As an older millenial (40), I had a college professor who had a mullet. His reason- "this was cool when I cared about what was cool, and if I tried to do your cool, it would not be cool". Pure wisdom.
Really, that's wisdom? How do avoid embarrassing yourself with America's mind-bendingly spoiled and vapid and vicious, perpetually hyper consumerist youth culture? Just stick with your sorry-ass mullet. Because the cool kids will devour you if you're deemed a poser. Because 'cool', which is only a product of our utterly doomed material society of abundance and excess, with about fifty years, or less, of oil left before we lapse into total savagery and chaos, is too precious for some middle-aged lush to toy with. It's reserved for teenagers and pop stars. Wisdom indeed!
@@randymiller6197 ….and again, when your body is decaying. Beethoven rolled over, in his grave, just to tell Tchaikovsky about Rock n’ Roll! He was like “can you believe these children? (P’tuah 💦) Another generation is ruining our music! I will haunt them all, to teach them why this loud noise is wrong. They no not what they do…” Even Jesus had a lyric about his generation. “Forgive them…for they no not what they do…” 🙃
Getting into middle age, I try to take the lyric (and others like it) as a reminder to try to be the kind of middle-aged person I would have been able to interact with productively and with mutual respect when I was under 30. I've started noticing "have respect and empathy for younger people, because when you do that you're also having the respect and empathy for your younger self that you didn't get from older people at the time" as a theme in some narratives that I hadn't paid as much attention to before.
@@M_M_ODonnell I am 51 and I would not want to be 21 at this point having to go through the next 30 years of my life with what someone at that age now is dealing with. People my age tend to do the whole bashing millenials (forgetting what they were like at that age) but it's a whole different world than what I experienced.
I am over 70yo. I think this is an excellent presentation. I have lived through many generational changes, I remember having my Blues-Rock sensibilities shaken up when I discovered Hunky Dory. Bowie's lyrics were so literate and insightful. I was shocked by the cynicism of Cygnet Committee. I embraced Punk & New Wave, and have gone back to explore old R&B, 50's Girl Groups, old Country music, etc. I laughed when people mocked "Hipsters" when I knew the original pre-Hippie Hipsters were mocked as much as the Hippies were. It is a mark of your quality that it has sparked me to write this probably over-long Comment. :-)
Your not-so-over-long comment is appreciated by this Gen-Xer, @flamencoprof ! David Bowie transcends most boundaries, as he hoped to, and I love him for it. Wish he were still around!
I was born in 1967 and appreciate this channel for all the work it's done with a lot of the music that I grew up with and still love to this day. Your David Bowie break down was perfect and I appreciate everything you do here on your Channel sir.
Born in 66’ and I couldn’t agree more. The rant was legit and solid. Loved it. Bowie wasn’t a staple in my childhood home, I had to discover him for myself at 10 years old when I listened to Diamond Dogs for the first time. But you better believe Bowie’s music was a staple in my kids childhood home. They grew up appreciating him and his music and they adore him, as a person and an artist, just like their mother taught them 😊
I'm a mid-50's Gen Xer. I feel your whole message here. Bullied as a child by older family when I asked "why?" I was told, "They were bullied when they were your age and now it's their turn because you're the youngest now." Implication being, that I'll get to bully the youth coming up behind me. Which is one of the strongest definitions of generational toxicity there is. In the early 80s Just as I was hitting puberty I lived through the Satanic Panic and the dawn of the AIDS crisis. That combined to shame my discovery and interest in Fantasy Role Playing Games and smothered my sexual identity in the crib. Reagan's America was no place for gay wizards y'know. Today, I'm older I've had all the older generation experiences. Raised kids, divorced a couple times, and developed health issues (Congestive Heart Failure SUCKS, I don't recommend it) and my children are, from oldest to youngest, Trans, Pansexual, and on the autism spectrum. Bullying them or showing them harsh, tough love, as I was taught *was never an option*. Instead, we elders have to love our youth as hippy-dippy and privileged as that sounds. We can't turn them into us as our elders tried with us and their elders tried with them. We need to guide when asked. Support when needed. And by God, we have to ENCOURAGE those kids.
This is great as a trans and bi gen z girl myself I’m certain your kids love you so much it’s great to hear trans kids who have parents who actually support and care for them because unfortunately many of my friends just don’t have that I have a friend overseas in Alabama who recently discovered they are trans and they are just stuck and can’t do anything and they rely on their parents for everything so they can’t just leave when they turn 18 it’s really disappointing I’m lucky to live in a country where I can feel like I’m not being constantly judged but even then it’s still hard and the best thing that can help trans kids is their parents being supportive so from a random trans kid on the internet thank you
GenX here and in total agreement with you. The generational war bullshit is so frustrating. Generational differences are trends or tendencies, not absolutes. I find so much value in making sure I have relationships with younger and older folks. Adulthood is an illusion and it was so freeing when I realized that. We're all making it up as we go.
