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    Home / Listen to my music - the philosophy of The Trees  
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    Image of Listen to my music - the philosophy of The Trees
    Listen to my music - the philosophy of The Trees
    editorial posted by braincrave in braincraverelationships/dating/braincrave

    Make everyone equal. It is a common battle cry across the centuries. Just look at the current class warfare that Obama is pushing because we are not all equal. (Or, as Orwell famously put it in Animal Farm, some are more equal than others.) So what does class warfare have to do with music?

    It's questionable whether or not most of today's music is philosophically-based (try to find the philosophical tenets of Lady Gaga, a woman who wore a dress made of meat). However, musicians can be very thoughtful in their art. Characterized as the "thinking man's band," Rush is a well-known supporter of Ayn Rand's philosophy and libertarianism (although Rand's influence should not be "overestimated"). For example, their three-time platinum album 2112, released under the Anthem Records label, is a rock opera based on Rand's short, dystopian novel Anthem. In it, Rand provocatively characterized a future dark age of irrationality, collectivism, socialistic thinking, and socialism economics.

    Rush is one of those bands that inspires people with its lyrics. How many songs nowadays really do that? For example, a fellow Braincraver wrote about Rush's philosophy on religion. Their lyrics generally have individualistic underpinnings, but they also span the gamut of topics, such as "relationships, fantasy-adventure, classical mythology, European and world history, science-fiction, libertarianism, atheism, science, and technology."

    In The Trees, Rush addresses the ideology of egalitarianism, a "contested concept in social and political thought." Egalitarianism promotes the idea that "people should get the same, or be treated the same, or be treated as equals, in some respect." Being a band from Canada, Rush chose to sing about maple trees; although, it's unclear if they were referring to Canadians as being oppressed. What is clear, and consistent with their libertarian leanings, is that the lyrics criticize the forced/legislated authority (i.e., through unions) to create equality.

    Surprisingly, drummer Neil Peart played down the ideology years later: "It was just a flash. I was working on an entirely different thing when I saw a cartoon picture of these trees carrying on like fools. I thought, "What if trees acted like people?" So I saw it as a cartoon really, and wrote it that way. I think that's the image that it conjures up to a listener or a reader. A very simple statement."

    What gives meaning to music? Is music more enjoyable with philosophy at its base? What do you interpret as the symbolism in The Trees? Which current musicians incorporate philosophy into their music? Is Rush advocating for social Darwinism? What should be universally equal, and what shouldn't? What makes a law "noble?" Does equalization promote happiness or death?

    Lyrics:

    There is unrest in the forest

    There is trouble with the trees

    For the maples want more sunlight

    And the oaks ignore their pleas

    The trouble with the maples

    (And they're quite convinced they're right)

    They say the oaks are just too lofty

    And they grab up all the light

    But the oaks can't help their feelings

    If they like the way they're made

    And they wonder why the maples

    Can't be happy in their shade

    There is trouble in the forest

    And the creatures all have fled

    As the maples scream "Oppression!"

    And the oaks just shake their heads

    So the maples formed a union

    And demanded equal rights

    "The oaks are just too greedy

    We will make them give us light!"

    Now there's no more oak oppression

    For they passed a noble law

    And the trees are all kept equal

    By hatchet, axe, and saw

    Rush - The Trees

    DISCUSS!

    Original posting by Braincrave Second Life staff on Sep 21, 2011 at http://www.braincrave.com/viewblog.php?id=648

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    About braincrave

    braincraverelationships/dating/braincravehttps://braincrave.com/c/relationships/dating/braincravebraincrave

    We all admire beauty, but the mind ultimately must be stimulated for maximum arousal. Longevity in relationships cannot occur without a meeting of the minds. And that is what Braincrave is: a dating venue where minds meet. Learn about the thoughts of your potential match on deeper topics... topics that spawn your own insights around what you think, the choices you make, and the actions you take.

    We are a community of men and women who seek beauty and stimulation through our minds. We find ideas, education, and self-improvement sexy. We think intelligence is hot. But Braincrave is more than brains and I.Q. alone. We are curious. We have common sense. We value and offer wisdom. We experiment. We have great imaginations. We devour literacy. We are intellectually honest. We support and encourage each other to be better.

    You might be lonely but you aren't alone.

    Sep, 2017 update: Although Braincrave resulted in two confirmed marriages, the venture didn't meet financial targets. Rather than updating our outdated code base, we've removed all previous dating profiles and retained the articles that continue to generate interest. Moving to valME.io's platform supports dating profiles (which you are welcome to post) but won't allow typical date-matching functionality (e.g., location proximity, attribute similarity).

    The Braincrave.com discussion group on Second Life was a twice-daily intellectual group discussions typically held at 12:00 PM SLT (PST) and 7:00 PM SLT. The discussions took place in Second Life group chat but are no longer formally scheduled or managed. The daily articles were used to encourage the discussions.

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