Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
When you drink the water, remember the river.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
This Is My Life
One of the ole Danish favorites from the seventies is the song This Is My Life by Gasolin'.
I recently tracked down another version of it, by the lead singer Kim Larsen with another band (Yankee Drengene). This version may require iTunes to play. I remembered this version fondly, mostly for the wonderful female vocal solo near the end, by a "Miss Q". I like it just as much now, thirty years later, which is nice to discover. Actually the correspondent solo in the first version is great too. Tell me what you think.
... And to put the icing on the cake, it turns out the most prominent Kim Larsen entry on YouTube is the same song! Only Kim is also maybe thirty years older. A third excellent woman singer is featured here.
19 comments:
Anonymous
said...
not elton john however still good. anyone notice he had a cigarette burning on his guitar? (also would have been better if the lady wasn't howling in the background) overall Bplus. smiles.
I disagree. I think some people are just more willing to try and work towards their goals than others. I think that's the only real reason some people are more successful(depending on how you define success). I will agree that some people seem to have a genetic disposition towards certain things like music or sports or whatever, but all that means to me is they learn those things a little faster.
Of course, one could argue that the fact that some people are more willing to try is what makes them better, in which case I'm just talking in circles. :) Whatever, you know what I'm trying to say.
"but all that means to me is they learn those things a little faster."
If you don't have the genetics to be an Olympic sprinter, all the training in the world isn't going to get you there. If you haven't been blessed with a mind like Srinivasa Ramanujan, all the training in the world won't make you a math genius. Mozart was a combination of genetics and training.
Well okay, I suppose you have a point there. Even with a lot of practice, most people seem to stop progressing at a certain point. I almost mentioned that in my first comment actually. It's a complex subject. Still, I stand by my idea that most people can accomplish their goals if they set their mind to it. The problem is that most people let their insecurities get in the way. I still don't feel that shows that one person can necessarily be better than any other person.
I accept no judgement of values comparing people "better" than others. Only our actions define us, and we should be too busy in self-improvement to compete in who's "better" like some small-minded gossip club. The innuendo was, that communism corrupted the original idea of people being equals, by the opposite method than capitalism ("equals" versus the "betters" of social Darwinism), but with equally harmful results.
My apologies if some are better at grasping metaphors that others. ;-) I meant, SWIFTER! (Slaps his own hand.)
"If you don't have the genetics to be an Olympic sprinter, all the training in the world isn't going to get you there."
There's a great difference between breaking world records to nab the gold, and achieving Olympic level. With some dedicated training, most anybody can become a very decent athlete, as compared to the majority of ordinary flabby citizens who don't exercise.
Women have a genetic disadvantage against men in muscle performance. And yet, very few men could compete against the LAST female athlete in any given Olympic event, sprinting for instance. Because this woman wasn't born with an advantage over men, but she worked and trained hard. Do you aim at being the next Mozart, Karl Lewis or Srinivasa Ramanujan? Excellence does not need perfection. There's more to life than being Number One.
And being "better" is always a relative and limited vision of things. There's probably nobody here who's can lob sarcasm better than me, but I don't feel superior just because in ONE area I can overcome anyone. (Just an image there. Call me chicken all you like, but I'm not taking anybody's challenge at sarcasm.) Everybody can be superior in some domain to any other given person. We all have our strong points. The wise thing is to accept we are all different, and teach/learn from each other instead of living in some socially glorified form of conflict.
Competition is SO overrated. I spent most of my life competing to be the best, for well-known social reasons, and usually succeeding too. But I always resented that arbitrary pressure to "excell". It's a sneaky source of guilt, fear, and self-acceptance issues. If you do YOUR best, then it SHOULD be enough.
Laddies and gents of the jury, I rest my case. (Phew! This case was getting heavy on my shoulder. Anybody for a beer?)
Pascal has completely missed the point. And for some reason he thought he needed 50,000 words to do that. I'd suggest a little re-reading, Pascal. Once you've done that, then we can talk.
"I spent most of my life competing to be the best, for well-known social reasons, and usually succeeding too."
Now who are you kidding here? It's an easy thing to say when you don't have to produce any proof. I doubt you've ever won anything in your life. I doubt you've ever been first in anything. Certainly not in any intellectual pursuit, judging by your poor reasoning abilities and verbosity.
Anonymous said... "Once you've done that, then we can talk."
What, you don't feel I've talked too much already? (I'm flattered.) Besides, fine sir, we haven't been properly introduced yet. But your name does sound vaguely familiar, Mr Neemus.
"It's an easy thing to say when you don't have to produce any proof."
Proof is not needed because showing off is not the point. Please do widen your vision field, Nimrod.
Hah! How's THAT for verbose? IN-YOUR-FACE, Spongebob Squarepants! Beat this verbose dude if you can, ya spineless yellow pineapple-dweller. I'm the best, yeah. I'm the best, yeah. Chikka-chikka-boom! UNH!
(Uh... sorry, I should quit watching Nickelodeon while blogging, it gets my tiny puerile brain all confused.)
19 comments:
not elton john however still good.
anyone notice he had a cigarette burning on his guitar?
(also would have been better if the lady wasn't howling in the background)
overall Bplus. smiles.
"Kim is democratic and a man of the people down to his marrow. He does not think anybody is anybody's "better","
Some people are better than others.
