Friday Song: A Couple for Steve Jobs
[image by way of the hubze blog site]
“I don’t remember yesterday. Today it rained.” ~ Three Days of the Condor (1973)
Those who know me realize I tend to write about things through a perspective of the popular arts. Wednesday, October 5th was a rainy, dark day here in my part of the southland. Made even more so by the news that Steve Jobs passed away. The above quote immediately came to mind as I stared out the window reflecting upon that announcement. Ever since, there’s been a tremendous outpouring of tributes to the man most associated with Apple (whether you ended the word with ‘Computer’ or ‘Inc.’ doesn’t really matter) and to similar extent, Pixar. Many of these are quite thoughtful and moving, and communicated across the medium he didn’t invent (the internet), but for which he affected and helped to shape. The use and crowning of the letter ‘i’ upon the products he steered into our consciousness (and daily lives) seems to somehow punctuate that. The effect most clearly is felt across a whole spectrum of people meditating upon this one person since that day.
It’s difficult to put into words that come close to summarizing a day I’ll always remember the when and where of it all. Like Elvis or John Lennon (or others deemed significant enough to insert here) leaving this mortal coil, this was that for many of us. Still, others are doing way better than I ever could writing down their thoughts contemplating this extraordinary 56-year old man. Most personally, my friends Kaye (Steve Jobs – RIP) and Ruth (A Small Tribute to a Visionary Giant – RIP Steve Jobs), and John Gruber (Universe Dented, Grass Underfoot), Dan Frakes (Jobs humanized technology, made the magical common) and David Pogue (Steve Jobs: Imitated, Never Duplicated) from the tech world that takes up some of my daily work life. For my part, all I can think to say is that this man made a contribution to a countless number of us in a very distinctive way. He may not have invented the term PC, but he did manage to make the computer somehow personal.
“… a bicycle for the mind” ~ Steve Jobs describing the Macintosh
So, it is in movies and music I somehow find myself centered upon when thinking about it all. Certainly, his Macs have grown to have lives across both mediums, in point of fact. As is my habit from time-to-time on this blog to highlight music on Friday, I had the notion to commemorate my inadequate thoughts on the subject in song. “But what?“, I thought. No surprise two popped out from my iPod (a device Jobs did inspire and deliver upon) — one with words and one without. Hopefully, they’ll mean something to those who listen and remember the man, as they do me.
The first is Crowded House’s Don’t Dream It’s Over from 1986 (written by Neil Finn):
And the second, and perhaps most fitting, is the haunting instrumental from the soundtrack of the 2007 film The Kingdom, Finale (scored by Danny Elfman):
[screen cap care of NY Times website]
Related articles
- Former Pixar Employee Shares His/Her Time With Steve Jobs (pixartimes.com)
- Internet Mourns Steve Jobs’ Death (kimberleyvassalinsurance.wordpress.com)
- RIP Steve Jobs (elakkiya.com)
- Think Different Remixed with Steve Jobs (mymodernmet.com)
It Rains... You Get Wet 
14 Responses to “Friday Song: A Couple for Steve Jobs”
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oh, my – this is just beautiful. Thank you for doing your usual wonderful job of putting the words – and music – to a situation so perfectly and summing up feelings I’m unable to express.
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Thank you, Kaye. And I really enjoyed your post of that Commencement Address.
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Thank you so much for the mention, Michael. That is really an awesome quote isn’t it… ‘a bicycle for the mind’ and oh how true! There are so many interesting quotes coming from Steve, even that commencement address alone is highly quotable.
As you put it so eloquently, his contributions that affect our daily life is immense. For that I’m forever grateful.
Thank you for this post.
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Thank you, Ruth. This was inspired by your thoughtful post.
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Beautifully done.
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Thank you very kindly, Elizabeth.
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[…] Friday Song: A Couple for Steve Jobs (le0pard13.wordpress.com) […]
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He was a visionary and an innovator.
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I agree with you. Thanks.
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Well said.
Somehow, this quote comes to mind.
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw
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Great quote. Thanks.
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Hey my friend. Please excuse my lack of commenting of late. I’ve been terribly short on time. Posting items myself of late has been difficult.
My affection for music and your music-related posts drew me in once again.
I thought I would converse with you on some related and not-so-related thoughts inspired by your post.
As I write, I am listening to The Kingdom score. Beautiful. I have the film on Blu-Ray. It was okay. There were a few thrilling sequences, as you are aware, but I didn’t love the film. In fact, I think I am enjoying the score so much more.
Thanks for sharing.
ALso, I’m a huge fan of Neil Finn and Crowded House. Do you have much of their music Michael?
I have assembled a really fine disc mixing my favorite songs by them and by Neil solo. Some of them are truly beuatiful and moving. Fingers Of Love and Saturday Sun and others come to mind. I’d love to share with you my friend.
Anyway, Don’t Dream It’s Over is a lovely classic. It’s one of those songs penned with such poetry it will forvever be re-recorded by other artists as it has already countless times.
Well, that’s all for now my friend. ALways know that I am out there enjoying your work.
Thanks for a pensive, haunting melody on Saturday morning as I ready for my son’s baseball game. It’s a lovely tribute to Mr. Jobs.
G
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Always glad to hear from you, SFF. I completely understand how time (and work) compresses, my friend. No problem.
Yes, The Kingdom soundtrack by Danny Elfman is good one. The film does have its moments, especially in the action sequences, but it is a bit uneven. When I saw it in the theater on its release its shaky-cam technique had me motion sick (no kidding). I can understand you enjoying the score so much more. I do have a couple Crowded House CDs — they are great. Of course you might remember the use of the ‘Recurring Dream’ track on the Tequila Sunrise film is my favorite use of it. So, I hope you know I’m all for any sharing of your thoughts and music. I’d enjoy more exposure to their brand of melody. Thank you for the kind words. They are very much appreciated.
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