"Loving Arms": An Inquiry Into the Artifice of Soul

Funny, kinda silly title, huh? I think so, too, but there's no other way to say what I mean. What is soul? What the hell is it, gosh darn it? By soul I mean the screams of pain into the mic, the music that always holds back rather than rush forth, the frequent "umhmmms" and "go'on honeys"; the more black people the better. Why does soul exist? Why would someone want to write a song like, "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong)? First verse:

Oooooooooh [emphasis on the oooo], I bet you wonder how I knew,
'Bout your plaaans to make me blue,
With some other guy [scream "guy"] you knew before,
Between the two of us guys, you know I love you more [these last words accompanied by an historic amount of groove].

It took me by surpriiiiiii I must say,
When I found out yesterday

Don't you know that I heardit* through the grapevine,
Not much longer would you be mine,
Ohhh I heard it through the grapevine,
Ohhhhhhhhhhh I'm just about to looooooose my mind, honey, honey, yeah [history of groove peaks here].

Its just all so painful. Why dwell in it? And why does it feel so good? The first few seconds of this song you know that something serious is about to go down: the outlining of the minor third by the Rhodes and the guitar, followed by the ominous beats of the bass drum, the constant quarter note pulse, the tambourine shakes, the electric guitar entrance, the fat glissando in the strings--every entrance progressively just an immaculate little hair off the 4th beat--all culminating into Marvin's OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooohhhhh from the depths of his soul [here: EXISTENTIAL EXISTENCE]. I recently discovered this song while watching Jerry Bruckheimer's classic, "Remember the Titans." "Grapevine" plays in the background while Denzel and his family are moving into their new home amidst white people stares and white people comments such as, "Are they the movers?" I was watching because I wanted to see Noah from "The Notebook" (another classic) as the white boy that bobs his head to "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" by the Temptations.

Anyway, as I was watching, something happened. (I've told this story to a few of you already.) It was like I was hearing the song for the first time, away from the dancing California Raisins and the innumerable other places the song is used as background 'cause its just the coolest song ever. Now my piece on using "classics" for commercial purposes (this includes TV/radio commercials, elevators, and every other place the Devil tries to get us to buy something by appealing to our souls [here: A GOOD PLACE; THE GOLDMINE {OF SORTS} OF A PERSON]): its understandable and almost too effective, but its just wrong. Why? Because the songs then somehow, ever so inconspicuously yet ever so surely, move into the "imaginary museum of musical works."** Here in the museum they are untouchable, suspended in time; they can be passed over in the effort to get as much culture as possible; at once cheap and priceless... in short, they're separated from the whole reason that they're there because no one can really get to them anymore, except through compilations such as "THEN: Totally Oldies" (of which I own the 3rd volume) or "Peaceful Piano" (which I will never own), or most depressingly, the whole Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven, Baby Bach, Baby any-genius-that-your-kid-has-the-fat-chance-of-becoming-unless-you-buy-this-video, etc. videos (I know that's mean, but hey, I am so all about the Baby Beethoven for our future little zish, and considering who I'm married to, Baby Shakespeare and Baby George Lucas as well ['cause no one's genius is as unquestionable as George Lucas'].)***,**** Anyway, I know my description of the "imaginary museum" is opaque. I'm still working it out... actually thinking of writing at length on the topic in the future.

Anyway. During the movie I realized the song was great. It was a very apropos choice, and because it is so apropos, it doesn't even register as a song while one views the movie, know what I mean? I guess its not supposed to. All its saying is, 1) The town (and the movie) will be so much better with a little soul [here: MUSIC GENRE] (whatever that means, seriously); and more architectonically, 2) this movie is about black people in the "oldies" era; and most basically, 3) this is a new scene for those of you who are not watching. The meaning of the song in itself does not matter; its now only what the song has now come to represent. (And that's somehow not entirely right to me for some reason...) Disagree? Think of Beethoven's Fifth. If you don't know it, please call me right away so that I can do some experimenting on you.

