As Tears Go By - A Review

It is the evening of the day

I sit and watch the children play

Smiling faces I can see

But not for me

I sit and watch

As tears go by

My riches can't buy everything

I want to hear the children sing

All I hear is the sound

Of rain falling on the ground

I sit and watch

As tears go by

It is the evening of the day

I sit and watch the children play

Doin' things I used to do

They think are new

I sit and watch

As tears go by

(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

This story starts with Michael and Keith of the Stones writing a pop song after being forced to by their manager Andrew. Considering the fact that the song was too pop for a blues band, they ditched it and Andrew chose Marianne, a 17 year old whom he met at a party to sing and release it and the song became an instant hit in 1964.

Marianne's version was a perfect pop song for the summer of '64 - upbeat, chirpy, lively and joyful... Though the song's lyrics were more sombre in nature thus making it melancholic. What else could we expect from a 17 yr old who hadn't really lived and endured the bed of thorn roses called Life? Needless to say, the song was a big hit eventually leading Michael and Keith to perform it in their 1965 album as they were now progressing towards a more rhythm and blues outfit with the occasional ballad.

Stones' version was obviously still 'under aged' for the song as Michael was then 21 but the accompanying music - a 12-string guitar played by Big Jim Sullivan and an intricate string arrangement by Mike Leander, being much more mature and emoting well, carried the song. Michael's charming british accent helped as well. Moving on, Michael and Marianne got into a relationship and then they broke up after a few years but by then she was completely addicted to all the vices of the era.

Marianne went through divorces, drug addictions, a miscarriage, illnesses, homeless experiences, broke scenes, suicide attempts, relationships, depression etc. She did have a comeback in the music industry to a lukewarm response. She finally made peace with her past and reached full circle when she performed the same song which catapulted her into that life of excess. This version, in 1987 - 22 years from when she debuted it, is a much more haunting, sombre, experienced, intelligent, honest and retrospective version as the song was meant to be written and sung. She had indeed lived, braved and endured the bed of thorn roses called Life! She still performs to this day...

~ The End ~

Niranjan Joseph

Writing Influences:

#ish

Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By (1965): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhPPJ5dolxU

The Rolling Stones - As Tears Go By {1965}: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLm_vVUhH5s

Marianne Faithfull - As Tears Go By [1987]: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_pcKtAcuuU

Wikipedia

P.S.: I put it through the acid test - my 9 year old nephew and he sampled all the three versions (God bless his kind heart for putting up with me) and he liked Marianne's 1987 version but confirmed the Stones' version to be the best. "More melodic", he said, I've got to agree with him here. It was their song to begin with...

Further Reading:

But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas! http://srialakhniranjan.blogspot.in/2011/09/but-its-all-right-now.html

My Life According to: The Rolling Stones

My artist: THE ROLLING STONES

Are you a male or female? MONKEY MAN!!

Describe yourself? JUMPIN' JACK FLASH

How do you feel? COOL, CALM, COLLECTED

Describe where you currently live: IN ANOTHER LAND, 2000 LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME

If you could go anywhere, where would you go? MEMORY MOTEL

Your best friend is? ANGIE

Your favorite color is? PAINT IT BLACK

What's the weather like? GET OFF MY CLOUD

Favorite time of day? UNDERCOVER OF THE NIGHT

If your life was a TV show, what would it be called? (I CAN'T GET NO) SATISFACTION

What is life to you? IT'S ONLY ROCK & ROLL (BUT I LIKE IT)

Your relationship? LOVE IS STRONG

Your Fear? I GO WILD

What is the best advice you have to give? YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

If you could change your name, you would change it to: MIDNIGHT RAMBLER

Thought for the day? TIME IS ON MY SIDE

How would you like to die? HAPPY

Your soul's present condition? SOUL SURVIVOR

Your motto? SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

The Butterfly Doctor

There was a little boy
Who found a beautiful butterfly
Lying in the garden, hurt
He picked it up and took good care of it
Slowly the butterfly recovered
And was able to fly again
Then one day the butterfly left him
The little boy was very sad
'I saved its life', he said
'When I found it, it was as good as dead
Has it no gratitude?'
He moped in solitude
In Silence, he realized that he had done his part
And he had done it well
That Butterfly wasn't going to forget him ever
Wherever it may fly
It would be an living example of his love and care
After a few days when he went to play
He found another butterfly with broken wings
He took it up gently and decided to nurse it back to health
He has since been known as 'The Butterfly Doctor'

What if?

