The Beatles and Henry David Thoreau

The Beatles and Henry David Thoreau

I was contemplating the Beatles and particularly this song "I'm so tired" and Thoreau and particularly his quote on deliberate living.

The Beatles progressed rock music and their innovations are still used in melody and in mixing studios.
They also wrote this lovely tune called "I'm so tired." John Lennon really subjects you to hear his feelings. I have found out that I can actually sing this tune to my satisfaction and an upload is in order. I have only played it once and I like the result already. I guess, I really know how it is to be tired.

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Henry David Thoreau in this quote refers to going to the woods to find the essence of living. Even before really reading this quote, I had decided to do the same thing but customize it to modern times. I feel that I am still verging towards the essence and the journey towards "what is essential" is not complete yet. It is just an experiment for now as I am doing other things regarding my career and other learning experiences. This is the main reason I have deactivated Facebook and I am keeping in touch with my friends and family over text, skype, email and games (odd but true).

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion." -- Walden;  or, "Life in the Woods --Where I Lived, and What I Lived For"

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Oddly enough, before I wrote this post, I thought these two art pieces were disjointed and I would be writing a random piece about two random pieces of art.

There is a connection. In this version of "I'm so tired", the song's essence is more visible. It is more raw while the urgency in John Lennon's voice is still fresh. Much like Thoreau's quote, one can be tired yet not so tired as to "practice resignation." Once you acknowledge that you are tired, you get more relaxed or find outlets to get more relaxed. 

Thoreau went further. To get to the "marrow of life", one cannot simply understand and be foolishly happy and self-satisfied. One has to experience it, even for a little bit. After all, "living is so dear." Life indeed is.