their place and as society sees it. One day, the professor said: "One thing I cannot understand is how Americans so often believe that they can be anything they want to be." She went on about how one can wish and try and pursue the goal of being one of history's great writers, but only certain people are actually capable of reaching that level.

By saying this, she not only challenged the Disney-esque message that if we try hard enough we can all achieve our dreams, she also suggested that talent - genius, even - is an inherent quality. Some of the class sided with her, while others fought back. However, remembering this, I forget which stance I took. I can imagine taking either one. And maybe that's the thing: subjectivity and open-mindedness can create a wash that makes nearly anything look possible, yet nothing definitive.