He does not think anybody is anybody's "better","
Huh?
As in thinking that a count or a duke or a prince is a finer person than others.
"He does not think anybody is anybody's "better","
Huh?"
Huh?
Duh!
Correction, Handsome B. Wonderful. That would be: "Some people are more equal then others."
"Correction, Handsome B. Wonderful. That would be: "Some people are more equal then others.""
A nice idea, but you're either equal or you're not. I bet you probably also use the phrase "same difference."
"Some people are better than others."
I disagree. I think some people are just more willing to try and work towards their goals than others. I think that's the only real reason some people are more successful(depending on how you define success). I will agree that some people seem to have a genetic disposition towards certain things like music or sports or whatever, but all that means to me is they learn those things a little faster.
Of course, one could argue that the fact that some people are more willing to try is what makes them better, in which case I'm just talking in circles. :) Whatever, you know what I'm trying to say.
"but all that means to me is they learn those things a little faster."
If you don't have the genetics to be an Olympic sprinter, all the training in the world isn't going to get you there. If you haven't been blessed with a mind like Srinivasa Ramanujan, all the training in the world won't make you a math genius. Mozart was a combination of genetics and training.
Well okay, I suppose you have a point there. Even with a lot of practice, most people seem to stop progressing at a certain point. I almost mentioned that in my first comment actually. It's a complex subject. Still, I stand by my idea that most people can accomplish their goals if they set their mind to it. The problem is that most people let their insecurities get in the way. I still don't feel that shows that one person can necessarily be better than any other person.
"I still don't feel that shows that one person can necessarily be better than any other person."
I'm not saying it makes them a better person, or that they are somehow worth more than anyone else.
RQE, never read Orwell?
I accept no judgement of values comparing people "better" than others. Only our actions define us, and we should be too busy in self-improvement to compete in who's "better" like some small-minded gossip club.
The innuendo was, that communism corrupted the original idea of people being equals, by the opposite method than capitalism ("equals" versus the "betters" of social Darwinism), but with equally harmful results.
My apologies if some are better at grasping metaphors that others. ;-)
I meant, SWIFTER! (Slaps his own hand.)
"If you don't have the genetics to be an Olympic sprinter, all the training in the world isn't going to get you there."
There's a great difference between breaking world records to nab the gold, and achieving Olympic level. With some dedicated training, most anybody can become a very decent athlete, as compared to the majority of ordinary flabby citizens who don't exercise.
Women have a genetic disadvantage against men in muscle performance. And yet, very few men could compete against the LAST female athlete in any given Olympic event, sprinting for instance. Because this woman wasn't born with an advantage over men, but she worked and trained hard.
Do you aim at being the next Mozart, Karl Lewis or Srinivasa Ramanujan? Excellence does not need perfection. There's more to life than being Number One.
And being "better" is always a relative and limited vision of things. There's probably nobody here who's can lob sarcasm better than me, but I don't feel superior just because in ONE area I can overcome anyone. (Just an image there. Call me chicken all you like, but I'm not taking anybody's challenge at sarcasm.)
Everybody can be superior in some domain to any other given person. We all have our strong points. The wise thing is to accept we are all different, and teach/learn from each other instead of living in some socially glorified form of conflict.
Competition is SO overrated. I spent most of my life competing to be the best, for well-known social reasons, and usually succeeding too. But I always resented that arbitrary pressure to "excell". It's a sneaky source of guilt, fear, and self-acceptance issues. If you do YOUR best, then it SHOULD be enough.
Laddies and gents of the jury, I rest my case. (Phew! This case was getting heavy on my shoulder. Anybody for a beer?)
Pascal has completely missed the point. And for some reason he thought he needed 50,000 words to do that. I'd suggest a little re-reading, Pascal. Once you've done that, then we can talk.
"I spent most of my life competing to be the best, for well-known social reasons, and usually succeeding too."
Now who are you kidding here? It's an easy thing to say when you don't have to produce any proof. I doubt you've ever won anything in your life. I doubt you've ever been first in anything. Certainly not in any intellectual pursuit, judging by your poor reasoning abilities and verbosity.
Anonymous said...
"Once you've done that, then we can talk."
What, you don't feel I've talked too much already? (I'm flattered.)
Besides, fine sir, we haven't been properly introduced yet.
But your name does sound vaguely familiar, Mr Neemus.
"It's an easy thing to say when you don't have to produce any proof."
Proof is not needed because showing off is not the point. Please do widen your vision field, Nimrod.
Hah! How's THAT for verbose?
IN-YOUR-FACE, Spongebob Squarepants! Beat this verbose dude if you can, ya spineless yellow pineapple-dweller. I'm the best, yeah. I'm the best, yeah. Chikka-chikka-boom! UNH!
(Uh... sorry, I should quit watching Nickelodeon while blogging, it gets my tiny puerile brain all confused.)
Dear God, is this what passes for wit in Lebanon?!
Granted, it's not up to your level, Mr. Anonymous, but it's all we got.
Is that what passes for prayer in Neverland, where all nameless people live?
I hope God appreciates the effort.
"Granted, it's not up to your level, Mr. Anonymous, but it's all we got."
Then that's sad. Of course, you lack intelligence and taste and are therefore in no position to judge.
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