‘May my life be exalted

‘May my life be exalted

May my law be cherished

May my strength be increased

May my tomb not be readied

May I not die on my journey

May my return be ensured to me’

(Early Irish invocation for protection)

In myths about words and writing they come either from God or a trickster they either make the gods or demons troubled depending on the culture and the story, but they are never something humans thought up.

The idea of language being powerful and having language gives one power has been debased in the modern world, where seemingly the only ones who know its true power are politicians and people in advertising. But words do create powerful images and they change people’s minds but not by reasoned debate this is the big mistake of the logical liberal academics that have taken the intellect to such a place that is totally lost. The power lays in the emotional response, the way that words empower and raise the senses both for good and ill.

If you know this then not only can you use it you will also know it when it is being used on you. It is useful when pondering why some songs have great power and often it is the lyrics that do this. Lyrics that are full of imaginary or a call to action like the Beatles ‘All you need is love‘ where love is used as a mantra; there is no logical argument here just by repetition you have to think of love .They are not saying why do you need love? or you should love me.

Say what you want, ‘We will rock you’ ‘Wild thing you make my heart sing’ by describing the feelings not mentioning the emotions you can make people feel, ‘Walking back from your house walking on the moon’.

In Ireland and Wales the bards would not only celebrated but also feared by what they could do with words. So if that is true maybe that should be your aim as a musician to be celebrated and feared in equal measure. That was true in the 1960s maybe we should start aiming words at people who seem to rule our lives with words.

Vic Hyland

www.bluescampuk.co.uk  music summer school