Tuesday 1 May 2012

Song of the month (IV)

Have you ever wanted to go ‘off the grid’? Well, not literally. But have you ever had this feeling that you are overwhelmed by the big city and its chaos and need to get out of all that for a while? I guess that is what Eddie Vedder was thinking about when he wrote “Society”.

This has been a recurring thought in my mind lately. A few weeks ago, when I went home to Spain for my Easter holidays, not only was I looking forward to seeing my family and my doggies, but I was yearning to enjoy the quiet and peacefulness of my little village. I am from a beautiful tiny village surrounded by mountains where all you can hear at night is the barking of dogs in the distance and the singing of birds at dawn; where my favourite hobby is going for a walk with my dogs and feel the nature around me; where I can breathe. After spending a few months in Manchester, it all feels so quiet on my first day at home that it takes me a while to get used to the new calm atmosphere. Even time seems to go by more slowly and I almost feel that I am out of the mundane society a comforting feeling sometimes.

But Eddie Vedder goes even further in his song. He talks about greed and consumism, in opposition to the ‘less is more’ notion, which I particularly could not agree more with. That is also why I feel so comfortable at home the lack of infinite consumer options makes you value what really matters. It is in places like my village, where you do not have everything you want on the palm of your hand, where you realise that you do not really need most of the things that are included in your ‘wish list’.

Sadly though, we humans are never satisfied with what we have and, ironically, after a few weeks of peace I was already longing to go back to the lively and noisy city. I guess almost no one can escape the clutches of materialism, and I am not less guilty...

I hope you like the song!


SOCIETY
(written by Eddie Vedder)

It's a mysery to me
we have a greed
with which we have agreed

And you think you have to
want more than you need
Until you have it all
you won't be free

Society
you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely
without me

When you want more than you have
you think you need
and when you think more than you want
your thoughts begin to bleed

I think I need to find a bigger place
cause when you have
more than you think
you need more space

Society
you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely
without me

Society
crazy indeed
hope you're not lonely
without me

There's those thinking more is less
less is more
but if less is more
how you keepin score? 

Means for every point you make
your level drops
kinda like you're startin from the top
and you can't do that

Society
you're a crazy breed
I hope you're not lonely
without me

Society
crazy indeed
hope you're not lonely
without me

Society
have mercy on me
I hope you're not angry
if I disagree

Society
crazy indeed
hope you're not lonely
without me

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