Thinking of the terrorist bomb exploding on the Indonesian island that was always supposed to be the safest & friendliest place, reminded me of the vision of it in James A. Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific" - rendered into a utopian idea of peace & beauty in the musical set during World War II South Pacific. (by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II)
I hope you know the tune, it's dreamy, enchanting, luring. You can hear it - and other Rodgers & Hammerstein songs - at this selling site for a compilation CD shopping.yahoo.com/shop?d=product&id=1921497958
See other similar songs discussed at Utopian Songs

Bali H'ai
Bali Ha'i may call you, any night, any day.
In your heart you'll hear it call you: "Come away, Come away."

Bali Ha'i will whisper on the wind of the sea:
"Here am I, your special island! Come to me, come to me."

Your own special hopes, your own special dreams,
Bloom on the hillside and shine in the streams.

If you try, you'll find me where the sky meets the sea;
"Here am I, your special island! Come to me, come to me!"

Your own special hopes, your own special dreams,
Bloom on the hillside and shine in the streams.

If you try, you'll find me where the sky meets the sea;
"Here am I, your special island! Come to me, come to me!"

Bali Ha'i, Bali Ha'i, Bali Ha'i.

which also reminded me of another song from that musical -- it has quite a few enjoyable songs, and a few 'deeper meanings' in the plot. You can get an
original Broadway cast recording (Mary Martin & Enzio Pinza) South Pacific Original Broadway Cast recording SONY SMK 60722 [56:44] (Amazon link ),
the earlier film (Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi & John Kerr (II) see at imdb, Amazon soundtrack)
or a more recent ("grittier") film (Glenn Close, Rade Serbedzija & Harry Connick Jr - imdb entry )
There are a couple of other recordings of it, such as this 1996 version which is a "complete" version (with Paige O'Hara, Justino Diaz & Sean McDermott), and a 1986 UK cast one, with Mandy Patinkin, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras & Sarah Vaughan

Carefully Taught
You've got to be taught to hate and fear
You've got to be taught from year to year
It's got to be drummed in your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made
Or people whose skin is a different shade
You've got to be carefully taught

You've got to be taught before it's too late
Before you are six or seven or eight
To hate all the people your relatives hate
You've got to be carefully taught
You've got to be carefully taught

Oscar Hammerstein II wrote a lyric for South Pacific that was eventually cut.
"Now is the time, the time to live, no other time is real.
Yesterday has gone, tomorrow is a guess, today you can see and feel."
It seems appropriate. And it's hopeful, if you yield to it. Now is the time we have, and it is the moment between something that has "gone" and something that is a "guess."
[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 10/14/2002 10:44:00 pm