Entry 20.0 - Fix You Ft. The Greater Fool

We are in the season for yearly report cards on Youtube music and Spotify wrapped. We love to see what others listened to the most (the ones we like). Its sort of getting a window into their world, probably a chance to know about their guilty pleasures.

Music..

A thing of mystery. Take everything the world has in common. You won’t find a better mutual friend than Music.

Take all the humans, movies, countries, gods, religions. I don’t think there’s a more powerful unifying source than Music which exists.

For me, Music is part of my everyday life.

Like, my each day probably starts and ends with the notes of Music. From stressful situations to daily routines to happy times, there’s a tune for each of these moods.

Recently, someone asked me, how do you discover new kinds of music?

How do you find songs from different languages and genre which end up being part of your playlist?

There came my weird little answer. I get all the new music in my life throughs films and television shows. Like there’s no other way or medium I try to find new music.

I’m one of those people who envy the composers, music supervisors and editors who pick up a piece of existing music and fit it so so well into their story..like a seamless transition where we end up feeling that this song or piece of music was always written to be shown in this scene. I don’t know what does it take to achieve this level of symphony…what does it take to have  skillset of this level?

Because, I’ve got all my favourite bands and songs discovered through movies and shows.

These next paragraphs, is about one of the bands and its song . A band which is getting all the rage in India right now, re-defining the craze and economics of concerts in India.

 Fix you by Coldplay

For the uninitiated, the first part of the song is something like this –

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Ahh,

“When you lose something you can’t replace”

 “Could it be worse”

What powerful and hurting lines..

Feels so much part of the song being about loss, love and grief. Even the writer  (Chris) got its inspiration when his father in law passed away and he saw his wife in this state of sadness and grief. He wrote it on a piano which belonged to her father in a effort to comfort her. Even if you don’t know the story, it still feels like a story of someone’s love or loss.

But that’s the best thing about music. The perception of it changes so significantly with Where, How and when the listener consumes it and in what state of mind.

Music is something so universal and yet so personal. Unique in the sense how it makes a person feel.

I discovered this beautiful song and band in a very different scenario. I'm still in awe of how they chose to feature this song and subtly create a beautiful montage around it.

The Greater Fool

It’s not the show’s name ;p.

But maybe, if I were to define it in a single word, there’s no other better word for it. (Sort of a tribute to the show)

I’ll not spoil the meaning of the word for you. But would just like to say, “I know what “A greater fool” is and I want to be one”.

Oh, the show’s name is “The Newsroom”.

Some of you probably would have seen a 5 minute viral clip online, without realizing that it’s the opening scene of the show.

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDpZ7w9uNuc )

 

With time, people are shifting their choice to watching more positive content rather than the dark and gory ones. I think with age, our yearning for consuming positive things/ content with positive outcomes increases.

I’ve always liked dark themed shows and movies, but on a gloomy gloomy day in August 2016, when I got results for one of my exams (I failed), I found this show or rather I found that this 5 minutes is an opening act to a show. It was a cocktail of 3 days, where this show helped me to move on from the grief of failing and kick start things again.

The show’s about how a prime time night news television show (your usual  9 pm news show) runs. From the lead anchor to producer to assistant’s, it shows how everyone’s life moves with and around the news environment.

It’s a beautifully written fiction about grit, love, drama, character arc’s and most importantly, how should and what should be the content of a news program be like in an ideal world.

Imagine, what should a news channel telecast in an ideal world?

I doubt if any of us can even imagine (we’re to cultured or brain washed) how and what sort of content should be shown.

That’s where you get our magician.

Aaron Sorkin – The creator and writer of the show.

You might have seen his other works like, The social network, The west wing, A few good men, Steve Jobs, Moneyball, the trial of Chicago seven etc.

This particular show revolves around the the life of a group of journalists and their love and passion for journalism. How each is growing in their own story to ultimately be the best version of themselves and help others around them.

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As I was saying earlier, this song or the staring para’s can make “Fix you” feel like a love, breakup, or a song about grief (When you lose something you could not replace). I mean, the lyrics do have that sort of power.

And lo and behold, comes this 4th episode of season 1 tilted “I’ll try to fix you”, where at the end of it, the characters are fighting in small groups about their personal lives, when a news alert comes about a shooting and the whole scene changes (The song starts in the background)

What montage happened afterwards is so surreal and heart touching , I mean, the song, the emotion behind it is so unique and powerful for me.

How in the most difficult times of their life, their love, passion, courage and commitment brought them all together in a second to do the thing they love the most, report sensible and accurate news. It showed that when push comes to shove, its the people with strong characters and relationships who win over the world.

Sometimes, you forget what did the song make you feel the first time you experienced it. It’s been a couple of days listening to this song again, years now from when I first heard it. I was so moved when I could easily feel again the power which song gives and holds over me.

I usually know people who listen to this song when they are sad or when they want a pick me up in life, but for me this song is a powerhouse of positivity and catharsis. The song makes you feel a kind of power, power which drives one from within and helps you face anything in this world.

The ending of the song goes by -

“And high up above, or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try, you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you.”

This is how, I discovered Coldplay and Fix you in my life.

Wherever you are right now, Mr Sorkin, A Salud for you for creating so much of positive worlds through your writing and introducing me to Coldplay.

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Somehow, Music is so much more than Art. It’s a constant companion and healer. (Though some of us listen to relive the pain too :p)

Music is everywhere, Just yesterday I was roaming around in a shopping mall and discovered a beautiful song by Kelly Clarkson – Underneath the tree. Makes me believe strongly that music is everywhere and it helps you everyday in life to enjoy with your heart and minds.

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Coldplay Fix You – Live in Sao Paulo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEp08vVYreg

The newsroom – Fix You scene - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ECgjvStB5U

Underneath the Tree - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EM2Fnp_qnE8