David Bowie - Heroes (live)

What is Cool? One of Gadabout Jack's friends recently asked his take on “Cool.” Cool? That is a tough question for me, so I first looked to music for answers. I ran across this David Bowie video on YouTube, and David Bowie is cool, and so is the song Heroes. I include the lyrics for Heroes (below), since most of us never really know the lyrics to songs much less have an understanding of the story behind the song. But as usual, Gadabout is here to help:

“This song tells the story of a German couple who are so determined to be together that they meet every day under a gun turret on The Berlin Wall. Bowie, who was living in Berlin at the time, was inspired by an affair between his producer Tony Visconti and backup singer Antonia Maass, who would kiss "by the wall" in front of Bowie as he looked out of the Hansa Studio window. Bowie didn't mention Visconti's role in inspiring this song until 2005, when he was sure that knowledge of this fact would not affect Visconti's own personal situation - he was married at the time of the affair.” [www.songfacts.com]

I don’t understand how Bowie managed to bridge having an affair with being a hero, but the song is pleasant and inspiring. Songs that inspire are cool. Bowie, The Stones, Roxy Music, and all the other musical avatar’s of the 70’ and 80’s brought great comfort and peace to many, including myself. Songs, like Heroes, motivated me not only in my artistic pursuits and but also with the demands of studies while in college. In this sense, music is motivational and cool. Music is a medium of communication that offers messages—lasting messages. And when the messages are positive and promote a better world, we are given something very special indeed.

We know that most Rock Stars don’t usually abide by social norms. Their behaviors are often less than admirable; drugs, alcohol and so on, but they are creative and know how to touch the heart. Freddie Mercury of Queen died of AIDS in 1991. Mercury was a genius and we ALL loved his music, but after it was disclosed that he died of AIDS his death touched off a monumental movement of support and sympathy for those inflicted with the disease. Freddy Mercury changed the world through his music and his death. Freddie Mercury was cool.

Coolness is subjective. Coolness is watching a thunderstorm toss lightning about. Coolness is friendship. Coolness is laughing. Coolness has many faces. Coolness is, well, Cool!

Heroes

I
I wish you could swim
Like the dolphins
Like the dolphins can swim
Though nothing
Though nothing will keep us together

We can beat them
Forever and ever
Oh we can be heroes
Just for one day

I
I will be king
And you
You will be queen
Though nothing
Will drive them away
We can heroes
Just for one day
We can be us
Just for one day

I
I remember I remember
Standing
By the wall by the wall
The guns
Shot about our heads all about our heads
And we kissed
As though
Nothing could fall nothing could fall
And the shame
Was on the other side
Oh we can beat them
Forever and ever
We can be heroes
Just for one day

We can be heroes
We can be heroes
We can be heroes
Just for one day