I actually disagree with you, but in a way that means I actually kind of agree with you. There are no trends or tendencies that are true for entire generations. Generations are BS. Before World War II, there were no generations. That wasn’t how people looked at things. It’s all just an invention of the late 20th century, and honestly, at this point, it’s used to divide us as a population. It’s used to keep us from unitingand screwing over the powerful. In other words, I’m saying that generations are a made up thing, like how race is also made up.
Right on. Absolutism is extremism. We also have to remember that these generational labels (Boomers, Gen X etc,) were created on Madison Ave. by the advertising industry to divide and conquer strictly for profit. Too many people judge others based on how they can categorize them and not by the content of their ideas.
I've rarely meshed well with my direct peers. Is that a Gen-X thing? My elders have so much to offer in terms of life experience and the wisdom that goes along with it, and my juniors are often eager to share their unique perspective, which is just as valid. People my own age are too ... familiar? And yet we are also worth listening to. Bowie includes all of them & more.
@@wendychavez5348 that is not a Gen X thing. Gen X, we were trapped on our entire lives by boomers. Told we were worthless, told we were stupid, told our culture didn’t matter. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I do not have real elders outside of GenX that were nice to me. Everybody I know who was ever chill was born in 1965 or later I’ve known maybe three boomers my whole life who weren’t total fucking crap, but they were still criminals and hustlers.
I'm "elder millennial" who recently turned 40. It dawned on me recently that this world belongs more to today's youth than it does to me. And that's ok. The only thing left for me to do is to empower them to make it their own. But they should be starting to take the wheel.
Look at the average age of CEOs, landlords, politicians, etc. You may not fit one definition of "today's youth" but you we're gonna need you to keep your hands on the wheel for a bit longer!
The problem with boomers is that we improved science and technology so much that they keep just living and dragon-hoarding wealth, moreso than previous generations. I graduated into the mortgage crisis followed by the greek debt crisis, then 5 years later, Brexit. The endgame for my generation's startups seems to have been to cash in by selling out to Gen X and Boomers rather than keeping anything for ourselves.
In some of the online spaces I'm in, I'm fortunate enough to speak with people your age/slightly younger. The wisdom spread by people in your age bracket (younger than my parents, older than me) is indispensable and I really appreciate it. hell, even the people 3-4 years older than me still wisdom to impart. Those conversations have helped me define what I want out of relationships, life, and art.
As a young trans girl this is nothing but true when people talk about my life and think they understand it they never get it right they know nothing about gender dysphoria or how I feel all I want is respect and validation yet it feels like the entire world is against me and the way you described it is perfect and makes me have some faith in the world haha thank you
Damn, one more reason why i love Bowie. Not every person care about every individual that di not have any voice to reached and demand world to understand their needs. I salute his resolution, and fact that hes consistent and confident with his idea till his death is enlightening. Thats why, hes always be my favorite, the musician i spin while im lost, and found myself through hus music. Thanks for making this video, Polyphonic.
I was in 7th grade in 1985 and someone in my art class did a piece using that quote. I was full of self-doubt at the time and feeling very socially isolated and bullied by my peers. And I thought the quote sounded pretentious and entitled. I actually believed that I would get more conservative when I was older, and I'd understand how wrong I had been about everything. _But I was wrong!_ How poetic! I love that quote more than ever. I love the insights millenials have give me as a GenXer. And I admire my own zoomer kids so much. They are so full of life and creativity and _integrity._ I learn so much from them all the time. When I was a kid I had two contrasting images of adulthood. My mom and my stepdad were liberal, but firmly entrenched in the "kids are stupid and ignorant" camp. My dad, on the other hand, was excited to hear about my passions and ideas. I will always be grateful for that - he served as a role model for me with my kids.
As someone a little bit older... I've only ever become less conservative in my life, too. I think there used to be a trend that what "conservative" is would change fast enough that it would catch up to you in your lifetime, if you didn't change your beliefs. But that ended a long time ago now. These days I try to learn from the kids, where I can. They often have a lot of ideas I reject at first but grow to understand and respect. It's happened so many times that when I feel myself rejecting a new idea I just say "wait, I need to think a bit." It's done a lot of good for me.
ou're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're older still. Time! Is marching on. And time, is still marching on. This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner. And now it's even sooner. And now it's even sooner. This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner. And now it's even sooner. And now it's sooner still. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. And now you're even older. You're older than you've ever been. And now you're even older. And now you're older still.
