Art and nature —

The Greeks (or at least the Athenians)
liked to hear people speak well.

Nothing distinguishes them
so thoroughly from non-Greeks as does this truly greedy craving.
Even of passion on the stage
they demanded that it should speak well,
and they endured the unnaturalness of dramatic verse
with rapture.

In nature, passion is so poor in words,
So embarrassed and all but mute;
or when it finds words,
so confused and irrational and ashamed of itself.

Thanks to the Greeks, all of us have now
become accustomed to this unnatural stage convention
just as we tolerate, and tolerate gladly,
thanks to the Italians,
that other unnatural convention:
passion that sings.

–excerpt The Gay Science, Book 2, Section 80 by Friedrich Nietzsche

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The tune captures my mind and heart!  Why?  It is natural to stammer, to be rendered incoherent by conflicting emotion, the attraction and the repulsion inherent in a relationship that for many reasons you know is toxic, destructive to one’s sense of self.

This is a great Mo-Town song of the 1966, made popular by the Supremes.  English singer Kim Wilde refreshes the song for another generation in 1986.  You Keep Me Hangin’ On

You Keep Me Hangin’ On

By Kim Wilde

Set me free why don’t cha babe
Get out of my life why don’t cha babe
’cause you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’on

Set me free why don’t cha babe
Get out of my life why don’t cha babe
You don’t really need me
But you keep me hangin’on

Why do you keep a comin’ around
Playing with my heart
Why don’t cha get out of my life
And let me make a brand new start
Let me get over you
The way you’ve gotten over me yeah

You say although we broke up
You still just wanna be friends
But how can we still be friends
When seeing you only breaks my heart again

Get out, get out of my life
And let me sleep at night
‘Cos you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’on

You say you still care for me
But your heart and soul needs to be free
And now that you’ve got your freedom
You wanna still hold on to me
You don’t want me for yourself
So let me find somebody else

Why don’t cha be a man about it and set me free
Now you don’t care a thing about me
You’re just using me – Hey, abusing me
Get out, get out of my life
And let me sleep at night
‘Cos you don’t really love me
You just keep me hangin’on
You don’t really need me
You just keep me – hangin’on

Lyrics by Lamont Dozier, Edward Holland, Brian Holland