Supertramp › The Logical Song > Lyrics
When I was young, it seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical.
And all the birds in the trees, well they’d be singing so happily
Joyfully, playfully watching me.
But then they send me away to teach me how to be sensible
Logical, responsible, practical.
And they showed me a world where I could be so dependable
Clinical, intellectual, cynical.
There are times when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am.
Now watch what you say or they’ll be calling you a radical
Liberal, fanatical, criminal.
Won’t you sign up your name, we’d like to feel you’re acceptable
Respectable, presentable, a vegetable!
At night, when all the world’s asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple man.
Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd
But please tell me who I am.
I think of the lyrics of this song, along with those of many others, while evolving my philosophy of education. Is this kind of confusion at the end of the process of education a good thing or not? In the band's case they seem to have become a succes by making creative use of their confusion, crafting excellent songs out of it. The contradiction implied in that is what interests me. How much of their success was due to their education and how much in spite of it?
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6 comments:
The last line of this song - "plese tell me who I am" - is too deep to ignore. I remember the only question that Ramana Maharshi would ask people who went to him to ponder over - Who am I?
If we agree, then, that the purpose of education is self-discovery, are we speaking at al of the education that is offered in schools? Is this a space in whihc that can happen?
On the other hand, that journey has to happen in any space. The discovery of who am I cannot happen only in a forest or on a secluded mountain top. We have to build the seclusion into the premises of our homes and our work spaces.
What perhaps can happen within the 90-minute-schedules-for-each-discipline kind of education, is perhaps a desire for exploring questions like the ones in Supertramp. What is titled Mumukshatva. The desire for Moksha. How can we even start thinking in that way if the desire is not ignited?
tara, i'm really happy you responded to my post - who am i is indeed the most imortant question ever and ramana maharshi knew the answer... how can i get the students to ask this question and find their own answers or moksha - very challenging - i guess it's possible only if i find out who i am and get it.. in which case the need for the quest would be awakened in them too...
Maybe if there is the desire in us to discover who I am, that would convey to our students. Just having the desire would suffice even if we are unable to discover it right away!
On a quiet Sunday afternoon, I feel perhaps this inquiry is best performed in the state of Sushupti! Deep sleep! That is perhaps a state in which one is closest to the feeling of I!
lol...
What does lol mean and in what context is it used? Please enlighten the not so savvy blogger!
lol means laughing out loud, it's s/lang commonly used on chat... i was laughing cos of your sense of humour...
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