Love or glory?

07 Feb 2023

One of my favorite genre of song has to be the “person who gets what they wanted, at the cost of human connection.” It’s a basic tradeoff, and we are shown time and time again that pushing against human connection only leads to loneliness, yet we still need to be reminded of it.

In my research on 20th century Billboard #1 hits, I found this song by Vaughn Monroe, “Dance Ballerina Dance.” This one is an interesting inversion - usually the striver is a man, not a woman. This makes sense considering the historical context. A woman striver has far fewer avenues than a man. But the performing arts have often been open to women, and so this 1947 hit gives us a glimpse at a woman who chose career over love:

Dance, ballerina, dance And do your pirouette in rhythm with your achin’ heart Dance, ballerina, dance You mustn’t once forget a dancer has to dance the part Whirl, ballerina, whirl And just ignore the chair that’s empty in the second row This is your moment, girl Although he’s not out there applauding as you steal the show Once you said his love must wait its turn You wanted fame instead I guess that’s your concern We live and learn And love is gone, ballerina, gone So on with your career, you can’t afford a backward glance Dance on and on and on A thousand people here have come to see the show As ‘round and ‘round you go So ballerina, dance Dance, dance!

The ‘chair that’s empty in the second row’ is a tantalizing detail. The implication is that her beau was supposed to sit in it, but why didn’t he? Chairs are bought in advance. Did they have a spat just before the show? What was it about, concretely? The song focuses more on the overarching emotional theme of “you said his love must wait its turn - you wanted fame instead,” and so the play-by-play of this rejection is hidden.

What if she had chosen fame and love? The song ‘Super Trouper’ by ABBA offers a glimpse into this alternate universe. Here, a world-weary performer is sick of the grind. “Facing twenty thousand of your friends, how can anyone be so lonely?” In today’s world where minor stardom is in reach for anyone with a video camera or a Twitter account, such lines have far more resonance than they would have in 1980. But this time our protagonist sees the chair in the second row filled by a loved one, and it’s this one person who gives them the strength to carry on.

I was sick and tired of everything When I called you last night from Glasgow All I do is eat and sleep and sing Wishing every show was the last show So imagine I was glad to hear you’re coming Suddenly I feel all right And it’s gonna be so different When I’m on the stage tonight

So what about songs from a male perspective? The first that comes to mind is a lesser known Graham Gouldman ditty, “Love’s Not For Me.” Composed for the now forgotten 1980 animated animal athletics special “Animalympics”, it follows the life of the kinda-main character, a goat marathon runner.

I always run away from things that tie me down My life I love, but love’s not for me I see my goal ahead with nothing in the way If love should come, then I’ll run away I’ve always been the type of man Who’s dedicated to his cause And it’s a lonely road I run But I’ll stay faithful to my course There’s only one direction There comes a time when you must choose About the path you’re gonna take And you must take it, win or lose And if you lose it’s your mistake There’s only one direction So when the race is won And there’s nothing left to do Alone again, but where are you?

I recommend watching it with the accompanying animated film sequence.

The penultimate verse is surprisingly harsh about the tradeoff involved in seeking glory: choose. You have no one to blame but yourself when it fails.

Anyone who’s been involved in some long term project knows how exhilarating it can be. The goal, taunting you and giving you purpose. And once you reach it, how empty the victory is. Why isn’t it satisfying? And so you start another project, to chase that feeling. And if you continue this cycle, you can get so involved in your work that you neglect the human beings around you, and your relationships will wither, and you will have nothing to return to.

In “Animalympics,” our goat runner has a happy ending. He and fellow runner Kit Mambo acknowledge their love for each other and hold hands for the rest of the race, meaning neither is ‘the winner’. They choose to continue running off into the distance instead, because “with you I can run forever.” Isn’t there a lesson here about love and glory, too? Love can come from supporting and participating in each other’s quest for glory. The song may end dejectedly, but the movie suggests love and glory don’t have to be mutually exclusive.

Tags: random, “pop music”, music