morningambassador’s posthaven

"Kuan~Yin, Goddess of Compassion"

I was looking back at something I had written,
Associated, 'put together' here
A couple of days ago

I named my minimal contribution,
"We Could Be Heroes," but
Didn't include the obvious song.

Not a fashion statement, but a train of thought.
That has so far wound up here...
Compassion.

Through the trailer for the movie in the earlier post
To the depiction of Kuan-Yin above

All the way to these two performances more than
Thirty years apart
That draw such distinctions about the
Seasons of Life.

I feel such compassion from and for each.
Tonight I was thinking of the scene in
Baz Luhrmann's "Moulin Rouge"
Where E.M. and N.K. sing David Bowie's
"Heroes."

So I scoured about for video clips
Of Mr. Bowie performing his song.
The top was in 2006; the bottom in 1977.

I was impressed with the differences and
Occasional similarities.

In the newer version, so much emotion
Wells up in the performance... almost a struggle
With voice at the beginning, until the
Feelings break through that.

There seems to be joy and
Questions and interaction, a
Reaching out, rather than restrained

The earlier version shows a man who has mostly
Choreographed every muscle in his face
In order to offer a highly stylized interpretation
Of why he wrote the song in the first place -
And something of who he saw himself to be
At that time.

An observer can see something that was not
Choreographed but genuine to its own moment
Breakthrough.

What must such an iconic song
Mean to the writer 30 years later?

What did it mean originally?
You can flatter yourself that you know
Just by seeing him singing it
As I do. Sometimes.