The Most Philosophical Song You Ever Heard

The Bloody Violation of Mickey Mouse's Virginity on 59th Street         Bedtime For Bonzo

Thanks to the Abominable Snowman for Monty Python's "Philosopher's Song." That belongs here in response to MC's OP—for its sarcasm. It has always seemed to me that skit's point was to poke fun at Australians. The Aussie philosophy department where everyone is called Bruce has departmental rules that include "This term I don't want to catch anyone not drinking." Chapman, Cleese and Idle all met at Cambridge, and all studied philosophy there. The pun that motivates this sketch, I take it, is a familiar English condescension toward those moronic Aussies, who have misunderstood and believe that philosophers are supposed to "drink" instead of "think."

I teach a university course on "Philosophy and Music." But that's meant somewhat tongue in cheek, too, as it isn't at all clear that music has even a potential to be "philosophical" in any serious sense of the word. Still, Plato (and Pythagoras before him) believed that mathematical relations were audible in music and, as math expresses eternal Being (not the mere appearances of "becoming" in the realm of the senses, the shadow realm of the famous cave allegory), Plato considered music to be a very high form of philosophical expression. He wasn't, of course, the last to do so; my favorite would have to be Schopenhauer, for whom music functions as a kind of empirical validation of his entire metaphysics. 

Be that as it may, what does, or can, music—sequences of tones—"express"? The examples in this thread, from the OP's onward, cite lyrics, which might as well be "poetry" and not "music." But can instrumental music express ideas? Or, for that matter, even "emotions"? I know we all think it can—obviously, dance music at a funeral would be inappropriate, while languid melodies in a minor key will hardly enliven your party. But why do we think this? How can it do this?

Maybe that's a topic for another thread. In any case, with this problem in mind, I'll mention again John Cage's 4'33". 

hilde452,541 posts10-07-2021 10:17pmIf anyone quotes a Doors song, I'm outta here.

Five To One!

Supertramp’s. Goodbye stranger

A bit long winded but worth the read based on the questions. The song is...

Dead Can Dance
How Fortunate the Man with None

You saw sagacious Solomon

You know what came of him

To him, complexities seemed plain

He cursed the hour that gave birth to him

And saw that everything was vain

How great and wise was Solomon

The world, however, did not wait

But soon observed what followed on

It's wisdom that had brought him to this state

How fortunate the man with none

You saw courageous Caesar next

You know what he became

They deified him in his life

Then had him murdered just the same

And as they raised the fatal knife

How loud he cried "you to my son!"

The world, however, did not wait

But soon observed what followed on

It's courage that had brought him to that state

How fortunate the man with none

You heard of honest Socrates

The man who never lied

They weren't so grateful as you'd think

Instead the rulers fixed to have him tried

And handed him the poisoned drink

How honest was the people's noble son

The world, however, did not wait

But soon observed what followed on

It's honesty that brought him to that state

How fortunate the man with none

Here you can see respectable folk

Keeping to God's own laws

So far he hasn't taken heed

You who sit safe and warm indoors

Help to relieve out bitter need

How virtuously we had begun

The world, however, did not wait

But soon observed what followed on

It's fear of God that brought us to that state

How fortunate the man with none