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Mental Health
[ 6 minute read ]
I don't like music
(updated with an addendum - 01:47 Monday 21 July 2025)
‘I don’t like music’ This was spoken by Mick Jagger in the 1970 film ‘Performance’ with James Fox. I can even today, in my mind, hear Mick Jagger say the words in his distinctive voice. I saw the film a long time ago, but not in the 1970’s.
It seemed incongruous to me that Mick Jagger, already well-known, in 1970, as the front-man for The Rolling Stones, should say something like that. I suspect that line was written specifically for him.
I used to like music until I was eleven. Then I didn’t. Recently, I found out that I don’t like music in the major scale; or perhaps it is more accurate to say, ‘I don’t care for pop music in the major scales’. That isn’t entirely true though, I think. A few days ago, I found a musician chap called David Bennett on YouTube. Odd, you might think. Why would someone who thinks that music is a nuisance distraction even be drifting towards any music based videos? I am curious, that's why.
One of the reasons I don’t like music is because the lyrics direct the listeners thinking, and then keep doing the same, every time it is heard. Like a smell can evoke a memory that takes us back to a past event, a song can take us back to a distinct point in time from our lives. We even make false memories that are tied to music. I wasn’t around in the 1960’s to hear the iconic 60’s music; The Four Tops; The Doors; Creedence Clearwater Revival; The Who; Janis Joplin; The Shirelles; and so on. Yet, I have a distinct nostalgic connection with that decade.
From the age of eleven, lyrics suddenly became just a melody of sounds to me; there was no story, no explanation, or lament of loss, or shout of joy, or expression of love; I was in a state of emotional catatonia, at least that is what I call it. I could not hear words in songs anymore. The lyrics to ‘Paint it Black’ written by Mick Jagger sum it up quite well (These days, I can hear a few lyrics, sometimes).
I have to admit music is a powerful force in our lives. Unfortunately, it pins memories and won’t allow itself to be heard anew and allow us to let go of the old memories. But even that is not how music affects me in its entirety. It is more widespread than that.
There was a really bad period in my life that lasted for many years. During that time pop songs were being played on the radio, and all my friends wanted to listen to their favourite music. I think most modern music uses the A major scale; Adele sung ‘Someone like you’ in the A Major scale. (I would never know that if I had not watched the YouTube video ‘Adele but in progressively weirder scales’ by David Bennett’).
While I can hear Adele is a great singer, I am not moved by the song. However, when the same song is transposed into different scales my ears prick up and I am doing what everyone else does when they listen to music; I am anticipating what comes next and then rewarding myself with dopamine when I get it right. Finally, I get it! Music IS fun.
On occasion, I write short stories. I can categorically tell you that there is NO MUSIC within earshot when my imagination is engaged. We are told to ‘show’, not ‘tell’ if we want to write a story. I have my own views on that, but I won’t be opening up on that. If I was to hear songs recorded in the major scales transposed into different scales, such as Minor, Lydian, Dorian, Byzantine, and Locrian, my imagination would be fertilised; directed but fertilised. One commentator to the video I mentioned, wrote this:
‘The last three sound like: She’s gotten into the vodka. She’s driving drunk and swerving all over the road. She’s summoning a demon.’
I agree. Now THERE is a story that I cannot hear being told in the A Major scale. I suppose then, that the minor scale is ‘showing’ me something that Adele’s words are not able to in the major scale. Effectively, even with her wonderful voice she is merely ‘telling’ me the story in A major. Hearing Adele’s ‘Someone like you’ in other scales, except Locrian, really brought out the word ‘nothing’ in the first line.
‘Never mind I’ll find someone like you. I wish NOTHING but the best for you’. That spoke volumes to me. The feelings behind the words is the exact opposite to the common meaning of the phrase.
There is no doubt that I have missed out on a whole bunch of fun because I don’t understand music. But then, if all we get is the A major scale in pop songs, and I associate that scale with emptiness, then it is no surprise that fun didn’t, and doesn’t, come to me unbidden, simply by turning on the radio and tuning to a music station.
Addendum since Darren Menachem Drapkin's comment at 20:14 Sunday July 2025:
Thank you Darren. You are right; I should make myself clearer. Sometimes, there is too much 'showing' and 'telling' is better. Music is a distraction to me. I will never just play music in the background. I only listen to music when I am searching for something to help me 'show' a story more effectively, such as in the marionette shows I created.
I think I need vinegar on my cake. I think Western music is not that interesting to me. I find that the songwriter has written a song that is good enough, but if the singer/songwriter just went that little bit further and changed the major scale to a minor scale, for example, we would have a better song. I am thinking that music in the major scales, 'tells' the story, and music in other scales 'shows' the story. In one of my puppet plays, a young woman marionette lays down in her bed and spirits dance around her while she dreams about a young man marionette. The young woman puppet has invisible strings and the spirits are two-dimensional cut-outs with visible strings, much as young children would make. The contrast is to show that it is a dream and not real for the sleeping, young woman puppet - a childish dream. I was inspired by music to make the scene. In fact the whole play grew from that one scene. I heard 'Până când nu te iubeam', sung by Storm Large with Pink Martini in Portland Oregon in 2010.
This is a Romanian love song, in A minor. 'Before I fell in love with you'
Până când nu te iubeam, sung by Storm Large with Pink Martini in Portland Oregon in 2010
(the better video from the choices, in my opinion).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zzvfUDMfHc&list=RD0zzvfUDMfHc&start_radio=1
Before I Fell in Love with You
Before I fell in love with you
My love, my love,
I slept like a baby,
My love, my love.
Since I fell in love with you,
My love, my love,
I’ve been restless,
My love, my love.
I leave my house,
My love, my love,
And don't know what direction to head,
My love, my love
My poor heart,
My love, my love,
Do not break it,
My love, my love,
As far as I know it was originally recorded by Maria Tanase, a Romanian woman, it uses these chords: A Dm E Gm B. I think the same chords are used when Storm Large sings it.
https://chordu.com/chords-tabs-maria-tanase-pana-cand-nu-te-iubeam-id_wQhw0apE2p8
There seem to be other verses that other singers use:
I’m dying, this longing is tearing me apart,
My love, my love,
I’m helpless,
My love, my love.
I’m burning, I’m on fire,
My love, my love.
I can’t find some peace of mind,
My love, my love.
Oh, but don’t fight it!
My love, my love,
Please have mercy,
My love, my love.
Oh, but don’t fight it!
My love, my love,
Please have mercy,
My love, my love.