[Verse 1]
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh, it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees, well, they'd be singing so happily
Oh, joyfully, oh, playfully watching me
But then they sent me away to teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh, responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world where I could be so dependable
Oh, clinical, oh, intellectual, cynical
[Chorus 1]
There are times when all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me what we've learned?
I know it sounds absurd
But please, tell me who I am
[Verse 2]
I said, now watch what you say or they'll be calling you a radical
A liberal, oh, fanatical, criminal
Won't you sign up your name, we'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable, oh, presentable, a vegetable
Oh, take, take, take it, yeah
[Instrumental bridge]
[Chorus 2]
But at night, when all the world's asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please (Won't you tell me)
Please tell me what we've learned?
(Can you hear me?) I know it sounds absurd
(Can you tell me?) But please, tell me who I am
Who I am
Who I am
Who I am
Oh!
[Outro]
'Cause I was feeling so illogical
D-d-d-d-d-d-digital
Yeah, one, two, three, five
Oh, oh, oh, oh
Ooh, it's getting unbelievable
Yeah
B-b-bloody marvelous
 |
My dad, for some time, helped me correcting the texts I wrote about songs, and from time to time I ask him some biblical reference that fits into something I'm writing. The most recent help came when I wrote on my "virtual diary" about the song The Space Between Us (in Portuguese) by Eric Clayton. Some time ago he asked me to show my view point of view on today's song: The Logical Song.
This song, originally released in 1979, is a criticism on human being's life and its process of learning in the world, about comprehending itself. This was confirmed by the composer himself in an interview back in 2016.
Since we were little we used to hear that we have to become this or that person, we have to study to be the best, we can't lag behind. They say we have to choose the career X or Y because it is that one which gives money, and if the opposite is said, some allegations may show up like, just as the song suggests, "liberal, fanatical, criminal".
Crime is when we impose something to our little ones, once today we are the adults who, in a certain way, lived this when we were younger. We must help them finding what they really enjoy and motivate them studying for this.
It upsets me when, during college entrance exams (vestibular, in Brazil), only the medical course is exalted. I do not deny their importance, ever, however for a doctor to become what it is, it wasn't only others doctors who taught them. They had a great diversity teachers from many subjects like biologists, chemists, linguists, among others. The problem gets even worse when the person chooses a career under the pressure of friends of family. All of its own characteristic senses disappear and the person doesn't know what he or she wants or even who he or she is.
It is complicated to change in us, adults, what we've been through childhood. We can adapt ourselves and reinvent for a new reality, what many have been doing on changing their jobs and feeling realised with that, although we can't commit this very same mistake with our little ones that are studying, learning how to write their own names, the basics of math.
If you're a parent, do not impose on your children your dream. Encourage them on having their own dreams and desires. Let them dream of being astronauts, firefighters, super heroes. This can eventually change in the future or not. I also wrote about this (in Portuguese) in my "virtual diary".
May you find yourself in your own realisations and help our little ones finding themselves, putting no pressure at all on them.
- - -
- - -
Blogs:
Construindo
Uma Memória
Building
A Memory
Medium
Pages:
