I am feeling either eclectic or disjointed today, hence the music choices below. The first is Brahmns‘s Lullaby. I know nothing about classical music, but I am a listener and I do know that this is pleasant to listen to. Simple, direct, and doesn’t linger for an iota, something I can definitely appreciate in music. All too often, musicians don’t seem to have thought through how to end a song before starting. I generally find it a common courtesy to the audience to consider an exit before making an entrance. Life is much the same way. We only focus on our beginnings, but this Lullaby works that way as the end is sleep, so the music can perpetually spirit us off to slumber. It ends when we wake, essentially.
I find the lyrics (translated) for the Lullaby to be even more revealing about the fragility of life. Once again, I am stealing this from Wikipedia in order to immensely predictable:
- Good evening, and good night, with roses adorned,
- With carnations covered, slip under the covers.
- Early tomorrow, so God willing, you will wake once again.
- Early tomorrow, so God willing, you will wake once again.
- Good evening, and good night. By angels watched,
- Who show you in your dream the Christ-child’s tree.
- Sleep now peacefully and sweetly, see the paradise in your dream.
- Sleep now peacefully and sweetly, see the paradise in your dream.
God willing, you will wake once again. Reminds me of the “Now I lay me down to sleep, pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake…” school of childhood prayer/nightmare fuel. Either way, certainly a pleasant way to spend a minute and a half.
The second track is also a bit dreamy, but more of the awake variety. For those who read this blog from time to time (and I know who you are!), you know I have a thing for Brian Eno music. Its like catnip to me for some reason, especially days when I need to drill down and find that discipline. Not an aggressive discipline, but rather a slow steady steely concentration on what I am doing. Eno helps. The track is Always Returning, which featured quite prominently in a documentary about the NASA program called For All Mankind.
So there you are. Nothing too dramatic, but rather music designed to soften the edges a bit.