Ong and the Orality of American
Song (page5)
(ix) Situational
rather than abstract Almost any song from Bob Dylan's catalogue would be a
testament to American song's penchant for the abstract while remaining, "close
to the living human lifeworld," (49). Ong feels that in oral tradition it
is important to maintain some abstraction but not stray from life as we know it.
For instance, "My Back Pages" is a song that Dylan wrote about rejecting
his labeling of a protest singer. Definitely one of Dylan's most imagery loaded
songs, note the operational form of reference to display his point: In a soldier's
stance, I aimed my hand, At the mongrel dogs who teach Fearing not that I'd
become my enemy, In the instant that I preach My pathway led by confusion boats,
Mutiny from stern to bow. Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than
that now. While the verse is a slightly
abstract way of making his point, it is grounded in many ideas that are very real
life frames of reference. He uses of illusions of soldiers and ships to ground
his idea in abstract but humanistic context. Contact
Michael Black at info@knowledgebed.com Return
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