Readers of this blog know that I am big on the topic of fresh thinking to help people and businesses reinvent and innovate.
This one is just some thoughts, comment away, tell me what you think, tell me what music has inspired you, and why.
I have a real weak spot for the music of Gabrielle, and the other day my iPod shuffled up “Rise”. So, first, take a “mental health break” and give this 3:34 of your time :
To “Yoda-fy” (as in a previous blog!), “inspiration from strange places comes”. Listening to this song and lyrics spun a couple of quick thoughts out.
First, from a lyric :
Caught up in my thinking.
Yeah.
Like a prisoner in my mind.
You pose so many questions.
But, the truth was hard to find.
“Caught up in my thinking… like a prisoner in my mind.”
How difficult it is sometimes to, as Apple said in their seminal ad, “think different” ? How often do we fall into the trap of being prisoners of our mind ?How can we get ourselves to think different ? Sometimes we just need something to break ourselves away from our conventional thinking.
Try this one to stimulate thinking from a different direction. Post a comment (no googling, be honest!) to tell me why these numbers from 0-9 are in this particular order.. and why I put in the context of this blog :
8 5 4 9 1 7 6 3 2 0
Now, back to “Rise”. Try this for reinvention :
- First, a young man called Robert Zimmerman reinvents himself as one of the most influential folk / rock artists of all time.
- In 1973, he wrote a song called “Knockin’ on Heavens Door“
- In 2000, a British soul singer called Gabrielle took this song as inspiration for her hit song “Rise“. Not a copy, not a cover, but a sample and a true reinvention. It was so good that Dylan allowed her to use the sample for free.
- The reinvention continues, with many, many remixes and mashups featuring this song, such as this reggae twist by Mr Vegas in 2009
Now, a last thought from “Rise”. This one from a closing lyric on the song….. if you’re ever having a tough day, pull this from the memory banks :
Look in my hopes.
Look in my dreams.
Building bridges from these scenes.
Now, I’m ready to rise again.
This stanza from the song never fails to uplift me.
Hope you enjoy my simple missive !