Father: Let's play. Okay, I'm a famous pianist.
Son: If you're a famous pianist, and I cut off your arm... then what will you do?
Father: I'll become a famous painter.
Son: And if I cut off the other one, what will you do?
Father: I'll become a famous dancer.
Son: And if I cut off your legs, then what?
Father: Then I'll become a famous singer.
Son: And if I cut off your head, then what?
Father: Once dead, my skin will become a beautiful drum.
Son: What if I burn the drum?
Father: I will become a cloud and take on any shape.
Son: And if the cloud dissolves, what then?
Father: I will become rain and produce a harvest of wars!

From: Fando y Lis

But it's all right now...

Problems of the Past:

I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain,

I was raised by a toothless, bearded hag,
I was schooled with a strap right across my back,

I was drowned, I was washed up and left for dead.
I fell down to my feet and I saw they bled.
I frowned at the crumbs of a crust of bread.

I was crowned with a spike right thru my head.

Solution of the Present:

But it's all right now, in fact, it's a gas!
But it's all right, Im jumpin jack flash,
Its a gas! gas! gas!

Review: I first heard this song played during the end credits of the film - "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas", my most favorite and inspirational movie to date. They played it at a very critical time in the movie, when the protagonist was making his last mad dash back to safety, obscurity and being just another freak in the freak kingdom!

I realized this song was about the cycle of life. Birth - Death - Rebirth. With absolutely no fear of the transitions between the same! Why? Because it's just a Gas! Gas? You may ask. 'It's a Gas' is a phrase which essentially means 'No big deal and could've been worse!'. (On a humorous note, all gases pass! No point fretting over it) It's more of a mindset actually. The protagonist of the song was born during a hurricane. Abandoned immediately probably because he was illegitimate. Adopted and raised an Orphan. Experienced a very tough childhood. Drowned in sorrows. Cast out. Left for Dead. Starved. Crowned with Problems. But yet, he survived and proudly utters that it was alright and cooly brushes it off and moves on! That it was an experience and he looks forward to the future! The Past was bad, well, too bad. But the Present is in our hands and that's what matters at any point of time in our lives!

I've understood that the only way to prosper is to make amends with your past, however fucked it was and move on proudly with the fact that you braved the storm of life! But it's all right now, in fact, it's a Gas! But it's all right, I'm Jumpin' Jack Flash, Its a Gas! Gas! Gas! >>=====================>

Bah! Humbug! It's Christmas time again!

Christmas, a festival which Christians, Catholics, Protestants and the rest of the world celebrate towards the end of the year. Christmas has become commercialized and misinterpreted from what it was and what it stood for. People are under the impression that they're celebrating the birthday of this dude who's a king, a son of God, who died for all their sins and will redeem them one day. I see people over indulging in food in this season, spending on decorations, drinking liquor, parties, meeting relatives and going on vacations. I've done the same, I'm not a hypocrite. Unfortunately, Christmas now has become more a festival on a calendar than a festival of the Heart!

Christmas was created with a very special intention. Not just a birthday celebration. It's very symbolic and here's my interpretation. The Earth has four seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Spring symbolizes Birth and Childhood. Summer is a Adolescence and Youth, Autumn is Maturation and Middle Age and Winter is clearly Death. But wait, the cycle continues again in Spring. This is Rebirth. Being a part of the Earth. We are the Earth.We are subjected to the same cycle, every year! Ok, so day, month, year, etc. are clearly created by Man. But not the Seasons. We have no control over the Seasons just like we have no control over our Aging and our Mortality.