There's a Brazilian song by a singer named Belchior called "Como nossos pais" in a literal translation it means "Just Like our parents". You should check it out. It speaks a lot about the generational conflicts and how the cicle repeats itself. I also recommend to listen to Elis Regina's version of that song, it's just beautiful.
!!! I can't believe someone has already made this comment! It's mesmerizing how these two songs tell a similar story and come from very similar contexts as well...
I'm glad that you made a point to highlight this topic. It is hard to listen and watch at what people within my general age group say and do to younger people still finding their way. Knee jerk reaction to some of the things I don't "get" from those younger is to criticize and try to invalidate whatever it is they are into, or that they are feeling, but taking a moment to see ourselves in our youth and treat them with empathy and support has been a huge help. I kind of enjoy becoming that older person that a younger person can come to if they need it. I was never going to be a voice of a generation or do something that changed the course of the world at large, but I take a lot of comfort in the knowledge that I can help to guide and encourage others around me to be their very best. Peace, love, and patience.
I am 39 and turning 40 in a few days and trying not to fall into older generations' mistakes when they get to this age. Trust me, I think a lot when I hear David Bowie songs. David Bowie last album was what was happening in music. He could have done a rock n roll album but listened to music at that time and went with it.
In a similar boat. I think the antidote is self reflection and trying to remember what it was like to be young. Socrates said: "The unexamined life is not worth living" when accused of corrupting the youth (for which he was sentenced to death). I tend to agree to say the least.
I absolutely loved this video! I actually enjoy all of your videos, but I loved how this one you really used your voice! Your passion for this topic & the insights you shared are beautiful! Any concerns about not being polished or scripted should not be taken to seriously! As many others have already stated, your expression was wonderfully balanced with the exploration of the music & artist! Keep being awesome! *from Gen Xer* 💜🙌🏾🌈✊🏾🌍
Okay- I had to re-watch this three times because I think you are spot on. Okay, I'm a boomer, but I feel for what you are saying, because I've been shouting about this as soon as another layer of youth culture back-filled under mine, probably in the late 70s-80s. Like you, I'm exhausted. I think the key is to keep an open mind, and we all know that a lot of people's minds are shut tight. They seem to tune out a lot of life as they hunker down with living their own lives. They enjoy the comradery of their own kind, so to speak, so spitting down a generation or so, and spitting up at the same time, they might feel better inside themselves. Perhaps life is shaped like a rope ladder, with those of us older people at the top. It would be nice to reach down and make a solid way for all the generations hanging on to the rope to communicate and help each other without judgement.
Wow! What a breath of fresh air! Gen X here and I agree so much with your message. You should do this more often. It obviously did you good. It’s cathartic and therapeutic. It’s good for the mind and body to just go off on a rant and get it all off your chest. You’ll be surprised at how many people agree with how you feel and what you have to say. After all, we’re all just humans trying to navigate this crazy fucked up world. It’s better for all of us to lift each other up vs knock each other down. There’s a lot to learn from all generations and I think it will only do us good to listen to one another more often. ❤
My friends have been talking about the Bowie lyrics on Under Pressure for weeks. I'm glad they're listening to Bowie first of all and that they are all loving all his stuff
13:00 I thought one of the coolest and defining features of the mellenial generation (92 kid) was how much we'd get and understand the younger generations who'd follow us. When Gen Z started roasting us on socials, we didn't get defensive--got a kick out of it. We'd laugh and say "cool, kid. Right on." I'm genuinely disheartened at what some of us have become today. Maybe I was too optimistic about what our generational legacy would be, but I mean c'mon. We were the emo kids. And I don't mean this in any political way. I'm strictly speaking about empathy. Dismissing kids has historically failed, yet we never learn. "Each generation makes its own apology," to quote Vampire Weekend. And yeah, the issues we're dealing with today are heavy and complex and I do think older generations have responsibilities to the younger ones, but none of that starts by negating their very real experiences.
I adored this rant. It's not only relevant to the music genre but the general generations. I'm also enjoying the more personal, casual side to Polyphonic. The polished essays are BEAUTIFUL, but I admittedly am in that group of people who is multi-tasking while my YOuTube watch later runs, despite how much I love rock & this channel.
