Song of the Week, 29th January 2007: DID GALILEO PRAY?

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Sue Ellen
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Song of the Week, 29th January 2007: DID GALILEO PRAY?

Postby Sue Ellen » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:10 am

Did Galileo Pray?
from the albums Live
and Essentials


When he looked
Into a starry sky upon Jupiter,
With it's cold moons
Making their weary rounds.

Did he know that the Pope
Would claim that he ran with Lucifer
And a prison cell
Would be where he’d lay his head down?

Was he wearing a thorny crown?
When he plotted the motion of planets,
Was Mercury in retrograde?
But he found the truth when a lie was what was demanded.
When the judges asked him pointedly
He was a' trembling that day.

Chorus
Did Galileo pray?
Did Galileo pray?
Did Galileo pray?
Did Galileo pray?

And he said,
"Tell Ptolemy, tell Copernicus,
That the Sun is at the core of us
The Church, the Pope
Can’t deny the Milky Way

And every flower that follows the sun,
Has known all along
What God had done
They whisper truth
As the seasons each give way.

Don’t shoot the messenger,
The postman delivers Truth today.
And Truth will march in Birmingham
It will block the tanks in Tiananmen.
Put the judges on the witness stand
Let’s see what they all say.

Chorus

In the heavens you'll see it
As God has conceived it.
Oh, believe it.
Oh, what have you got to do to believe?

Don’t shoot the messenger,
When the postman brings you truth today.
Because truth will march in Birmingham
It will block the tanks in Tiananmen
Put the judges on the witness stand,
Let's see what they all say.

Chorus

Don’t shoot the messenger, don’t shoot the messenger…

© Ellis Paul Music (SESAC) 2000

Does it matter? Does it really matter whether Galileo prayed or not? Is his glimpse into the Truth of the Universe and Creation less valid if he did not relate to the Divine in the proscribed manner of the time?

This song itself speaks Truth, on a gut level, that centers right in that third chakra. For me the music hits right there, spreading a warm, glowing, joyful feeling right through me. This song is such a celebration of Truth, the Truth of the Universe, of Creation, and the hopeful wisdom that Truth will reveal itself despite the oppressing nature of humans, as individuals, as groups, and in their established institutions. This song, as it celebrates the wonder of Creation, cautions us as well to be vigilent of Authority and its oppressive and repressive nature, that established Authority or institutions of God do not have the market on Truth. It is possible to relate to the Divine without standing on the Bible, or the Torah, or the Koran. Truth can and will rise up and overcome attempts to deny it by repressive, controlling human regimes and concepts.
"...I implore you, I entreat you, I challenge you to speak with conviction, to say what you believe, in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it, because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to "question" authority, you have to speak with it, too."
Taylor Mali, "Like, You Know?"

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KarenZ
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Postby KarenZ » Tue Jan 30, 2007 10:17 am

My own thoughts later.....but wanted to remind folks about this article published last year:

Perricone, Mike. gallery: ellis paul. Did Galileo Pray? Symmetry: Dimensions of Particle Physics, Jun/Jul 2006, p. 28-9.

I guess I can say without reservation that Ellis Paul is the only folksinger that's been covered in a physics journal. ;)

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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Sue Ellen
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Postby Sue Ellen » Wed Jan 31, 2007 8:44 pm

Well, Truth marched through Birmingham, but forty years later, it has not spread through the country as Dr. King dreamt it would:

YOUNG STUDENT'S DOCUMENTARY LEAVES AUDIENCES STUNNED

Please be patient through the opening commercial.

Shari found the link for the full video, which is very informative:

FULL DOCUMENTARY

Thank you Shari.
Last edited by Sue Ellen on Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"...I implore you, I entreat you, I challenge you to speak with conviction, to say what you believe, in a manner that bespeaks the determination with which you believe it, because contrary to the wisdom of the bumper sticker, it is not enough these days to "question" authority, you have to speak with it, too."
Taylor Mali, "Like, You Know?"

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KarenZ
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Postby KarenZ » Wed Jan 31, 2007 10:30 pm

Sue Ellen,

I'm stunned at that documentary too.

You've given my tired brain too much to contemplate this evening. First off, the song. "Galileo" is one of a handful of EP songs that has brought me to tears. Unlike "Maria", a song that brings me to tears simply from the music (the words could be gibberish and I'd cry), it's the lyrics in "Galileo" that does it. It happens around "don't shoot the messenger, the postman delivers truth today". There's something about the word "truth"....or maybe it's the concept of truth that does it.... What a fabulous song. Just being able to weave Copernicus, Ptolemy, Birmingham and Tienamen into the lyrics is the work of a mad-man. Er, I mean genius. :) And I think the answer is "yes". Galileo did pray. Perhaps not what would be considered traditional prayer, but as a scientist longing for truth to be known, he prayed. I wonder how long it took before his theories were accepted as truth? I don't know. I suspect some folks "believed" right away while with others it took longer. Sadly, it's the same with Dr. King's truth. The judges are still conferring....while the messengers are being killed or injured.

