I looked at “Worldly Success” as the attainment of wealth, position, honors, celebrity, etc. I felt that this was a pretty typical definition from the American view point, while my understanding (correct me if I’m wrong) of the Hindu viewpoint of worldly success also includes wealth, fame, and power. It is important to note that these paths, in Hinduism, are limited and precarious. I think it is understood in our culture that these things don’t last forever (“15 minutes of fame,” etc.) but I’m not entirely convinced that we quite view them as precarious. In addition to the obvious successes of fame and money, I felt that success could also include simply having your life, which is why I included the Nina Simone song.
For the second aim for the assignment, I defined “Liberation” as not just the attainment of being free (whether from jail, oppression, life) but also the seeking of becoming liberated. I have understood the Hindu interpretation of liberation to be a focus on Moksha – a break of the cycle of death and rebirth (samsara). Needless to say, the songs that came to mind did not deal with the liberation from samsara. The majority of liberation songs I thought of dealt with people seeking freedom from the sorrows and trials of life, from violence and oppression, searching for peace (I would include attaining peace as a form of liberation).
I felt that the two aims were fairly equal in terms of prevalence. This may be that I really don’t have a wide grasp on popular culture and thus have a limited scope. I think that this is because popular culture is obsessed with achieving success (in various formats) but also yearns for liberation from the alternating monotony and tribulations infused in human life. As expressed previously, I think the two views on worldly success are similar between American and Hindu thought (the only difference being the precarious bit), but the two views on liberation deal with different ideas (material/emotional/physical liberation versus eternal liberation).
WORLDLY SUCCESS
1) Nina Simone, Ain't Got No/I Got Life, Pop, 1968.
2) Three Days Grace, The Good Life, Rock, 2009.
3) Lady Gaga, Paparazzi, Pop, 2009.
4) Fiddler on the Roof, If I Were a Rich Man, Soundtrack, 1971.
5) Monty Python, The Money Song, 1971.
LIBERATION
1) Bob Marley, One Love, Reggae, 1977.
2) Los Lonely Boys, Heaven, Rock, 2004.
3) Glynis Johns, Sister Suffragette, Soundtrack, 1964.
4) A Perfect Circle, Imagine, Rock, 2004.
5) The Soggy Bottom Boys, I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow, Folk, 2000.
Yeah I didn't find any songs relating directly to liberation from samsara either....I think its really interesting to see the difference between American and Hindu perspective of liberation.
ReplyDeleteI love that you included a point about our culture recognizing that most success is temporary, yet it doesn't stop people from seeking it. I would agree that songs about liberation and success are fairly close in number and sometimes covered within the same song. Breaking free from a miserable life (liberation) is often considered a form of success.
ReplyDeleteahh I love how you included a song from the soggy bottom boys, definitely didn't think about that one! I also really like your interpretation of liberation. Also, as I have seen in many other postings..Bob marley songs are very prevalent for the liberation aim. Good good choice on songs!
ReplyDeleteI like that you put the song "Paparazzi" by Lady Gaga. They are definitely a sign of success. The problem is that they aren't around when the successful person does something really worth while, like finding a cure for cancer for example.
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