Girl in Yellow Sweater. Prudence Heward.
Bob Dylan’s “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go” is a masterclass in painting the impression of a whirlwind romance, with all its highs and lows. Contemporary covers by Miley Cyrus and others slow down the song, giving it an entirely different feel that is at odds with the Dylan’s inspiration — a torrid love affair with a record company employee.
Read More
Lady Agnew of Lochnaw. John Singer Sargent.
Today, liberals and the left often are clumped together. But, a chasm differentiates the political ideologies between the two. Phil Ochs, one of the eminent folk singers on the sixties, recorded the sardonic Love Me, I’m a Liberal in 1966. The pointed satire mocking the liberal contradiction is as relevant as ever.
Read More
Les Salinieres near Trouville. Richard Parkes Bonington.
(Sitting on) The Dock of the Bay is an undisputed masterpiece by Otis Redding. Yet, a casual listen my conjure feelings of relaxation or zen. Rather, lyrical tricks of repetitiveness and omission, combined with grim descriptions underly a morose, bleak hymn. It is clear that the dock of the bay is more prison than paradise.
Read More
Young Breton Woman. Paul Gauguin.
Bob Dylan is remembered as an integral member of hippy movement, having written political anthems like The Times They Are a-Changin'. However, by 1964, Bob Dylan began writing more and more about individualism and less about socialism. This shift in song-writing is on full display in the song, To Ramona.
Read More
Three Persons Viewing the Gladiator by Candlelight. Joseph Wright of Derby. Behold the human! Examine the worry at their core.
On first listen, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” and “Three Little Birds” might appear interchangeable. However, despite superficial similarities, these two songs say very different things about worry, happiness, and life.
Read More