March 9, 2015

"Song-ography, the 'Stairway to Heaven' edition...


"There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
and my spirit is crying for leaving...


"Stairway to Heaven"
Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany




"Crying Spirits"
Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany



In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
and the voices of those who stand looking...






Ooh, it really makes me wonder...



"Oh, It Makes Me Wonder"
Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany


The Berliner Mauer (Berlin Wall).  Unceremoniously erected in 1961, and on the surface dividing East and West Berlin.  But in reality, it divided so much more.  Families, a country, cultures, politics, a world, and all too often...life and death.  It was the physical symbol of the "Iron Curtain". Altho there aren't official numbers, it is said that upwards of 1,100 were killed trying to escape East Germany.  It's a statistic I take personally, as my family lived in a portion of Germany that fell behind the Iron Curtain.  Some stayed.  Some successfully found a way out.

As secretively as the wall went up, it came down with celebration in 1989.  Physical remnants remain throughout Berlin.  It's a city that doesn't forget.  I admire that about Berlin.  It is accountable for it's good, it's bad, AND it's ugly.



"Berliner Mauer"


What doesn't physically remain, is remembered via brick inlay throughout the city in the footprints in which it once stood.  Some sections, that still stand, are simple with no embellishment.



"Thank You"
Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany


And some...are quite elaborate with the works of accomplished street artists.


...There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'cause you know sometimes words have two meanings...









"Can You See Me Now?"



And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
and the forests will echo with laughter...






"Dancing to Freedom"



"Look to the West"






"The Window"


"Ooh, it really makes me wonder"
-Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)




"When Did We Stop Being Human"
Berlin Wall
Berlin, Germany


And then, there is MY favorite...



"Echo With Laughter"


Because maybe the forests really do echo with laughter.  


**********


"Cinderella, Cinderella all I hear is Cinderella, 
from the moment I get up till the shades of night are falling." 

Tis true.  But gotta admit, I'm kinda hyped up to see the new movie coming out soooooon.  For those of you who are OLD enough to remember, every year while I was growing  it would be really special occasion (ALMOST akin to the yearly showing of Wizard of Oz) when the annual broadcast of Cinderella would be shown on television.  Anyone remember?  Leslie Ann Warren as Cinderella.  Celeste Holmes as the Fairy God Mother.  General Hospital's Alan Quartermaine (Stuart Damon) as Prince Charming.  My FAVORITE song from that show is next week's Song-ography suggestion.  It's a Rogers and Hammerstein creation...

"In My Own Little Corner"
Cinderella

1965.  YOWZERS!  I remember watching this like it was...the 1960's.  And FYI, Leslie Ann Warren will ALWAYS be the best Cinderella in MY book.

Thanks for linking up to Song-ography.  Please try to visit some of the other participants to see their interpretations and creativity.  It really IS inspiring to see how one song/lyric can take different people in different directions.  I will be by to visit too...can't wait!







(click on image for description of Song-ography)

17 comments:

  1. So perfect Kathy, You definitely nailed it my friend. Such a touching post. That had to be a real sight to see.

    Hugs~

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  2. So so perfect. The Berlin wall is really such an amazing part of our world history!

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  3. Such an amazing and poignant post. I don't remember much about the Berlin Wall as I was only ten years old when the wall came down. I can remember much talk of it coming down and how it was a wonderful thing, but nobody really elaborated on why it was there in the first place. Sadly I feel our education is quite lacking when it comes to living and social history. Wonderful, wonderful pictures.

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  4. I love your quotes and your pictures of the Berliner Mauer to go along with them. For some reason when we visited Berlin some years ago, we did not visit the Mauer's remnants. Maybe it was too close to home as we were still living in Germany at the time. While I grew up and lived in the western part of Germany, my Dad was from Potsdam and so we still had (and have) family there. The day after the Mauer fell we got visitors :)

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  5. love everything about this post! your pictures are really perfect and your caption really completes the tour! Thanks!

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  6. Outstanding! The song goes so well with all the images of the wall. Sorry to learn that younger people don`t even know why the wall was erected or maybe it is good- I don`t know. For me it is part of growing up in Western Germany and having lived in Berlin.
    I still cannot get my head around preparing for the Tuesday challenge of yours. I am always too late!

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  7. Wow, what an awesome post Kathy. You truly go all the way with everything you do. Superb!

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  8. Having been there when the wall was still standing...it is nice to see such beauty in it's place. Beautiful photos! Perfection!

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  9. These are great - really. I love seeing all that has become of the wall - when I was there it was not that long after the wall came down, and there wasn't much art yet. This song really got me thinking....and the more I listened/thought the harder it was to know what to share. Thanks so much for this song-spiration each week! I really love it! Each piece of the art on the wall is son interesting - and I especially like the long shot where you can see how all the different murals stand side by side.

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  10. FANTASTIC art and images. Made even more powerful impact made with the words to this song. Thanks for taking me there!

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  11. I love that song "In my own little corner". I didn't see the Leslie Ann Warren one until I had kids (and we took it out at the library). I don't remember it being on tv and I'm so bummed!! My oldest was obsesses with Cinderella. The BrandyWhitney Houston one is her favorite...I think because she saw it first (Jason Alexander, Victor Garber and Bernadette Peters are in it as well). I'm excited about the new movie too!! It's been a lot of Rogers and Hammerstein around here lately..last summer my youngest did Carousel and now she's doing Oklahoma!
    Your photos are wonderful..that bridge with the faces is so haunting!

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  12. Incredible post and images. This post makes me feel differently about the song, which has always sort of given me weird mixed feelings. I really love your travel photos. If you don't submit to Nat Geo's Your Shot, you should!

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  13. Very touching. This is a wonderful post. Those images on wall are beautiful but with hearbreaking stories. Your favorite is now my favorite too :)

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  14. What a great post. We never made it to Berlin while we lived in Germany, yes and that it a huge regret.

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  15. Wow. Very powerful to visit this site. I love the bright colors that have replaced the walls. Glad they keep it as a reminder.

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  16. What an amazing collection of artwork has grown up on this piece of history. Oh and I don't know next weeks song but I went and read the lyrics.... great choice

    Mollyxxx

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  17. AHHHH I absolutely LOVED the East Side Gallery/Berlin Wall! I love murals and street art and stuff like that, so I was in heaven! My friends and I spent over an hour walking and observing and stopped so many times because they had some great work! Glad I found this on the Weekend Wanderlust linkup!

    check out my post about it! http://www.sara-says.com/berlins-east-side-gallery-in-photos/

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