It Don’t Mean a Thing…

Have you ever listened to a song or read a passage without really considering what it was about? Or maybe you took for granted that it was simple. We’ve all done that, and there’s really no escaping it. Scary, isn’t it?

“It don’t mean a thing
if it ain’t got that swing.”
~Duke Ellington & Irving Mills

No doubt you’ve heard that quote before. As you could imagine, I hear it more than a few times a week: just about every swing band covers it and most dj’s play it. I’ve used it as a signature within letters and I’ve read it in many people’s AIM profiles. I’ve even read a great deal about Duke Ellington and I just had the privilege of hearing his entire collected works (well, I’m currently on disc 9 of 27), but I still never thought much of this quote…until I saw it in a different context.

Today I turned a page to the next chapter of Nachmanovitch’s Free Play, which was titled “Quality.” Just below that was the above quote. A chill immediately went throughout my body. Seeing that quote juxtaposed with the idea of “quality” changed its meaning in a fraction of a second. This everyday expression now had even more beauty to it, and in this new light I liked it much more. And it’s not just because I’m a swinger…

But at the same time it scares me. How many other things are like that? How many people in my life are like that? Do we have any choice but to merely tip-toe above the infinitely-layered surfaces of our life?

I don’t know. I guess I hope that I’m digging deeper into the right things…and that I can keep in mind that not only is there so much more to explore, but so much I’ve already discovered that I take for granted. I wish I could understand and see it all. C’est la vie…

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Published:
11.8.00 / 6pm
Category:
Dance, Quote/Lyric, Reflections
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