Back in 2007, I heard some music for the first time, by an artist I knew very little about.
From that moment onwards, I was hooked on a lady called Yoko Ono. First, I bought the 2007 remix album and was introduced to many songs from throughout her career, but they had been re-interpreted and remixed by other artists such as
Cat Power,
Peaches,
Le Tigre and
Porcupine Tree.
After this I bought my favourite Yoko album,
'Rising' and I'm slowly working my way through them now - and trying to do that as slowly as possible to make the experience last longer.
Share The Love
Whenever I learn about a 'new' artist though, I find it impossible not to shout about them to my friends, work colleagues, social media etc - I guess this is natural for most music lovers. However, I've never been met with so much hate, bitterness and narrow-mindedness as I have when I try to talk about my appreciation of Yoko Ono.
On one side, I don't mind; I am used to rooting for the underdog, and I admit there's something strangely satisfying about enjoying something that is either ignored or rejected by others - with the accompanying thought of 'it's their loss'. But that kind of defeatist attitude doesn't work for me.
I *want* people to like Yoko, I *want* people to understand the depth of her lyrics and I *want* people to appreciate that *sometimes* she does crazy songs that are challenging to listen to, but for ART'S SAKE, it's OK!
If
Tori,
Joni and
Björk can make excessively long, challenging (and yes, also brilliant) songs, why can't Yoko not be allowed the same freedom without being ridiculed?
- Because she's not the best singer? Well, if that's a pre-requisite, then yes, maybe it's better not to listen to her. But you should also drop Dylan from your playlists as well.
- Because her songs are just screaming? Click 'play' on my playlist above.
So, Why Do I Love Yoko?
1. Her lyrics blow me away.
For a woman who has received hate on a MASS level for decades, she still sings about love, sensitivity, peace and self belief. Here's 3 examples...
'Listen to your heart,
Respect your intuition
Make your manifestation
There's no limitation
Have courage, have rage
We're all together'
(from 'Rising') - see the playlist
'Don't ever give up on life
Life can be so beautiful
Especially after you've spent a lot of years with it
Because then life becomes like a lover
You have been close to
You know him so well
Yet every day he gives you a surprise
When you say I love you
Remember you're not just saying it to the one you love
You're saying it to yourself
The planet and the universe'
(From 'Unon. To') - listen to this in the playlist above
'Bless you for your anger
It's a sign of rising energy
Transform the energy to versatility
And it will bring you prosperity'
Btw if I never get around to making a will, THIS is the song I want playing on that fateful day.. hahaha I think the lyrics throughout the entire song are beautiful and so inspiring.
2. She is the dark abyss vs. the shining light.
Both her music and her lyrics incorporate everything from the darkest expressions of pain and anger right through to bliss, love and peace. That mixture of the 'dark and light' is something that I think we all identify with on many levels. We like to watch movies with the 'goodies and the baddies', we like to involve ourselves in religions with Gods and Demons. And how amazing is it to watch the sunrise after hours of darkness? Her music incorporates these extremities in many ways. It's how she expresses and interprets her emotions through the song that have a big influence on me.
3. She is a woman of immense strength.
I cannot imagine how I would cope if I had been in her position for the last 40 years. Being one of the most hated women in popular culture. How do you overcome something like that? How do you continue to make art in the face of this constant and passionate aggression? If her lyrics are anything to go by; she takes this energy and she transforms into something else and uses it to her advantage.
4. Her creativity and innovation.
I have spoken about her music already and I do not pretend to be a big fan of visual art. But some of her pieces that I have seen online I find intriguing.
For one piece, you climb a ladder, you get to the top, take a magnifying glass and look at the word 'yes' written on the ceiling. I love the concept of this and how it can be interpreted differently for each person.
And that is something she encourages with her art; the person who views it or interacts with it can continue the piece themselves and they can make their own conclusion. I don't feel I can talk about her visual art in a way that is deserving of the magnitude of it's innovation, but this is a good article if you want to read more:
http://www.artbouillon.com/2013/07/yoko-ono-yes.html
Rising
One of my favourite tracks by Yoko is the last song on the playlist above. It is *not* a song that I particularly enjoyed to begin with. I liked the beginning parts because of her lyrics and her chanting, the guitar, and the bass, but at 15 minutes long it was just not accessible for me on a first listen - and for the most part, she was making these pained and tortured noises with her voice. This was only the second album I bought by Yoko, so I was an early fan at this point.
But then, somehow, at some point, this song just 'clicked' with me and it became more than a song, more than I had ever experienced with a song before.
Those screams at first were an endurance that I would listen to because I liked the lyrics, I liked the quirkiness and backing music. Then the 'screams' became more like pain rising out of your body so that you could release it, almost like a birth of something new. Finally, they became like a meditation - the constant rhythm of the bass in the background and the amazing journey that Yoko takes you on, with the emotions of her voice. They're not screams or noises anymore, they are a roller-coaster of beautiful and raw human emotion.
And what else do we want from our art than to be taken to another place? To experience something outside of ourselves? To become immersed in someone else's emotions and feel that deep connection between the artist and ourself?
A New Era For Yoko
"Here [2014 Grammy's], at last, she seemed liberated from the hate and punch lines that had plagued her entire public life."
Maybe she doesn't need this new surge of appreciation or attention. But more than anything, I am content in knowing that she is beginning to be truly respected as an artist, once again, after all these years and within her lifetime. Too many artists do not receive this admiration until it is too late.
We are humans. Sadly, hating is instinctively human. It's easy. It's like sometimes we just want an excuse to hate, and Yoko Ono seems like an easy target.
What takes strength though is to challenge what everyone else is telling you and to make up your own mind.
So, did you listen to my Yoko playlist?
What did you think?
