Once in a very rare occasion you can find a song that is truly great that transcends itself and is happy in just about every setting.
Before I go further, I'd like to lament that people in the United States don't pay more attention to things outside of the US. The Eurovision contest is an example. I'm convinced that most talent shows in the US are profit driven more than they are talent drive and Eurovision is an example of how talent wins. I've followed this contest for a couple of years checking in periodically on the talent presented.
2024 Eurovision was plagued by politics - and politics can destroy ANYTHING!
But I'm convinced after hearing all the entries that the winner of Eurovision 2024 would have won even if there wasn't all the drama that surrounded it.
The artist is Nemo, they are from Switzerland and their winning song was called THE CODE. A song that is a mashup of opera, rap, pop - which sounds like it might be pure garbage. But Nemo seamlessly weaves the genres together making them complimentary and adding to the dynamic and emotional content of the lyrics. Nemo's vocal diversity, range and power are present throughout the song whether it's breathy, sung or rapped and in the live version below which is my personal favorite it it amazing how he carries off the vocal delivery with a consistent energy that is rarely seen. The acoustic version really showcases the actual voice. This is pure talent!
Another thing about this song. I have heard 4 different versions. And I can tell you that while the mood changes in different settings it does not diminish the songs power. There is a certain level of dynamism and even some bombast like one hears in music used in the opening credits of a contemporary James Bond film. It just has that kind of kick. I'm really looking forward to how this talent develops going forward. We'll see if this was a one-off or if it's a directional indicator.
I'm going to present these 4 versions here and let you decide which you like best. But all 4 are winners in my mind.
Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments.
#1. Live
#2. Orchestral
#3. Acoustic
#4. Official Music Video
~~~ Lyrics ~~~
Welcome to the show Let everybody know I’m done playing the game I’ll break out of the chains
You better buckle up I’ll pour another cup This is my boheme So drink it up my friend
Uhhh Uhhh This story is my truth
I, I went to hell and back To find myself on track I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh Like ammonites I just gave it some time Now I found paradise I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh
Let me tell you a tale about life ‘Bout the good and the bad, better hold on tight Who decides what’s wrong, what’s right Everything is balance, everything’s light I got so much on my mind And I been awake all night I’m so pumped, I’m so psyched It’s bigger than me, I’m getting so hyped
Uhhhh Let me taste the lows and highs Uhhhh Let me feel that burning fright Uhhhh This story is my truth
I, I went to hell and back To find myself on track I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh Like ammonites I just gave it some time Now I found paradise I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh
Somewhere between the 0s and 1s That’s where I found my kingdom come My heart beats like a… Somewhere between the 0s and 1s That’s where I found my kingdom come My heart beats like a drum
Uhhhh…
I, I went to hell and back To find myself on track I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh Like ammonites I just gave it some time Now I found paradise I broke the code Oh, Oh, Oh
We live in unprecedented times. Allusions to past evils. Trapped in the machinations of the powerful to stamp out individuality, creativity, dissent, freedom. This is happening all over the world. It is perhaps most obvious here in the United States where democracy, freedom, dissent, and creativity are embedded in the national psyche and is under attack like never before.
Political party affiliation does not matter. Each party is trying to eliminate the other. Locked in a death battle where both will die. Like a quote, by Confucius, that I first heard in a James Bond film. "before you embark on a journey of revenge you must first dig two graves." (ostensibly, one for your enemy and one for yourself). In other words these battles are useless and counter-productive.
I've been listening to the band LAIBACH since 1985's release of Ein Schauspieler a cassette only release; a collection of live performances. I've always found their music envigorating. It is not for the faint of heart. Their martial industrial style is a perfect soundtrack for times we live in. They were in fact prophetic. They've been giving us warnings and satirizing all our wrongs for decades and few have taken heed.
The video today exemplifies that vision. Brat moj (My Brother), from Laibach's 1985 self titled album shows what is happening in our society when someone stands up, stands out or is different in any way (whether that difference is religious, cultural, philosophical or sexual orientation) the forces in this world are trying to equalize everyone.
I pray for failure.
Please pray for failure. Let diversity/difference reign!
Happy May Day everyone. If any part of this creation looks familiar - it should. This is an extreme creative edit of a raw color photo file that I originally posted as a black and white image back in April. Here's the link to that photo if you are interested. https://onbeingbecoming.com/2024/04/23/cix-2/
The sad theme song for our time. It seems that dispossession is the overriding state of existence for so many people as we reach the closure of the first quarter of the first century in the new millennium.
Migrants fleeing poverty, violence and uncertainty for places that do no want them. Victims of wars. Victims of environmental catastrophies like floods, fires, climate change. Democracy crumbling. Citizens of political upheaval and civil strife Is anyone not touched and dispossessed in some way?
SONG OF THE DISPOSSESSED
The river is deep and the road is long, Daylight comes and I want to go home.
Awoke this morning To find my people's tongues were tied And in my dreams They were given books to poison their minds.
The river is deep and the mountain high, How long before the other side.
We are their mortar, Their building bricks and their clay. Their gold teeth mirror Both our joys and our pain.
The river is deep and the ocean wide, Who will show us how to read the signs.
The earth is our mother She taught us to embrace the light, Now the lord is master She suffers an eternal night. You blocked up my ears, You plucked out my eyes, You cut out my tongue, You fed me with lies,
... on being and becoming ... 