"Was he wearing a thorny crown" likens him to another messenger who spoke truth at a cost...and one who prayed.

I like "Galileo" because it's a sing-a-long song too. I can sing freely and not worry about offending anyone sitting nearby. Or worse....the artist. :)

And, of course, there's the librarian story that often accompanies "galileo"...which I like except for EP's description of Marilyn, the Librarian. "Now that I could do without." ;)

Hey....all you regulars out there....jump in if you can. :)

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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bonuela
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Postby bonuela » Wed Jan 31, 2007 11:55 pm

Sorry Karen, I love how Ellis refers to Marilyn as "evolution's next step". :lol:


My favorite line is: But he found the truth when a lie was what was demanded.

How often do we take the easy way out? Avoiding a painful or uncomfortable truth?
I let my music take me where my heart wants to go. ~ Cat Stevens

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Postby wendy » Thu Feb 01, 2007 8:15 am

I love this song. For it's tune, the lovely alliterative lyrics, the message behind it, the fun of the accompanying stories...
the only part I have trouble with is singing along. It's in absolutely the wrong key for this alto voice :oops:

My favorite bit is
"Tell Ptolemy, tell Copernicus,
That the Sun is at the core of us
The Church, the Pope
Can’t deny the Milky Way

And every flower that follows the sun,
Has known all along
What God had done
They whisper truth
As the seasons each give way.

between the music and the words, I get goose bumps every time.
"Man" may deny it, but reality ("truth") will continue regardless of what we think.
-wendy

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KarenZ
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Postby KarenZ » Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:13 am

Wendy, you're giving me goose bumps! :)

Regarding the song being in the wrong key.....the one time I saw my favorite female singer-songwriter, Lynn Miles, do a show with Ellis, she commented later that although she loved singing with Ellis (they did "Let it be" together), she hated him for singing higher than her. ;)

KarenZ
wendy wrote:I love this song. For it's tune, the lovely alliterative lyrics, the message behind it, the fun of the accompanying stories...
the only part I have trouble with is singing along. It's in absolutely the wrong key for this alto voice :oops:

My favorite bit is
"Tell Ptolemy, tell Copernicus,
That the Sun is at the core of us
The Church, the Pope
Can’t deny the Milky Way

And every flower that follows the sun,
Has known all along
What God had done
They whisper truth
As the seasons each give way.

between the music and the words, I get goose bumps every time.
"Man" may deny it, but reality ("truth") will continue regardless of what we think.
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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Postby paddyinthepub » Thu Feb 01, 2007 2:18 pm

I lived outside of Beijing, China back in the mid 80's, while working for an oil service company. We had a really gruelling schedule with little time off. When we did have the time, we would be driven by driver in a van along some of the worst countryside roads I've ever seen. Ox carts as work vehicles, peasant pedestrians going about their lives, bicycle riders everywhere, and one crazy Chinese driver after another, all thinking faster was better. One day, while driving into Beijing, one of those peasants not paying attention decided to wander into the path of our van, doing close to 80. I remember the screeching of brakes, alot of spinning, clipping the peasant, and impacting a roadside tree. We were all shooken up, but really none the worse for wear. We did not make it into Beijing that day, but on several other occasions we did. What a world they live in.

It was about 18 months after I left China for good that Tienamen Square happened. I remember watching on tv, thinking how much more it meant to me since I'd spent time in that very place only a short while earlier. When the tv coverage was ordered off, I got a really sick feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I cried when I saw the coverage of the young man, standing in defiance, blocking the tanks in Tienamen.

Yeah, I love this song, too.
"once we're inside, it's a carnival ride" ~ ellis paul
paddy

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Postby Patti » Thu Feb 01, 2007 10:58 pm

Karen wrote "What a fabulous song. Just being able to weave Copernicus, Ptolemy, Birmingham and Tienamen into the lyrics is the work of a mad-man. Er, I mean genius. "

Really when you think of it, how true!!!

My daughter's spelling and science lessons were all about the sun this week. We played this song a few times, as I explained to her about Galileo, and how people didn't believe him... If the teacher gives Copernicus as the bonus word Lindsay's all set!!

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Postby Richard + Jela » Fri Feb 02, 2007 11:37 am

To me the title says it all 'Did Galileo Pray?'

There is so much bound up in these three words........he was sentenced to imprisonment for heresy - and the title which encapsulates so much, always makes me wonder did he did pray and if so to whom?

I now know that the sentence was commuted to house arrest but I still always get a picture in my head of him sitting in a prison cell........a very, very clever song.

Paddy, your story is very poignant and I cannot imagine the feelings and thoughts you must have when you hear this song, the memories it brings back, having been so close to the awful events that occurred in Tianamen Sq.