I have a MASc in ECD. I've been working with young men and women who have learning and psychological obstacles in their lives. Your advice on listening to and asking about "their world" is sound advice for any youth. That's usually how I start every conversation with a new student. I think the word you were looking for is "trust". Every person, regardless of age, will only tell you what's troubling them or listen to your advice if they trust you. Trust isn’t built through disdain and criticism, its built through empathy and support.
Hunter. Robert Hunter, who also penned the following on the very same song: “Sound of the thunder with the rain’s pouring down. It looks like the old man's getting on”.
@@cactaceous There's a few of his lyrics that, while short and simple, just hit some deep fundamental chord with me... Another prime example from a much more well known song, Ripple: "Let it be known there is a fountain That was not made by the hands of men"
@@zxcbvnm90 The lyrics to Ripple are beyond profound. “There is a road. No simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night. And if you go no one may follow. That path is for your steps alone”.
I'm so with you, a coworker of mine has recently ranted about scibidy and rizz claiming it made no sense claiming our slang was always easy to understand and it reaked of 'The only exposure I have to youth culture is from evening news where old gen x'ers tell me about it'.
I'm pushing 60. I did a deep dive on TikTok last year to understand Gen A/Gen Z ideas of funny because I was just scratching my head. I'm here to tell you, they are hilarious, insightful, bitingly bitter, dry as hell, understated and derp obvious at the same time, and still empathetic. As a Gen Xer, I thought we had irony on lock. We had hair gel. The kids are quite real. They are layered. They are a force.
The line that always stuck with me was the pleasing, "turn and face the strange." Meaning... We're no bad, and we're not going away. At least, that is how took the meaning.
Bowie had a lot of foresight and this can be seen in multiple songs he wrote. That's part of the reason why I believe that he will remain relevant even when he's been dead for hundreds of years. There's very few moments in his work where I think that it aged poorly.
Cultural exchange should always be a two-way street. So many older folks insist their music is superior and want to “educate” the young generations on what “real” music is. It’s great that you want to share your music with younger people, but you should equally be interested in learning what they are listening to. You might not always like it, but at least you can learn something about what it means to them, and why they like it. As a 45-year-old guy myself, I’ve probably learned more life-changing, or at least life-improving, knowledge and culture from people Noah’s age or younger, thanks to places like UA-cam
I’m two weeks late here, but I finally got a chance to watch this. Older millennial here born in 1981. 😭 I agree with everything you said here. And I’m not trying to be young again or keep up with Gen Z or Gen Alpha, but I try my best to stay informed on what’s going on with youth culture and today’s younger folks. Like you, I hated having to hear “You’re so young” as if I were some naive little delicate flower or whatever (I guess that’s how people viewed women back then especially when you were in your late teens and early 20’s). And I’m reminded of how antiquated the older generation is because I work in a nursing home. Elderly folks and some who are old enough to be my parents who live there who are stuck in their mindset. It’s annoying even though that’s what they believe in and was the norm back then. I just hope that when I’m in between my 70’s and 90’s, I won’t be like that. Of course I don’t know everything. I won’t either. Just as long as I remember when our generation was beaten down especially us in the queer community and I don’t wind up like that, I guess I should be okay? Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts and for understanding me! 😂 I’m glad I’m not the only one! And my God, no we aren’t the youth culture anymore, which is strange, because I still do feel young!
A lyric that really imprinted on me when I really thought about it was from The Dear Hunter’s song Blood. “In search of worth, have I burned the earth?” On its own it’s already poignant but as a reflection on the last 5 albums of storytelling and seeing what Hunter has been through and what he’s done, it’s just something else.
You have been one of my favorite profound music reviewers for years now. When you do Zep and Floyd and deep classic rock... I rejoice. Now your cool regular guy image is indelibly stamped upon your expressive voice which already owns a solid grouping of my neurons!😂🎉😂
Thank you. 🙏❤️ Gen X with war baby parents here, and I love this. Okay, I'm also lifelong Bowie fan, and I've spent my life being a a confused and overwhelmed outlaw. It's time to love each other, of every age. As DB said later, You're not alone, and you're wonderful.
This video is the most important video i've seen all week. Having the same thoughts at the minute but not from this new perspective. Thank you for sharing, Comrade!
I just relate to you so much, Noah. I came for your music knowledge and cool graphics 7 years ago but have stayed for your cultural insights. Thanks for putting this into the words I’ve been looking for. - Fellow millennial music lover who hates the gen-z hate
It's that Art Rock thing - full of cutting and memorable lyrics .. "loneliness is a crowded rook" - Roxy Music "hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" - Pink Floyd ... to name but a couple that immediately spring to mind.
