Dancing in the Dark, Politics and Haiku

Dancing in the Dark
There are two memorable songs bearing the title, “Dancing in the Dark,” and the one that comes to mind when the song is mentioned is a wonderful clue as to the generation to which you belong. 

 

Back in 1931, composer Arthur Schwartz (father of pianist and occasional radio personality Jonathan Schwartz) and lyricist Howard Dietz wrote “Dancing in the Dark” for a Broadway review, “The Band Wagon” which was revived 22 years later.  The song (“Dancing in the dark, till the tune ends, we’re dancing in the dark, and it soon ends …”) is an integral part of what is called the Great American Songbook, filled with the music of Gershwin, Porter, Kahn, and Rodgers and the lyrics of Hart and Hammerstein, among other greats.  This particular “Dancing in the Dark,” I believe will be with us for a very, very long time.

The other “Dancing in the Dark” was part of Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 album, “Born in the USA,” with words and music by Springsteen himself.  It sold over a million “singles” and was Springsteen’s greatest hit.  You probably are at least familiar with the chorus which starts out bemoaning the fact that “You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark, this gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark.”   I believe this song will also be with us for a very, very long time, but not so long as the original 1931 “Dancing in the Dark” will be.

Insofar as I can determine, for those born prior to the mid 1960's, the mention of a song called “Dancing in the Dark” brings to mind the Arthur Schwartz song.  If you first saw the light of day after that time though, the Springsteen song is the one you probably associate with the title.  In fact, many who recognize one version usually don’t even know that the other one exists.

You can hear Arthur Schwartz' "Dancing in the Dark" sung by Frank Sinatra by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGQ0IMdQcnY  and you can hear Bruce Springsteen's version at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=129kuDCQtHs .

 
A Middle Aged Sinatra and a Youthful Springsteen


(I tried to download both videos onto the blog but it looked like it would take a few hours to do on my antiquated computer, so if you want to view and listen to them, just click on the links, or if that doesn't work, copy and paste them on your browser line.)

Which do you like better?   Frank or Bruce?   It really doesn't matter since both singers are from New Jersey .... only from different generations!

Jack Lippman
                             

Politics - Ya Can't Get Away From It

Now that Mitt Romney has bowed out of the Republican race for the 2016 G.O.P. nomination for the Presidency, it looks like a circus, featuring a clown of the week  …  as happened in 2012 …  will ensue.  

Does any responsible Republican really think that Marco Rubio or Mike Huckabee is qualified to sit in the White House?  Republicans are afraid of Chris Christie’s  petulance, wary of where Jeb Bush stands on anything (hasn’t held office in ten years and seems to be too liberal on immigration and education),  confused by Rand Paul’s neo-isolationism and surprised that Scott Walker is drawing significant support.  That comes from the fact that he successfully stood up to unions and teachers in his home state, but what else has he done, to qualify him for the White House?  (and don't answer that by asking me what did a "community organizer/lawyer" in his first term in the Senate do to qualify him for that same job.)


Wisconsin's Walker                               

Only Bush and possibly Christie have access to the kind of money needed to run a campaign, but that can change if wealthy donors, such as the Koch brothers, choose to back someone else.  That’s what that meeting in Iowa two weeks ago was all about.  I heard former New York Governor George Pataki on TV this morning say he was available for a Presidential run.  Who is he kidding?  But that serves to show how wide open the race is.  

The task is to find a well-financed Republican who is conservative enough to satisfy those who do not view domestic and foreign policy through the windshield but rather through the rear view mirror.  If they find such a candidate, he will also have to have the desire and ability to govern, which means facing the economic realities of fiscal and monetary policy, world peace, terrorism and keeping Americans working and healthy.  All of this will be difficult if the G.O.P. commits itself to running government on the cheap. (That means “tax reduction” as a way of benefiting the wealthy who will then have more money to invest in a growing economy, which will produce more income to be taxed, albeit at a lower rate.  Seems we’ve heard that story before, but it never seems to work out that way. )

I met a Republican the other day who said that the United States was far behind the rest of the world insofar as cybersecurity is concerned.  “Their hackers,” he said, “are better than our hackers.”   He attributed this to our not spending enough money on cybersecurity, which he saw as the fault of the Democrats who controlled the Senate and the White House.  “Let’s see if the Republicans, now in charge of both Houses of Congress,” I responded, “will be willing to spend the money to get the job done right.”

JL
                    

                                 

Try Some Haiku
Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry, usually dealing with events seen or found in nature, consisting of three lines.  The first and third lines contain five syllables and the second line contains seven syllables.  Rhyming is unnecessary, but the words should be soothing with the third line suggesting a contrast to what came before it. 

Try writing some.  Doing so has a calming effect, relieving stress.  I just  came up with these two samples.  You can too.  Your haiku will appear on this blog if you care to submit it.

Snowflakes on branches

Rest atop one another

Until the limb cracks.

 

Warm winds caressing

Closed and sleeping blossom buds

Often wake them up.


JL                               

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