Jela

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Postby mm » Sun Feb 04, 2007 9:13 am

I've been wanting to chime in here ever since Sue Ellen first wrote. I love to read what others pick out or pick up on. What amazes me is how Ellis is able to craft his words and concepts together in a way that humanizes not only a single person who was so significant to our entire understanding of how the universe works, but Ellis does this in a way that links it all to how we humans can treat "revolutionary" ideas, including in modern times, such as expanding our thought processes scientifically and equality/fairness in society. It makes me try to imagine what it must have been like to be Galileo who could think and know and deduct these concepts...what would it have been like to be in that brain for 24 hours even? Yet that incredible intelligence had to deal with the backlash of non-open thinkers (I can think of a number of issues today environmentally, scientifically, and evolution-wise that our current society could take heed from).
For me, too, part of the bigger picture is the question I see posed in the song...was Galileo's faith strengthened or affected adversely? What were his faith leanings in the first place? Did what he found scientifically fill him with even more wonder at how it all worked?

I am appreciative of Ellis' having us visit that all and link so much in what turns out to be a beautifully complex song. It is a song you can hear many times and get the drift and love the tune, but when you digest the words, all of them, written down, you enter into another level. Once again, I remain humbly wondering how Ellis channels all that into a few verses, but that's why he's the artist that he is.

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Postby KarenZ » Thu Feb 15, 2007 1:44 pm

Folks,

Listen to this 2-minute "Word for the Wise" from Merriam-Webster Online - a daily broadcast on many NPR stations. Today's word - "recant" - commemorates Galileo's birthday (Feb. 15, 1564). Really interesting stuff....and the song snippet at the end is really cool. :)

Word for the Wise: "Recant"

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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Postby Patti » Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:22 pm

great info Karen, but you sure had me fooled on the music snippet!!

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Postby coloradorobyn » Sat Feb 17, 2007 2:32 pm

as a descendant of an entire culture but the the stake in the Inquisition, I wondered if Galileo saw any divinity in the people who claimed it's seal and favor.

I tend to think that the men of the enlightenment saw beyond the faith of the day, and in so divorcing themselves from it, became something beyond prayer.
I believe thay came into the true nature of the Universe and the creating force.
They were the first to start looking to others of learning after the Dark Ages, others who were Muslims, Hindus and Jews as well as Christian.


I also cracked up when I heard the story about the OU library, since I knew Marilyn peripherially whan I lived in Norman.
She was always part of the Medieval Fair, as one of the Richards.

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Postby Richard + Jela » Thu Mar 22, 2007 10:52 am

During our recent all too short stay in Norman, OK we were extremely priviliged to be able to have a short private tour of the History of Science Collections at OU and among the scientific volumes we were shown was Galileo's original works. We were were just blown away by what we saw. It had his original signature on and you could see where he had 'overpasted' the original title to his book with a new one.

The Assistant Curator, Kerry who showed us round, was so knowledgeable and allowed us to touch books that were 600 years old. The beauty of this scientific collection, which is priceless, is that it is available as a working collection and is not preserved under glass - we are still reeling from what we were allowed to see and touch.

We also met Marilyn, the Curator whom Ellis talks about when he introduces this song in live performances.

Wow!!!!

Jela

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Postby KarenZ » Thu Mar 22, 2007 11:01 am

Gosh, but your trip to Texas and Oklahoma was replete with an entire spectrum of experiences! Good for you! :D

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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Postby PotatoPicker » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:26 pm

Richard + Jela wrote:We also met Marilyn, the Curator whom Ellis talks about when he introduces this song in live performances.


You met "toe to toe with death" Marilyn ?????? That's outstanding ! Did you tell her how famous she is now ? Is she aware that she is now a model for librarians evrywhere ?
Jeff

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Postby KarenZ » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:32 pm

Every time I hear Ellis describe Marilyn, The Librarian, I cringe. She better not be a model for librarians everywhere! ;-)

KarenZ
"Some people are born to make great art and others are born to appreciate it. It is a kind of talent in itself, to be an audience, whether you are the spectator in the gallery or you are listening to the voice of the world's greatest soprano. Not everyone can be the artist. There have to be those who witness the art, who love and appreciate what they have been privileged to see." -- Ann Patchett in Bel Canto.

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Postby PotatoPicker » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:40 pm

KarenZ wrote:Every time I hear Ellis describe Marilyn, The Librarian, I cringe. She better not be a model for librarians everywhere! ;-)

KarenZ
Ahhh - I threw that part out for you Karen ;) Though I think I can imagine you saying "shhhhhhh" with a wooden ruler in hand......

I am curious though if she realizes that she has become a character to many of us who have never met her.
Jeff

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Postby Richard + Jela » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:44 pm

Jeff - we told her that we'd heard all about her from the story Ellis tells of his visit and she seemed a little suprised that she still features in his intro to the song.

She was lovely, very welcoming, well travelled and lectures all over the world (literally). It was a delight to meet with her and next time I hear Ellis tell the story of his visit I will be able to appreciate it all the more.

Unforgetable visit.

Jela


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