I was talking to my dad about this quote because it was my favourite and I said to him that you speak about so many differences between gen x and gen z, but we're so much similar than people make us out to be. We are the generations with the most subcultures, the most rebellious strikes, the biggest yearn for changes funnily enough. Social media is making us fight each other but we all just want the same thing. To make sure our children can feel human in the future
For two years I've been thinking about doing a video on this Bowie lyric on my channel. I stalled because I couldn't articulate what I was feeling. I'm so glad I stalled because your video blows away anything I would have created. I'm 66 years old and it really bothers me when my peers say new music sucks. I confront them. Thank you, sir, for an excellent video. I think I'm going to do a video short simply recommending this video without using any of your content. I'll simply say it's a superb video and provide the link in the comments. I will simply share.
The line that keeps coming back to me for Bowie is from Oh You Pretty Things!: "All the strangers came today, and it looks like they are here to stay."
Another beautiful video! I love hunky dory all togther and was actually listening to it this morning lol, changes always stood out to me for its really underrated walkdown into the main riff and its amazing vocals, but id love too see a video or two on some others from it, like the fantastic eight line poem or even the belway brother
It if gives you a little hope, I am 60 and have not changed my political and social views, or at least I haven't gotten more conservative. (NEVER voted Republican) Helps that I have lived in San Francisco and NYC, it broadens the mind to be around others of different ideas. The internet gave us all access, and broadcast too. Some of it good, like you, some of it not so.... but at least there is the ability to communicate, that's something. Thanks for everything.
Suburbs are where ideas go to die, and the boomers were all about having their "American dream" of a little box on a hillside, driving everywhere in an oversized inefficient car and organising HOAs to attack any nonconformity.
I know this is the wrong takeaway from the video but 21:15 your videos are not bad. You have the channel I look to as the beacon of “how to do it right.” Maybe this video isn’t the pinnacle of your channel, but what you’ve made has been incredible and you really put your all into it. Good luck with the mental crisis though, seems we’re all going through it at the same time lol.
Older generations have been belittling younger generations since the beginning of time. Its nothing new. I'm 56 now, I can remember feeling misunderstood when I was in my teens and twenties. Now, I try to not yell at clouds.
I have singled that line out and have often used it to tell my own generation to quit spitting on the younger generations. You're quiet aware of what you're going through. It's literal, but it's still poetic. Please continue...
I had to tell another Gen X'er who was complaining about "Participation Trophies" that we were generation that started with, not your kids, and by the way, why are you denigrating your own children, they're here on facebook, you know, they can read. The thing is I always got the Attendance award at the end of the school year, I'm pretty sure he did not. lol
I bump up against the Gen X'ers that did not experience what Millennials so commonly experience and Gen Z is overwhelmingly going through. That being the decline of the middle class. I was told in high school that mine was the first generation that would make less than their parents. Reaganomics. Deregulation. They robbed a bit of my generation, and more of each successive generation, it's infuriating. Rant! Rant! Against the failure of greed culture.
What's given me hope is that it really seems like with every new generation more people are seeing that things we're totally cockeyed and that something needs to be done. I felt like most of my generation weren't seeing it, so we didn't protest like in the 60s, but we really needed to. Even more than I understood. But leaders are coming up in my generation, in yours, and in Gen Z that see how pressing the need for change is. It's going to be a battle. I don't know how it will go, but I have hope that the times they are a-changin'.
This was a fantastic video with an important message! I am 47 years old now. I was 14 years old when I was first exposed to the music of David Bowie, and Changes immediately became one of my favourite songs. So many of my friends are trans, weird or queer in various ways. I am happy to be part of a community where 'who you are' is more important than what generation you are from. Your videos are great, and this one was phenomenal!
I interpret the lyric, "but I was so much older then I'm younger than that now" in a different manner. I don't see it as a criticism of old age comapred to youth... I see it as the young person feeling so self assured, having seen just part of the picture and mistaking it for the full picture, then later on having lived longer., the person knows enough to know how much he doesn't know. "I was so much older then" as in, I felt so experienced and wise, but upon growing older and gaining more experience and perspective, he becomes more humble and less certain and in that sense "younger than that".
Late-'60s vintage GenXer here...one of the ones who watched the Yippies turn into the Yuppies, and who entered the job market just as downsizing became all the rage. You are absolutely spot on--it's a cycle, and a cruelly unwinnable game of "just wait a few years, and you'll get to be ON TOP"...except that never really happens, and then while you're waiting with waning patience and growing puzzlement for your promised reward, you notice younger people rising up and feel threatened by them. "Lift as you climb" is a mantra I've taken to heart, even if climbing is becoming ever more difficult. And Hunky Dory has a prominent place in my desert island albums list, along with Diamond Dogs. And thank you for giving props to trans rights. You are a good human.
