Here’s to the song writers, the lyricists, the word-smiths of rhythm, rhyme and harmony!  If it were not so early in the day I’d raise a glass of sweet red wine to toast all that I have been given by their songs.  (Out of an abundance of caution, it is best to stay away from alcohol early in the morning.)  Nevertheless, the song-smiths deserve a around of applause, a round of drinks for everyone, and a rousing cheer….  I can imagine the festive occasion dedicated to honoring those who have labored to the benefit of their generation to describe the way that we have taken.  Philosophers attempt to accomplish the same delicate result, with much less success, clarity and precision of consequence.

Last night a group of us discussed the lyrics of a lately released song by Bob Dylan, Murder Most Foul.  The title of the tune indicates Dylan’s marriage of the line in Hamlet, with the slaying in broad daylight of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, of 1963.  In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet encounters the ghost of his dead father, who reveals the manner of his death at the hand of his own brother, Hamlet’s uncle.  The uncle is now married to the dead father’s wife…  Yes, that’s layer upon layer of amoral, calculated deceit.  Hamlet seeks to avenge his dead father, and unlooses a river of blood.  Vonnegut would have said, “and so it goes..”

Dylan identifies the murder of JFK as an indicator of the existential and moral descent of American society.  Such an event signals a condition well advanced, and a harbinger of what is to come.  The remainder of Murder Most Foul is a review of cultural artifacts, tunes, movies, and personalities past, that have foreshadowed Dylan’s assessment of our condition.

I once heard and interview with Richard Rorty, an unquestionably important American philosopher.  Rorty, the pragmatist, said though he regretted not having read more poetry, he did not think that poets “knew” anything which was unknown to philosophy.  Rorty was wrong.

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How about a song to serve as anchor for our midweek endeavors?  This one was suggested by a friend. I agree.  The lyrics and tune by Leonard Cohen are superlative.  Suzanne by Leonard Cohen.

(We are all half crazy)

Suzanne takes you down
To her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her

And you know that she’s half crazy
But that’s why you wanna be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China

And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you’ve always been her lover

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind

And Jesus was a sailor
When He walked upon the water
And He spent a long time watching
From His lonely wooden tower

And when He knew for certain
Only drowning men could see Him
He said, “All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them”

But He Himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with Him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you’ll trust Him
For He’s touched your perfect body with his mind

Now, Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From the Salvation Army counters

And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbor
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers

There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror

And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she’s touched your perfect body with her mind