Song by Song

Song by Song is a podcast about Tom Waits. At least one episode for every song, starting from the beginning.


hello Martin and Sam!

I'm a bit behind, so this comment is in regards to an episode from a few months back. 

I appreciated both your and Vera's thoughts on Ruby's Arms, Big Time [157], particularly in regard to the duality between the toxic masculinity embodied in the story and the quality of the song itself. 

For me, that same feeling of contrast (almost cognitive dissonance) between unfortunate lyrics and beautiful music occurs often with Springsteen, e.g. Born To Run (as Sam says, those 80's singer-songwriters!). The critical side of me reacts to the "warped idea of romantic hero figures" and escapism, but at the same time, the music arouses such feelings of hope and freedom and action!

When I think too hard about this, my brain starts making dubious connections with Zen and existential struggle...

It's tempting and self-flattering to imagine I'm somehow evolved - "an artist", or in Fitzgerald's words "a first-rate intelligence" lol - to be able to consider both facets as true simultaneously. But maybe the more sane approach is to listen to music that doesn't have a compromise. I don't know. My favorite recently is tune-yards. 

Your show is wonderful!

-Dan

update 11/26/20

They responded! And so kindly to my youth:

http://www.songbysongpodcast.com/mailbag-special-3