For me, it is the chorus of Jethro Tull's Too old for Rock n Roll. It hits hard for me, especially since i was held a bit in school and the age gap between classmates made me feel super awkward and alienated. But, no matter what, you can always rock and roll if you're too young to die.
Hey man, I don't know if you'll see this, but your videos were the ones that allowed me to grow as a human. I first saw your "Nirvana was a feminist band" when i was 14 and it really changed my views on everything I had been taught. I never had a good role model in my life yet there was your video that saved me from becoming the terrible human I was raised to become. Your video was a catalyst to me realising my own sexuality and gender a few years later. Seeing this video of yours reminded me again of how i very narrowly escaped a terrible rabbit hole of inceldom and for that I am forever grateful to you. And i also want to thank you for still being an incredible human.
This was one of my favourite videos! I actually really enjoy learning more about a creator. I know you want to keep the focus on the music and I can agree on that idea but I’m always curious to know more about who creates the art. In your case it’s about why would you be so passionate about the content. Now having heard you echo so many of my thoughts on the ick of the generational bs (as a 50yo GenX) I have that moment of connecting with you. It’s what makes ME tick. Rant on!
I just watched this video on Nebula, and you’re calling it a bad video and apologizing, but it was really great to get a chance to “know you” better. Less scripted, more passionate, and with important things to say. Thanks for this. It also made me think about my own art as a socially-engaged, angry 61 year old. Tomorrow I’ll be reading poetry at an event with a lot of young poets, and your video reminded me that I don’t have to worry about whether I get them or they get me. I just have to be myself and bring my joy, my anger, my experience, my art to the room and let everyone there meet it how they need to. BTW, I think you’re Toronto-based, right? You should check out the monthly poetry event at Buddies in Bad Times, 3rd Sunday of the month, 4:00 (or 4:30, depends) pm.
I don’t know if it’s deep but the lyrics on Dusk by Genesis stayed in my mind after the first listen. “A pawn on a chessboard, A false move by God will now destroy me, But wait on the horizon, A new dawn seems to be rising, Never to recall this passer-by, Born to die.”
As a 55 year old GenXer I try to think of what my grandparents must have thought of me as a teenager when feel judgmental about GenZers. And i remember this spoken word intro to one of my favorite albums: “In the beginning, good always overpowered the evils of all man’s sins But in time our nation grew weak, our cities fell slums while evil stood strong In the dust of hell lurked the blackest of hates, for he who you fear awaits you, Now many many lifetimes later, lay destroyed, beaten down, only the corpses of rebels Ashes of dreams and blood stains streets IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN THAT THOSE WHO HAVE THE YOUTH HAVE THE FUTURE SO COME NOW CHILDREN OF THE BEAST, BE STRONG AND SHOUT AT THE DEVIL! Mötley Crüe has never been accused of being a lyrically deep band but at 13 in 1983 this truly resonated with me. Those who have the youth have the future….I try to remember that.
Faces: if I knew then, what i know now, when I was older is one of those Lyrics that sticks with me. An episode on The Faces/Faces/and Rod Stewart would be a great episode!
i’m a 22 year old gen z. thank you for this. having grown up amidst the dawn of social media, and as a young adult trying to reassemble the pieces of a post-pandemic world, i’ve often found myself under the boot of boomers and millennials. constantly being told “you don’t know any better” or “you’ll get it when you’re older” is debilitating as someone trying to find their way. and i’ve recently been repeating that same cycle by labelling gen alpha as dumb. this video reminded me that it’s ok not to “get” the new trends and slang, but it’s NOT ok to put down younger people and pretend as if i wasn’t subject to the same ridicule. i’ve been watching your videos since i was a freshman in high school, and i love seeing these uncut discussions. i don’t like you because of your content, i like your content because of you, poly.
I wouldn’t think those comments you quoted up front are out downs. I’m a boomer and got them from my parents and just took them for what they were. Probably the truth! And, they turned out to be the truth. You learn as you grow, grow as you age. You don’t need all the knowledge (baggage) to weigh you down. You’ll have enough pressing issues to weigh on you as you get older and you’ll be wishing you could relive your younger days when you had less pressing issues to deal with, to work through, to ponder. Finally, I think an attitude of gratitude for what I’ve had, not a longing for what I don’t have (but want), always helps to keep you moving positively forward through life.