Getting back to the topic, there is a reason why Christmas is tentatively positioned in Winter. It is a preparation for Spring i.e. Rebirth! Only the rebirth is in our Hearts! Christ is not a person who lived in 0 B.C/1 A.D... Christ is a level of Consciousness! Called Christ consciousness, it is the next evolutionary step for Man! Jesus, son of Joseph was called Jesus Christ because he attained this state of consciousness! He set an example for people! Through his Learnings, Teachings, Miracles, Philanthropy, Attitude, Radical Views, Divinity, Humanity,  Example, Conscience, Yoga, Travels, Sacrifice and ultimately Consciousness!

The Christmas symbolism also beautifully adds on to this. Firstly, the birth of Christ happened in the humblest of places - a manger not in an superficial palace made of precious stones. Shows that the heart should be but humble to attain this consciousness. Being a King, it's shows how we are in control and rule our own destiny. The only people who came were the Shepherds and the simple folks, this shows that the ordinary, honest working people are the only ones who will matter, not the pompous arrogant fools! The 3 gifts - Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh are again symbolic. Gold depicting Royalty or Kingship which I already explained. Frankincense depicting the growth in Spirituality and Myrrh being an embalming oil which depicts preparation for Death!

The Christmas that we celebrate is hence, not an average Calendar + Birthday festival but a preparation for rebirth. The birth of the Christ Consciousness! Every year, we learn, experience and evolve so much more physically, mentally and spiritually. We all should work towards this Christ Consciousness more than having a gala Christmas. Draping yourself in costly new clothes, indulging cake and wine, meats and sweets, going to places of worship, partying with friends and relatives and gifts aren't what Christmas is about! I don't condemn these activities as bad or dumb or a waste of time... They're just superficialities of the Season, nothing more and nothing less.

Please take some time to think over this and work towards attaining this Consciousness through Forgiveness, Charity, Knowledge, Tolerance, Assistance, Leading, Following, Truthfulness, Love, Faith, Hope, Belief, Wisdom, Experience, Godliness, Spirituality, Teaching through Example, Sacrifice and and ultimately Consciousness. I am disturbed by how this has evolved into a season of Commercialism and Hedonism and Greed and Superficiality and Misinterpretation and am Hoping, Wishing, Praying, Waiting for and EXPECTING a Change! I am not condoning or demeaning all that Christmas may have stood for you for. All I'm asking is for a different perspective!

I conclude again by saying, "Christmas is not a festival on a Calendar: a Birthday Party... Christmas is a festival of the Heart: a Rebirth of Consciousness - Christ Consciousness!"

~Niranjan son of Joseph~

Wintertime Love

Lyrics:

Wintertime winds blow cold the season,
Fallin' in love I'm hopin' to be.
Wind is so cold, is that the reason
Keeping you warm, your hands touching me.

...Come with me, dance, my dear,
Winter's so cold this year,
You are so warm, my wintertime love to be.

Winter time winds, blue and freezin'
Comin' from Northern storms in the sea,
Love has been lost, is that the reason
Trying so desperately to be free.

Come with me, dance, my dear,
Winter's so cold this year,
And you are so warm, my wintertime love to be

La, la, la, la

Come with me, dance, my dear,
Winter's so cold this year,
You are so warm, my wintertime love to be.

Review:
There's something magical about this song. Definitely because it is about a magical time of the year. Everyone yearns for love and warmth during this time. The song is brutally honest and down to earth. Affected by the elements and full of ...longing for that beautiful warmth no fire, no wool, no heater, no air conditioner can give - the warmth of love! That warmth that can melt the coldest of hearts. Even Old Scrooge's from A Christmas Carol. It's a lilting, light and warm pop song from their third album - Waiting for the Sun. It beautifully plays after 'Summer's almost gone' which ends with the line - 'The winter's coming on, summer's almost gone...'
There's a loss of hope in this line and when the song about summer ends... But the hope is reinfused, life is blown back, hearts are melted, lips are wetted and hope returns when this song plays after the 3 second interval which signifies Autumn.
This song is very close to my heart and being an avid Doors fan I would consider this one of my favorites!
Do give this a listen and let's get set for a beautific winter! Falling in love we all hope to be! - Song review by Niranjan Joseph