I love this quote from Bertolt Brecht;
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality
but a hammer with
which to shape it.”
Brecht is a writer who lived through the first two world
wars. He lived through much change and upheaval of society and was an outspoken
critic of much that was going on.
He is probably chiefly known for the Threepenny Opera, a
play with music that he collaborated on with Kurt Wiel.
Probably not as well known is the fact that he wrote ‘The
Alabama Song,’ which was part of the paly with music called ‘Little Mahagonny.’
The song itself is
quite well known as The Doors and Bowie did very excellent covers of it.
“Well, show me the way
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
To the next whisky bar
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
For if we don't find
The next whisky bar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
The next whisky bar
I tell you we must die
I tell you we must die
I tell you, I tell you
I tell you we must die
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you know why
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whiskey, oh, you know why
Oh, moon of Alabama
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whisky, oh, you know why, yeah
We now must say goodbye
We've lost our good old mama
And must have whisky, oh, you know why, yeah
Well, show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
To the next little girl
Oh, don't ask why
Oh, don't ask why
Show me the way
To the next little girl
Oh,…”
To the next little girl
Oh,…”
Quite interesting that Google gives The Doors credit for
this song, but it’s Bertolt Brecht!
As far as continuing our dialog, on this blog, of what is
art? I like the idea of art as a hammer to shape reality. All I can say is;
“If I had a hammer
I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening
All over this land
I’d hammer out danger
I’d hammer out a warning
I’d hammer out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land, uh”
I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening
All over this land
I’d hammer out danger
I’d hammer out a warning
I’d hammer out love between
My brothers and my sisters
All over this land, uh”
Peter Paul and Mary.