Art Lives On
I appreciate everyone's thoughts with regard to my last post, and we will definitely revisit this important topic. My next post will be the debut of my "BlogTunes Playlist."
Many of you will recognize these lyrics from the Curtis Mayfield hit People Get Ready. This song is such a strong and powerful anthem for civil rights and his recording of it is just amazing. But this song has a different, more personal and powerful resonance for me as of late. It's because of an artist named Eva Cassidy. Some of you might be familiar with her I was not. My brother gave me the track and I can't stop playing it. It is so moving and personal and deep that sometimes I just want to weep when I listen to it.
"People get ready
There's a train a-coming
You don't need no baggage
You just get on board
All you need is faith
To hear diesels humming
You don't need no ticket
You just thank the Lord
Yeah yeah yeah"
Then I found out that Eva died tragically several years ago which made this and her other musical creations that much more moving. What is it about the power a persons art after he or she has passed on? Perhaps it's because there isn't a hint of jealousy to be had as a listener, reader, or viewer. It's hard to want to be in a dead persons shoes even if they were the most amazing artist ever. There is also that search for the prophetic in the artist creation. You often try to read into peoples songs to see if they might of had an inclining as to what tragedy might befall them. Tupac and Curt Kobain are just two artists that come to mind, and there are no doubt many, many more.
I am not a talented enough writer to convey what an impact her singing has had on me. The only way I can think to adequately communicate her brilliance is to let you listen yourself. If you click this link you should download about minute forty-five seconds of "People Get Ready". That's long enough to get what I am talking about. Then you should read her story. I am glad that art can continue long after the artist has passed.
3 comments:
You know, when I first read this blog post, I took a cynical viewpoint. The kind of worldly cynicism that says "It's ridiculous to think that the person's songs should be more valuable just because they have a sad story. Lots of people have sob stories. I can't possibly be expected to feel bad for EVERY person who has a tragic story."
However upon reflection, I became convicted. It occurs to me that as Christians we are called to have compassion and love for everyone. Not just the first 50 sad stories we hear about, but EVERY story. Every person. Every time. Christ didn't only love the first 50 people he encountered and neither should we. It's an important lesson for me to learn.
i have another version of that song by george pendagrass (original acapella) at a lipscomb event couple years ago. it's really well done.
I loved your last sentence, " I am glad that art can continue long after the artist has passed." It makes me think about the one who is the ultimate artist, who, having loved the work of his (in a gender neutral sense) hands so much, actually became an object of this work of art. It's through wonderful renditions of old stories and songs like this one that we connect with our individual and collective past to find that the Spirit continues to paint in broad strokes that echo the love of a Son, an artist who truly loved (and continues to love) his artwork.
The wonderful thing about art is that it stirs others to get caught up in the creative action as well, often painting themselves onto the greater canvas started by the Son and continued by the Spirit, that most wonderful of all muses.
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