American Philosophical Classics : American Pie , Hotel California

 

The two classic American songs that are famous for their wide and varied interpretations are "American Pie" and "Hotel California". These two happened to be among my favorites even before I took to listening to  English / Western Pop / American music / visiting America or even listening to music seriously. There is something in these songs that attracts one to their musical interpretation. Also their chords and instrumental arrangements are off beat and that could be something that makes them more attractive.

In my years in US, Las Vegas was one of my favorite places (more so for the Casinos). The Fremont Street experience of "American Pie", in downtown Las Vegas, was one of the most memorable American experiences for me. 

The lyrics of the song American Pie (and Hotel California) are open to wide interpretations. Many books, blogs and talk shows / radio shows are dedicated to the diverse interpretations. There is a philosophy that flows through both these songs and that makes these songs among the American classics. The one thing that I would definitely say is that everyone visiting and staying in US for extended period, will experience the part of this flowing philosophy in these two songs. 

Here is my playlist of the songs on YouTube with videos of interpretations etc. :

1) American Pie

2) Hotel California 

Web Sites for Song Interpretations :  

American Pie  

Hotel California 

American Pie made me a fan of Don Mclean and Hotel California made me a fan of Eagles. Also, these two songs made me interested in American Country and folk music, Blue Grass and the whole American West. Having lived in the Bible Belt of Southern US (Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina, New Mexico, Colorado ), I have experienced the friendliness of West ( Tejas, pronounced Tehaas) and the rugged, religious and philosophical life, full of innocence in this region.   

American Pie and Hotel California are among my favorites but this Covid pandemic and extended multiple lockdowns made me realize the philosophies in these songs in a different perspective ..  

"Long long time ago, I still remember how that music used to make me smile"

And she said "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device"

Ken Burns : The West , The Civil War

Documentary making is one of the best forms of artistic expression and Ken Burns is one of the best in this practice ! Period !
In 2002 , I had bought my first DVD on @Amazon . It was Ken Burn's  "The West"
Had watched the series on PBS  in US and had decided to "invest" my money !!
This series of PBS is still one of my favorites ..
Every word , every sentence in the script , every note in the background music and every pause and silence takes the story ahead.. sprinkled with philosophy on facts and history, it is not just entertaining but enlightening !
I like these films and miniseries more because of my liking for the American West and Wild West along with History.  But besides that bias, they are one of the finest of documentaries otherwise.
The Series "The CivilWar" and "The West" are some of the finest creations and are a must watch for connoisseurs of History , art , film making , philosophy or literature.
The Civil War : Captures the times and history of the young nation called United State , between 1860 until 1867 , when it started maturing as a country from the early start as a collection of federal states.
The West is a story of Wild West, starting from the early Gold Rush to the settling of the modern cities of West from Kansas to California , from Texas to Oregon !
My strong recommendation to anyone who is interested in any of the faculties of film making , documentary making , history , philosophy , literature , English language , music , background scores of just human life and psychology.