I'm glad you did this video, i hope you do more deep dives into Bowie, I'd love to see a breakdown of the ziggy stardust album the way you did dark side of the moon
I'm a Gen-X'r and a huge Bowie fan. In fact, I had the very quote you're talking about written on my bedroom wall when I was a teen. It epitomized how I felt unseen by my parents' generation. I have grown children now, 2 are Millenials, 1 is a Gen Z. They teach me a great deal about the world, and I think they appreciate that I'm aware that we can learn from each other, not just from the elder downward. I really liked your video, and my only real complaint about many of the young people that I meet is that they really lack basic, good manners. But I'm aware, it's not even their fault. Manners are taught by our parents.....so, that means my peers are to blame for that! BTW- Another great lyric in 'Changes' is, "Don't tell them to grow up and out of it." Bowie was a genius. I was lucky enough to see him live in 1987! Great video!👍🏻👍🏻❣️
As much has I appreciated what Polyphonic was, I think I appreciate the real, raw and messy Polyphonic. This one obviously feels like a truly passionate rant as someone who was a part of a generation that has faced a lot of criticism from the last criticized generation. As it should be. The youth run this world and keep this world turning, and bringing up the worst to try and temper them feels like hater energy. I, for one, welcome the kids, as long as we know we are bringing them up the best we can.
Bowie becoming more and more relevant in his later years is a career ark not typically seen in music, other than Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, and to a further (and more tragic) degree Nick Cave and Tim Buckley, I can think of few others who have become so much more entangled in the zeitgeist as they grew older......this is usually the path taken by novelists, and this perhaps hints at the depth Behind the music, the emphasis on lyric and story.
Would love to see more videos about pieces of music culture that have special resonance today, or even just special resonance with you. Idc if it’s unhinged or railroaded, just keep making really true stuff like this.
i often get obsessed with lyrics instead of the whole song and recently i did this with gracie abrams "i love you. i'm sorry" with the "lay on the horn to prove that it haunts me" part, the rest isn't really that interesting to me but the visual of needing to be extremelly loud about something that hurt you so that your pain would be taken seriously is so interesting to me, specially at this day and age where you often see people broadcasting their suffering to either gain sympathy or let out the steam, when just a couple years back the norm was to just bottle it and refrain from making your suffering public knowledge.
I feel like this describes the consistent turmoil with different generations. The young begin idealistic, gain a following, and try to change the world. But eventually a new youth rises up that despises the old one. The old youth has now become king, and needs to be toppled just as he toppled the reigns of those who came before. “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 NIV
You should continue this David Bowie generational trend by exploring the duet that he did with Bing Crosby "The Little Drummer boy/Peace on Earth". Hopefully you'll be able to get that out in time for Christmas.
If you want to understand the kids, look at their humor. Comedy is from someone older than you. Millennial UA-cam poops has a direct line back to Monty Python. If you're confused about Skibbidy Toilet, remember Gary's Mod and how stupid your parents used to think it was.
I've been on a back in the depot jag. "Lower away the lifeboats shark repellents been diluted twice." - Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. My latest thrift store find everyone needs to hear
Everyone has rebelled, every generation. Its the 1st time for you and you think you're at the cutting edge - THERE IS NO CUTTING EDGE. Human experience is driven by human nature and THAT never changes. On your death bed you'll see what you were going through and know that nothing really changes
As an older millenial (40), I had a college professor who had a mullet. His reason- "this was cool when I cared about what was cool, and if I tried to do your cool, it would not be cool". Pure wisdom.
Really, that's wisdom? How do avoid embarrassing yourself with America's mind-bendingly spoiled and vapid and vicious, perpetually hyper consumerist youth culture? Just stick with your sorry-ass mullet. Because the cool kids will devour you if you're deemed a poser. Because 'cool', which is only a product of our utterly doomed material society of abundance and excess, with about fifty years, or less, of oil left before we lapse into total savagery and chaos, is too precious for some middle-aged lush to toy with. It's reserved for teenagers and pop stars. Wisdom indeed!
I used to be with it but then they changed what it was. Now what I’m with isn’t it anymore and what’s it seems weird and scary. It’ll happen to you!
That lyric hits different when you’re middle aged compared to when you’re a teenager. It’s still 100% true.
And it hits again when you're "older"
@@randymiller6197
….and again, when your body is decaying.
Beethoven rolled over, in his grave, just to tell Tchaikovsky about Rock n’ Roll!
