Steve Tran
Module 4: Appld Learning
Music 205
Human Experience: Two Songs

My Two Songs

Classic 20th century song
George Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6H25ocDrqGs Modern Times song
Depeche Mode – Enjoy the silence http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diT3FvDHMyo I chose these two songs for my human experience because in their own ways, they are a direct reflection of our lives. George Gershwin closes the gap and fuses classical with jazz, he uses no lyrics. However, Depeche Mode's classic has a dark melody and a lot of lyrics. This in itself is a reflection of our lives. We have the freedom to express ourselves however we wish, an idea calibrated heavily by the 20th century of expression. People started doing things differently and it became a social norm.
Rhapsody in Blue's beauty has various parts of the piece. There are parts that progress rapidly, there are parts that are a bit slower and change in tone. There is even a piano used. How this compares to the human experience is that our life is the same way. We have moments of our lives where things go smoother and parts where things are a bit rough. However, we all just need to realize that this difference is what makes it all worth while.This carries over into Depeche Mode's “Enjoy the Silence” as well. This time it's directly heard in the lyrics. I have always believed that the message to the song is simply “Don't tell me you love, show me that you love me.” You can hear it anywhere in the lyrics, “words are meaningless and forgettable.” “Words are very, unnecessary, they can only do harm.” This all