Anyway, anyway. Marvin Gaye is great. And what a biography! Zucchiniboy and Marshmallow were over the other day, and since Marshmallow is from the East Bay, we were groovin' to some Marvin. (Zucchiniboy perused the liner notes while Marshmallow gave black people a run for their money). In the midst of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," Zucchiniboy reads, "Marvin Gaye was killed by his father?!?!" Marshmallow stops mid-headnod. Zucchiniboy's eyes are at the widest possible diameter. I stop jungnying for once. Marvin Gaye was killed by his old man? No wonder he had so much soul. [SOMETHING CAUSED BY IMMEASURABLE PAIN]

Anyway. I really didn't mean to spend so much time on "Grapevine." The real subject of this post is a song called "Loving Arms" by Irma Thomas (written by Tom Jans). I invite you to download it from iTunes, etc., because its just a beautiful, beautiful song. Here are the lyrics:

If you could see me now,
The one who said, that she would rather roam,
The one who said, she'd rather be alone,
If you could only see me now.

If I could hold you now,
Just for a while, if I could really make you mine,
Just for the moment,
Turn back the hands of time,
If I could only hold you now.

[chorus]
'Cause I've been too long in the wind,
Too long in the rain,
Seeking any comfort that I can
Looking back and longing for
the freedom of my chains,
Just lying in your loving arms again.

I can almost feel you.

If you could hear me now,
Singin' somewhere in the darkest nights,
Dreamin' of the arms that held me tight,
If you could hear me now.

'Cause I've been too long in the wind,
Too long in the rain,
Seeking any comfort that I can
Looking back and longing for
The freedom of my chains,
Just lyin' in your lovin' arms again.

I can almost feel ya,
I can almost feel ya,
Lyin' in your lovin' arms,
Yes I can, yes I can, yes I can.

I can almost feel ya,
I can almost feel ya,
Lyin' in your lovin' arms,
Yes I can, yes I can, yes I can.

What lyrics, no? I first heard "Loving Arms" in the Starbucks in EPA right near the Dumbarton. All I could remember from the first hearing was "Lyin' in your lovin' arms" over and over again, which I thought was "Dyin' in your lovin' arms." I just wanted to sing along, wishing I was black. Ms. Thomas' pain was just so soothing. To sing with her was cathartic. I asked the barista what song it was, but she unfortunately did not know. I left thinking I was sure to find it online with a little resourceful searching.

I somehow forgot about the song (though I do remember calling my hubby after I heard it the first time and rapturously describing it to him), but luckily heard it again the next time I went to Starbucks (the next day). I asked another barista what on earth I was hearing, and he went to the back to ask and returned with "'Loving Arms,' Irma Thomas." I was with Eklekton at the time (who I blame completely for the exponentially increasing number of Starbucks runs in my life since 6 March 2004, and my slow acceptance of the fact that I actually LOVE STARBUCKS--"so sue me!"*****), and I called my home phone and left a message for myself: "'Loving Arms' by Irma Thomas." I downloaded it as soon as I got home, and thus are the origins of this inquiry. (As with all inquiries, an inquiry founded in love. This is really hard to remember in emotion-phobic academia for some reason.)

Turns out "Loving Arms" was recorded for a new series by Hear Music called "I Believe To My Soul," with recordings not only of Irma Thomas (apparently the reigning Soul Queen of New Orleans) but also a few other soul greats. The back cover of the CD reads:

This is a new record done in a classic mode, not a re-creation of classic soul music. It is a record authentic to where these five great artists [Mavis Staples {imagine a female Barry White}, Billy Preston {the fifth Beatle}, Ann Peebles, Allen Toussaint, and Ms. Thomas] find themselves today--and in relationship to each other. It is music steeped in tradition, but played with no particular reverence for it. This is the first of a series; and there is more to come.

