Popular Culture and the Laws of Physics

[eric_marsh]

Walking out to my shop this morning I heard some Hendrix on the radio that we keep turned on for our shop cats.

At first I was thinking about what a great writer and composer he was while the lyrics he sang rolled around in my subconscious. After a bit I realized that he was using a metaphor for the second law of thermodynamics in a very artful manner with his line:

"And so castles made of sand fall in the sea, eventually."

Can anyone think of similar metaphors in popular culture for the laws of physics?

[tdvance]

I wonder if he knew that was a result of the second law of thermodynamics, or was just using what is common knowledge. I don't know the song, but figure it's being used as a metaphor for something related to everyday interpersonal relations--given that most music is aimed that way.

But--I guess you could have "what goes up must come down" as a metaphor for gravity (or more generally, a tendency toward a ground state--ha ha, pun). If you want that in a song, there's "Spinning Wheel". (Was he talking about a point on the edge of the wheel, or his winnings...)

[Fazor]

Yeah; I'm not so sure the intent was aimed at thermodynamics. In fact, I'd venture a guess and say the only thermodynamics he was really interested in was how to get a slow, even burn on a wound piece of paper enclosing another ... burnable substance. ;) (I'll also note that I'm not a particular fan of Hendrix; which might be heresy since I play guitar. I'll say that he was definitely an amazing player and songwrite; but I always found his lyrics to be just mediocre.)

I can't think of any real references to physics in any of the songs that immediately come to mind; as tdvance said the overwhelming majority are about interpersonal relationships and emotions. *shrug*

I suppose you could argue that the lines "Well I'm not the world's most physical guy, But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine" from Lola could say something about the relationship between physiology and strength. ;)

[tdvance]

one song said it all--"don't know much about science books...."
:)

[eric_marsh]

I doubt that Hendrix was thinking about the laws of physics when he wrote that line, but it just fits so well. I really like the Blood Sweat and Tears title too.

Seems to me that Hendrix had a lot of material that went beyond the interpersonal relationships thing. One of my favorites was his "1983, a Merman I Should Turn To Be" from Electric Ladyland.

[matthewota]

The older I get the more tired I get of pop culture. It is destroying intellectualism.

[Ara Pacis]

I think it's intellectualism that's destroying popular culture.

[pzkpfw]

Possibly a bit trivial, but just yesterday I was listening to the Steve Miller Band: Fly Like An Eagle

"Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin'
Into the future..."


The arrow of time has one direction?

[geonuc]

Not trivial. The nature of time shows up in a lot of songs, I'd guess. Gordon Lightfoot sang:

"If you plan to face tomorrow, do it soon."

Time marches on, and you'd best just deal with it.

[mugaliens]

Personally, I like the conservation of momentum theme mentioned throughout Whip It (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rxH39QlRuhg), whereby the slow velocity/high mass is carried as a wave down the length of the ever-narrowing whip until, at the end, the very low mass results in a very high velocity, the crack of which is the last few feet breaking the sound barrier.

As the video clearly demonstrates, the application of this principle of physics to various articles of clothing has some surprising results.

That and the fact that after all these years, the song is still sort of cool.

[mugaliens]

I think it's intellectualism that's destroying popular culture.

I think video killed the radio star (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XWtHEmVjVw8).