Got To Get You Into My Life” was a song on the album “Revolver” and was released by The Beatles in 1966. For forty years it was one of my favorite Beatle tunes, so imagine my surprise when I learned last year that what I thought was an upbeat love song was actually a tribute to pot (some say cocaine). LOL
The lesson learned: I’m not nearly as smart as I’d like to believe.
That was just a bonus story; now on to the real blog posting.
Again with the music….I was listening to “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen the other day. What a haunting, brilliant tune…and then that night I watched a tribute to Led Zeppelin, with Heart singing “Stairway to Heaven”…..again, a brilliant song….and I found myself wondering what it must be like to write something that brilliant.
Would you even know it if you did? Seriously, do you think Cohen knew he penned a classic when he wrote “Hallelujah?” Do you think Paige and Plant knew they had written quite possibly the greatest rock song of all-time?
And that all reminds me of a line from the Robert Redford movie “The Natural.” In the movie, Redford is telling his childhood sweetheart, played by Glenn Close, that he could have been so much better if he hadn’t run into trouble at a young age, and Close asks them then what? Why is that so important? And Redford says “then, when I walked down the street, people would look at me and say ‘there goes the greatest baseball player of all-time, and wouldn’t that be something?”
I don’t know if it would be or not, but I keep aiming for it. It’s how I’m wired. I’m not satisfied being a good writer, or even a very good writer. I want to be the best!
But then a little voice in my head tells me that will never happen, so live with it . . . but still I try . . .
And that’s just the way it is!
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 
Ok, smiling as all of the songs, especially The Beatles are tops in my book, too! And I didn’t realize what that song was about either. So totally learned something new here today. Have a wonderful rest of your Tuesday now, Bill 😉
Total shock to me, Janine, and I thought I was somewhat of a Beatles expert. LOL Shows you what I know. 🙂 Thanks my friend.
It is the effort that makes you Great my friend.
And that might have to be enough, Greg! Thank you!
From what I understand, “Bridge over Troubled Waters” was also an ode to pot, as were quite a few songs from that era. I was pretty shocked when I heard, that, too. Shocked and sad, but I do believe it matters more what we get out of a song than what it was originally intende for. Literature and writing transcends the writer, themself. Great post!
Thanks Sharilee…oddly, I didn’t know that about “Bridge” either….my trivia knowledge is increasing rapidly.
Bill
Aim for the stars bro, aim for those stars!
I “aim” to, Lawrence. LOL A little pun!
A bit like the spiritual life, Bro. Only the best should be your teacher. So in life, we aim for the best. So we will read about each other in 40 or 50 years. Who knows?
Who knows indeed, Manatita, but I look forward to reading your work in 50 years. 🙂 Thanks my friend and peace always.
Oh, thanks Bill, you wrecked one of my favorite Beatles songs. I am always the last to know. ha Perhaps all the songs from the 60’s are about pot.
As for being the best writer – you have to have dreams. As for knowing when you have written something good, well, I am personally waiting for some revelation.
Mike, I’m beginning to think all of the songs from that era are about drugs. Another illusion I just have to accept. 🙂 Thanks, buddy, and I’ll let you know when I solve the puzzle.
All that you can be, all that any of us could ever be, is the best YOU you can be.
You mention the music as being about something that you didn’t think it was really about. Can’t we say the same about books or poems that we have read? It doesn’t matter so much what they were supposed to be about that matters, but what YOU get out of it that matters. Writing a book is never really about the writer or even the characters, but about the reader. It’s always about how it affects the reader.that matters.
As a writer, I am first a reader who enjoys what I write. I write for the reader in me and that makes my book a success.
Great thoughts, Donna. Thanks for sharing with us. I like the way you think…still….the wolves are howling.
While in process might not appear “brilliant” , while trying your best my friend you are doing it already. Many lives are touch by your lines, many readers benefiting. One day we will hear from our readers, and in my deepest enthusiasm I wouldn’t be surprise if that would be in the city where the streets pavement is being made of purest gold.
Michael my friend, perhaps we will both be best-selling authors in that city of gold. I would be honored to stand next to you.
I’ve also wondered what it would be like to write a brilliant song and Hallelujah and Stairway to Heaven are two of my favourites. It’s so hard to judge when you’ve hit that spot – when people think something you’ve written is great and you didn’t think it was that good and vice versa…
Very true, Andrea, and I’ve had those thoughts many times. Maybe one day we will both experience true brilliance and know it when it happens. 🙂 Thank you!
Big Bro, I love the way you think! I like all those songs, but I find that it seems like there are two types of people: those who listen to the melody over the words, and those who listen to the words over the melody. I am the former and husby is the latter. Perhaps you are the former, too, judging by what you said here. Barbara Kingsolver once complained in her memoir that so many people like songs and if they really listened to the words, they’d be aghast. LOL. Ever since then, I’ve tried to pay attention to the words more. But I’m moved by rhythm and tunes. For me, the words become irrelevant – which is why I like a lot of instrumental, wordless music.
As for the writing, here’s some inspiration for you: Shakespeare is not known at all for his early plays. He wrote tons and tons of them! He’s known for his later plays because that’s when he got really good. Jack London got better with each successive story, as did Louis L’amour. So, see? You are already fantastic, but you’ll just keep getting better and better and then one day in all the schools of thought across the land they’ll say, “yes, now we’ll read a passage from the brilliant work of Bill Holland.” 😀
Aww, Lil Sis, sweet of you. I think you might have gone a bit overboard there. LOL But one can always hope. Melody over words….sometimes, sometimes not. Melody always first, but over time, the words become more important to me. it’s hard to pin me down on this one, but easy to pin me down on how I feel about my Lil Sis…..SHE’S GREAT!
I remember reading somewhere that Paul McCartney had said he had a joint when he wrote the song. So, maybe, the song was about his then girlfriend, and not about pot necessarily. Ah, so what. It’s still a great song.
Now, about always striving to be the best. Isn’t that how you get to be the best? By always striving to do better than the last time. Creatives are their own worst critics. They’re never satisfied with past accomplishments no matter how everyone else raves about it. They always try to do better.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks Zulma! The question I was ruminating about was would I even know when I wrote my best? LOL A much more difficult question for this writer to answer. Perhaps I should save myself much anguish and just not worry about it.
Have a super weekend yourself.
Do you remember the first piece you ever wrote for HP. I imagine you were quite pleased with it. You probably believed it was your best effort. Then you moved on to other things, other articles, others stories. With each one, your writing became that teensy bit better. Time moved on and eventually, you find your voice and have dedicated yourself to honing your craft.
Then, maybe, one day you come across that old story you wrote and embarrassment replaced the pride you once felt. But you took comfort in seeing how far you’ve come.
Bill, all of us write our best at the time we write it. I believe what you’re really wondering is when you will write the perfect piece. Perhaps this will put things in perspective:
“We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.” ― Ernest Hemingway, The Wild Years
So, save yourself anguish and don’t worry about it. 🙂
Zulma, I can’t even read that first piece without cringing in embarrassment. LOL Yes definitely I remember it. Thanks for the words of wisdom. The quest continues.