This article addresses the relationship between literature and music, namely George Orwell’s “1984” and three musical compositions inspired by given novel.
The central thesis is that a range of musicians translate novel or some important parts, concepts from the novel into music, and turned the dead past (which is hidden under the sentences and lines of the previously banned book) into living reality.
Some definitions
Dystopia
An imaginary totalitarian or environmentally place or state, where everything is negative.
Totalitarianism
A system of government that requires complete subservience to the state, and is dictatorial.
Doublethink
When refers to opponent: habitually contradicting plain facts;
When refers to a Party member: loyal willingness to believe contradictory statements, when the Party demands it.
Ministry of Love (Miniluv)
This ministry maintains law and order and is protected with force. Only people on official Party business, and those who are arrested for Thought Crime can enter the given Ministry. According to the novel this is “the place with no darkness.”
Ministry of Truth (Minitrue)
The ministry is responsible for Party’s entertainment, art/education and news. In other words it is a tool for propaganda.
Brief
Nineteen eighty-four (1984) is a dystopian novel by George orwell. The novel is set in Oceania (a state in former Great Britain) whose citizens are victims of war and public manipulation by government. The government’s new elite party named Inner Party, prosecutes the individualism and freedom of speech (moreover, independent thinking is ‘believed to be’ a thoughtcrime) via Thought Police. The inner party replaces the English and Oldspeak languages with a language called Newspeak, which now should be the one and only language for everyone to speak. The whole things controls a mysterious leader named Big Brother who, by the way, is an idol for many. Big Brother is watching them all. The party is greedy and seeks power for only its own sake, and does not take into account anybody else’s well-being. There also exists the four divisions of ministeries which are: Ministry of Love (Miniluv: law and order), Ministry of Peace (Minipax: war), Ministry of Plenty (Miniplenty: rationing), and Ministry of Truth (Minitrue: propaganda).
Musical Compositions
All three are inspired by the novel
David Bowie – 1984
Douglas Dare – Doublethink
Radiohead – 2+2=5
“Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimetres inside your skull. ”
― George Orwell, 1984
“Who could ask for more in 1984?” sings David Bowie in his song titled 1984, based on Orwell’s novel. The entire album titled Diamond Dogs was meant to be based on the novel alone, but Bowie had issues with Orwell’s estate, which thwarted his plans of writing musical interpretation of 1984. However, he referred to book in other different ways. The song titled “We Are the Dead” is apparently a dialogue between two of the novel’s main characters – Julia and Winston. Or, the other song named “Big Brother” about the iconic despot of the novel.
In 1984’s lyrics, there is a line telling ‘you’ve read it in the tea leaves’ which refers to Englishmen. Tea is one of the substances to be rationed when England is at war. And, traditionally, reading the tea leaves is a way of fortune telling (like reading coffee cup). Then, Bowie continues the lines adding ‘…and the tracks are on TV’ which directly connects with the novel, where each citizen’s actions are tracked by government and shown on TVs. Yet another statement, which is much more clearer than the previous ones is ‘they’ll split your pretty cranium, and fill it with the air’, which concerns the brainwashing and manipulation of citizens by Inner Party.
Metaphorically, the characters of the novel were forced to enroll in the Party’s system, which Bowie puts this way ‘you said it would last, but I guess we enrolled’. Then again, who could ask for more in 1984?
“Doublethink means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one’s mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.”
― George Orwell, 1984
Yet another musical composition directly connected with Orwell’s novel is Douglas Dare’s ‘Doublethink’, titled with a key term used in the book. ‘In front of the screen we stare at the light, and we listen to our Big Brother each night.’ These are lines interpreting the two minutes of hate when people should proclaim their hatred towards Emmanuel Goldstein, who is Big Brother’s worst enemy. Big Brother, who dictates people how to live, could force them to never think independently, otherwise it will be considered as a thoughtcrime, and the crimers will be punished. ‘Behind the eyes we feel ourselves shrink, and slowly forget how it feels like to think,’ sings Douglas showing that the characters obeying Big Brother slightly lost their individualisms and even forgot what it means to think on their own. Citizens were being manipulated, and taught how to doublethink. They believed in two contradictions at the same time, and believed that both of them are absolutely true. And living that way, they got buried in doublethought.
“Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.”
― George Orwell, 1984
The band Radiohead concentrated on one concept of the novel, where people choose to stay brainwashed and believe for 100% that 2+2=5. ‘Are you such a dreamer to put the world to rights? I’ll stay at home forever where two and two always makes a five.’ These lines show the point of view of those people, who are disabile to come out of somebody else’s comfort zone; for who it is much more easier to live under other’s pressure and play the sheep. Those kind of citizens criticize people who dream of changing the world and are not considering their duty to obey the Party. Thus, they prefer to convince themselves that the wrong is right, such as the equation 2+2=5.
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“Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood.”
― George Orwell, 1984
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