I was listening to some old Fred Astaire classics while I
was painting yesterday. One was called No
Strings and includes the lyrics:
Like a robin upon a
tree
Like a sailor that
goes to sea
Like an unwritten
melody
I’m free, that’s me
The first two lines are trite enough; it’s the third line
that impresses me. Relating freedom to an unwritten melody might sound obvious
when you hear it, but it’s a moderately profound concept and not the first
thing most people would think of if they were writing a song. And that’s what
sets the classic balladeers like Irving Berlin apart from the common herd of
popular song writers.
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