‘music is what feelings sound like’
26 January, 2008 | 5 comments | Category: book snip, for.the.love.of.words!, musiqa
“He recalled the noisy music at dinner and said to himself “Noise has one advantage. It drowns out words.” And suddenly he realized that all his life he had done nothing but talk, write, lecture, concoct sentences, search for formulations and amend them, so in the end no words were precise, their meanings were obliterated, their content lost, they turned into trash, chaff, dust, sand; prowling through his brain, tearing at his head, they were his insomnia, his illness. And what he yearned for at that moment, vaguely but with all his might, was unbounded music, absolute sound, a pleasant and happy all-encompassing, over-powering, window rattling din to engulf, once and for all, the pain, the futility, the vanity of words. Music was the negation of sentences, music was the anti-word! He yearned for one long embrace with Sabrina, yearned never to say another sentence, another word…”
picture courtesy of Alpha
a short snip from “The unbearable lightness of being” that reminded me of the saying ‘music is what feelings sound like’. Though it was infinitely humorous that the author was using words as descriptors to relay this message…would music have put across his idea as effectively? 
funny… Though it does make you ponder; how much words are open for interpretation. How prone are words to presenting leading connotations when compared to music? How subjective is a word? vs. How subjective is music? Though I may be basking in implications, I believe the answer lies in another question: what are they for, to you?
Possibly Related Posts:
5 comments to “‘music is what feelings sound like’”
Nani, January 28th, 2008 at 6:09 pm:
-
I definitely agree that music portrays many things, among them feeling, thru its complex, but yet simple ways it expresses what words can never accomplish. But then again it is words with a bit of rhythm and melody to them that brings about music right, i guess that’s the twist.
But i would argue that music can portray emotions, and give out messages much more effectively than simple sentences or even poetry. I guess because it appeals to the senses? and we respond to them more (effectively) – don’t know if that’s the right word
Good one! I enjoyed it
tpeace, February 13th, 2008 at 11:49 pm:
-
hmmm….music can portray emotions better than ideas/concepts that are more concrete? thats a really good distinction…
but one thing i’ll say is music is a lot more than its lyrics…and it can easily exist without the lyrics…
music is wayyy more and different in some ways to words…but so are spoken words when compared to written words!!
Nani, February 15th, 2008 at 2:29 pm:
-
u can also mumble the music with out really remembering the words, the rhythm stays with u, it has this distinct way of being engraved in that tiny little spot on the corner of your brain and you could remember it years later, u relate to events thru music, once a friend of mine was in a hospital and she heard a new album when she was there, and now she sorta remembers being at hospital whenever she listens to that music, so it has a way of relating to events, childhood songs, songs in middle-school, songs u make up with friends, songs u twist and destroy just to laugh at them …. I think it’s the unique way music tends to stay with us, far longer than words
Alpha, April 11th, 2008 at 10:40 am:
-
heheee i agree with both of you,
music is sooooo open to interpretation. Especially those with no lyrics. the beauty of music is it the fact that it hold a personalized message to each individual while at the same time validating their emotion/feeling (weather it is hardship or joy) as universally shared emotion.
Even though music with lyrics might tend to guide your emotions one way or the other the feelings are totally different from person to person.
Funny story, I listen to Abereham, he is a singer and he sings in Tigeregna. I don’t listen to tigeregna but there are particular tracks that i listen to that i find my heart just dropping to the floor…….with no words (atleast one i can understand) I’ve already made up a story for the song based on the beat and sound of his voice ena ye’demetsu awetat……Another thing is I have this Ethiopian classical CD and every time i put it on with Ethiopians (those who grew up there for some time) I get the same reactions; “dang, this reminds me of ‘hebre-tirit’ or the little break during technical difficulties”
anywho, i’m done blabbering
Nani, March 13th, 2009 at 7:24 pm:
-
hehe that’s so true! I listen to Abraham too, I don’t understand a word of Trigrigna but I mefoger myself that I actually understand what he’s saying … after all Amarigna is Tigrigna with a twist right or vice versa
and sometimes when I really listen to it I feel like i got a few words, like Migbey … sometimes i can do a whole line or two with him … or i’m just fooling myself but still love the music – Music is a universal language 