Taking a Look at Some Older Music (CC)

      So, as soon as we started talking about the Heart of Darkness unit in class, I remembered a song that I have grown to love. I would hear and read words like "Congo", "civilization", and "native population", and phrases from the song would keep on replaying in my head. Now, every time I open Heart of Darkness I hear "Bongo bongo bongo, I don't want to leave the Congo, oh no no no no no!". Not many of you probably know of this song, as it's an older one from 1947. It's called "Civilization" and is sung by The Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye.
        The song itself is a humorous satire about a group of "civilized" people who are settling into a native village, trying to convince them that "civilization is a thing for [them] to see". The song is portrayed in the view of the native "savages" and shows that they don't really want to join the "civilized" people. They are happy in the Congo and would rather not change the way they live. Here, take a moment and listen to it if you have the time:

         I love this piece, as it's catchy and full of life. The humor embedded within the song makes it even greater. Normally I don't listen to this type of music, but I have to admit, oldies hold a special place in my heart. I love songs like "Dear Laughing Doubters", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Don't Stop Believin'", "Imagine", and so many more. They have a certain feel to them that differs from a lot of the music from the present.
        Take, for instance, "The Sound of Music". This movie musical was huge. Produced in 1965, Julie Andrews and the other actors and actresses just made the movie thrive. The music was so warm, so real, that families all over the world fell in love with it. In 2013, "The Sound of Music Live" was performed, with Carrie Underwood as the lead. Although many people enjoyed the production itself, there was a different feel to it than that original movie. There is something sentimental about these old musicals - "The Sound of Music", "Fiddler on the Roof", "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "Annie", etc. - that it would be impossible to replace them. Sure, some remakes can be pretty popular. "Charlie and the Chocolate Family" and many "Annie" remakes were very successful. However, the old versions can never be replaced. Both versions can be amazing, but they don't often completely cover up the original. Imagine if someone decided to film a new "Wizard of Oz". It would be extremely difficult for people to forget the heart-felt voice of Judy Garland in this well-known classic. We can try to recreate works of art in a different light, but we can't replace them, nor can we replicate them in all of their beauty.
        Okay, so this conversation may have drifted away from the Congo on a long chain of thoughts, but the overall point is, the music of the past should never be forgotten. It is part of what has allowed music to evolve as far as it has now. Music is always changing, rearranging, becoming something more than it was before. That's what makes every song a piece of art - expressive and unique in its own distinct way.