Occidentali’s karma- “Western’s karma” by Francesco Gabbani was the winning song of Sanremo /2017. The lyrics is by no means trivial, full of references and which offers food for thought on our present western civilization. It is about the approach that we have in the West in searching inner peace, spirituality. We try to approach the eastern practices and in doing so we are a bit awkward. For the other cultures we will always be a bit “tourists”-a visitor to the ideas.
“To be, or have to be, the doubt of the Hamlet of these days”, recalls the famous line in Shakespeare’s Hamlet “to be or not to be” but with a change, because in our society the real doubt is to choice between to be, to have substance, or have to be, that is the appearance.
“As the man of the Neolithic, make yourself at ease in your cage of 2 × 3 “. This compares the prehistoric man, to the modern man. The first lived in a cave, but the second finds himself in increasingly small spaces-like caves. The reference to the 2 × 3 meters could refer either to the size of the offices, which are often only cubicles, or to the apartments, where many of us live.
“Intellectuals in cafes". The intelligence is out of fashion, easy answers, unnecessary "dilemmas”. Here it is stressed that now anyone with an internet connection feels himself like an intellectual and you think you know everything just because you can do a search on the internet. While true intelligence is overlooked and undervalued in our society, we want quick answers just a click away, but that, in fact, arises only silly questions.
This concept we know; “all’s with the web, the people’s cocaine, opium of the poor”. The reference is to the famous Karl Marx’s phrase “religion is the opium of the people” According to the German philosopher, the people, especially the poorer classes, seeking consolation from the misery in which they are in religion and in the promise of a better eternal life in comparison to the earthly one, just as you look for a distraction from reality through drugs. Today this is the consolation in the internet search, where we all are “we-know-all’s” believing to be experienced and knowledgeable enough to be able to have their say on any topic or event. Also in their social profiles, they all show to others a full and happy life trying to erase the pain and suffering in this way.
“Honorary Members of the group of anonymous selfie-addicts”. Westerner addiction of today is not the alcohol, but more to take selfies, a sign of our vanity and narcissism; that’s why in this verse, Alcoholics Anonymous are replaced by anonymous selfie-addicts.
“Wanted stories from the grand finale, hoping for whatever happens panta rhei and singing in the rain” The singer recalls the famous Heraclitus’ “panta rhei” phrase meaning “everything flows”, that everything is always in progress, everything changes and nothing stays the same. Western man seems looking for a glorious finale, but in any case, everything will go on, without giving yourself too much importance. It also refers to the song “Singing in the Rain” eponymous musical, symbol of carelessness
“Wanted virtual humanity, sex appeal, whatever happens "plant rhei" and singing in the rain”. It recalls as more and more to us trying to establish relationships and relationships on the internet, with people who we have never even met; we feel the need of humanity, but we prefer virtual contact.
“Lessons of Nirvana, there is the Buddha in a single line, for every hour of air, of glory,” This refers to how more and more Westerners are seeking inner peace in Oriental arts and then go to “nirvana school”. In fact nirvana in Buddhism is the ultimate goal in life where you find peace and you are free of pain. The moment of meditation becomes “the hour of air”, literally means the moment when the prisoners in jail can get out of their cells, and then the moment when the West tries to take a break from your busy life, but in reality we can not fully understand these practices because they do not belong to us and, as stated by the singer, we turn out “awkward” and maybe even funny, as the picture of “Buddha in single line.”
“The crowd shouts a mantra, the evolution stumbles, the naked ape dances. Western’s karma”. The mantra is a sacred formula repeated continuously during meditation. In my opinion, this verse may refer to all those situations where we are continuously repeating a phrase or slogan, as at the disco when we together sing the hit of the moment with our hands held up towards heaven. At that moment, the evolution of the species seems to take a step back and the man dances. In fact, “The Naked Ape” is a book of the zoologist Desmond Morris, where he studied the man, watching him with a scientific approach as an animal, comparing its behavior with those of primates.
Karma, which literally translates to “act”, indicates in religions and Eastern philosophies the law for which man is responsible for his actions and each of these corresponds to a result that will have repercussions in future lives, and while a good action produces a result positive, negative action will have negative consequences.
“Drops of Chanel-perfume fall on aseptic bodies, save yourself from the smell of your fellow”. We Westerners are now devoid of authentic emotions, we are aseptic, and hide it with expensive perfume and in general with nice clothes and made attitudes. The reference to the smell, one of the many tools used by animals to interact with fellow beings, could be a reference to the theme of man as an animal, but tries to hide what it is really.
“When life is distracted the men fall … the monkey gets up. Namaste go!” I think this verse could mean that when our life is distracted, in the Latin sense of the word to go astray, the man drops the mask and goes back to be a monkey, an animal. Namaste, greeting of oriental origin, which could be addressed to the monkey that has resurfaced. Monkeys fall and get up again-Namaste-and “goes” once, more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OnRxfhbHB4
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