Starbucks actually sells the CD, as I found out on my next trip to the 'Bucks (need I say?) the day after. I bought the CD in a flash and giddily popped it into the car stereo. Jam Session in the Altima! After listening to and singing "Loving Arms" at full blast and at the top of my lungs (poor, poor mhyun), I let the CD run. The song following "Loving Arms," called "River Boat," just makes you wanna DANCE. Or in mhyun's opinion, take one's clothes off.****** "River Boat" is followed by even more jems, particularly the song "When the Candle Burns Low" sung by Ann Peebles. "This is the kind of song I wish I could write," said my darling after Ms. Peebles ripped our hearts out. Oh honey, I know you can do it! One phrase from the song goes:

Stood in church, and said my vows to you,
Wish we had'a known then,
What we were about to go through

But I learned, yes I've learned
It's just water underneath this bridge.

Its like looking back on an old picture of yourself smiling, looking as if you didn't have a care in the world, and realizing that everything that is causing all of you, the PASSIONATE MINGLE OF TOIL, PEACE, AND REST EXISTED BACK THEN. (I was made to be a CD liner notes writer.) Anyway, just listen to it. Its just great. Its beautiful. And why is that? How is the music so beautiful? Silly me, so full of undergraduate cocksure, I thought it would take a bout of quals and a hifalutin dissertation to definitively figure out why and how but in the end, its just as our dear pastor once said: "Music is beautiful because God is beautiful." (The same goes for sports, apparently.) So simple, so plain, so true.*******

I'll end now and get to "artifice" later. But just gotta say "I Believe to My Soul" is great and hope you all run across it at some time. And whatever you are, soul, WE WANT SOME MO'!


*This "heardit" is so satisfying (and rightly so, as it ushers in the chorus), because everything beforehand (the instrumental entrances, the first lyric line and the first phrase) has been just off the first beat and moves off of it only with the next word (try singing the first line while conducting or beating 1-2-3-4). This "heardit" is the first time a word has been held exactly through the first beat, followed by "throughthe", "grape", and " vine" exactly on beats 2, 3, and 4. Musicology--its what I do best, but yet still not good enough.
**Gotta quote Lydia Goehr, one of the coolest music philosophers around. Her dad is the composer Alexander Goehr. Oh, you haven't heard of him? Yeah, neither have I, or ANYONE outside the ivory tower of contemporary classical music for that matter. And he probably likes it that way. More on this phenomenon later.
***Or as in this present example, movies directed and produced by Jewish people.
****L'hones, I think you must have ingested Baby Superhero somehow because St. knows frighteningly much about all the -mans and the "bad guys" ("Ba Gai" to Be. [accent on the "Bah"]) and the whole mitichlorian offspring business. For example the other day, after I, General Grievous, destroyed whiny little Luke fair and square, St. said, "No, you can't destroy Luke because 'I am Your Father' saves him at the end."
Me: "But we destroyed Darth Vadar 5 minutes ago."
St.: "No, Darth Maul comes back to save him."
Be.: "Bah Gai"
*****Starbucks, how could we not but love thee? You're not only a "goddamn piazza"; a place in the city where people can "mingle and mix and be," not only a place where one can get a "defining sense of self" (mine being "Tall Awake Tea Can You Please Leave Room For Milk Oh And A Cinnamon Twist"), but now also a place where yellow people can get a little soul. Talk about cultural institution. "Gotta love the 'Bucks!" "SO SUE ME!" (The last two are separate quotations; you know what they are, Mr. and Mrs. Phattacus.)
******Sorry for all the footnotes--I guess I really should be an academic after all. Anyway, mhyun's exact quote was, "See this is the kind of song that makes me want to take my clothes off," as opposed to the song "There, There" by Radiohead, which I told him once made me want to take my clothes off. I think its the bass drum and the crescendo at the end. More, more, much, much, much more on the greatest band in the world in the future!
*******And so without Hegel, praise the Lord!