A math guy's random thoughts. |
Today's song is Leonard Cohen's brilliant song Hallelujah. For a link to the song, I'm going to include the single most moving performance I can remember, the cold opening to Saturday Night Live following the 2016 US Presidential election: In terms of the "soundtrack of my life," this is the proper link. However, the theme for this blog is supposed to connect to stories I've written or am writing. I used this song as an inspiration for a chapter of a yet-to-be-released novel, so that's the current connection:
I've temporarily made this chapter public, although without context it probably won't make sense. The real reason I wanted to include this song relates to the mystifying lyrics--the secret chord mentioned in the first verse. What's that about? It's a secret chord that David played. The next verse refers to the story of David and Bathsheba, the married woman with whom he had an affair--an affair with disastrous consequences. So, the "secret chord" must have something to do with that, but what? Well, it turns out there's at least one possible answer, one rooted not only in the the music itself but in scripture as well. Indeed, the explanation identifies the secret chord musically, but also metaphorically, and in a way that provides a deep, spiritual understanding of this song. The real reason for including it in my soundtrack is this understanding of the music and the lyrics. Watch the analysis. It's well worth your time. |