He was like “can you believe these children? (P’tuah 💦) Another generation is ruining our music! I will haunt them all, to teach them why this loud noise is wrong. They no not what they do…”
Even Jesus had a lyric about his generation. “Forgive them…for they no not what they do…” 🙃
Getting into middle age, I try to take the lyric (and others like it) as a reminder to try to be the kind of middle-aged person I would have been able to interact with productively and with mutual respect when I was under 30. I've started noticing "have respect and empathy for younger people, because when you do that you're also having the respect and empathy for your younger self that you didn't get from older people at the time" as a theme in some narratives that I hadn't paid as much attention to before.
@@M_M_ODonnell That’s a very wise way to look at things.
@@M_M_ODonnell I am 51 and I would not want to be 21 at this point having to go through the next 30 years of my life with what someone at that age now is dealing with. People my age tend to do the whole bashing millenials (forgetting what they were like at that age) but it's a whole different world than what I experienced.
I am over 70yo. I think this is an excellent presentation. I have lived through many generational changes, I remember having my Blues-Rock sensibilities shaken up when I discovered Hunky Dory. Bowie's lyrics were so literate and insightful. I was shocked by the cynicism of Cygnet Committee.
I embraced Punk & New Wave, and have gone back to explore old R&B, 50's Girl Groups, old Country music, etc.
I laughed when people mocked "Hipsters" when I knew the original pre-Hippie Hipsters were mocked as much as the Hippies were.
It is a mark of your quality that it has sparked me to write this probably over-long Comment. :-)
Your not-so-over-long comment is appreciated by this Gen-Xer, @flamencoprof ! David Bowie transcends most boundaries, as he hoped to, and I love him for it. Wish he were still around!
I was born in 1967 and appreciate this channel for all the work it's done with a lot of the music that I grew up with and still love to this day. Your David Bowie break down was perfect and I appreciate everything you do here on your Channel sir.
Born in 77. I couldn't agree more‼️
👏🏾💯🧠🎯👍🏾
I was born in the last hour of the 31st Dec. 1967, New years eve. We were blessed with the musical era we emerged into.
Born in 1872, and I agree with everyone on this particular thread.
Born in 66’ and I couldn’t agree more. The rant was legit and solid. Loved it. Bowie wasn’t a staple in my childhood home, I had to discover him for myself at 10 years old when I listened to Diamond Dogs for the first time. But you better believe Bowie’s music was a staple in my kids childhood home. They grew up appreciating him and his music and they adore him, as a person and an artist, just like their mother taught them 😊
"I'm a millennial" yes...we saw the beanie....
it's called a toque you heathen
And the glasses
And the beard
And the content
@@Polyphonic reminds me of when videogames would rename a regular item to make it a quest item like iron dagger became "skull piercer" or something
I’m Gen X. We wore beanies practically every day back in the 90’s. Also, beanies existed when the boomers were young too.
@@Polyphonic Great, you’re a millennial AND a Canadian haha.
I'm a mid-50's Gen Xer. I feel your whole message here. Bullied as a child by older family when I asked "why?" I was told, "They were bullied when they were your age and now it's their turn because you're the youngest now." Implication being, that I'll get to bully the youth coming up behind me. Which is one of the strongest definitions of generational toxicity there is. In the early 80s Just as I was hitting puberty I lived through the Satanic Panic and the dawn of the AIDS crisis. That combined to shame my discovery and interest in Fantasy Role Playing Games and smothered my sexual identity in the crib. Reagan's America was no place for gay wizards y'know. Today, I'm older I've had all the older generation experiences. Raised kids, divorced a couple times, and developed health issues (Congestive Heart Failure SUCKS, I don't recommend it) and my children are, from oldest to youngest, Trans, Pansexual, and on the autism spectrum. Bullying them or showing them harsh, tough love, as I was taught *was never an option*. Instead, we elders have to love our youth as hippy-dippy and privileged as that sounds. We can't turn them into us as our elders tried with us and their elders tried with them. We need to guide when asked. Support when needed. And by God, we have to ENCOURAGE those kids.
Thank you man
This is great as a trans and bi gen z girl myself I’m certain your kids love you so much it’s great to hear trans kids who have parents who actually support and care for them because unfortunately many of my friends just don’t have that I have a friend overseas in Alabama who recently discovered they are trans and they are just stuck and can’t do anything and they rely on their parents for everything so they can’t just leave when they turn 18 it’s really disappointing I’m lucky to live in a country where I can feel like I’m not being constantly judged but even then it’s still hard and the best thing that can help trans kids is their parents being supportive so from a random trans kid on the internet thank you
You're not unhinged, you're unleashed
God, I love this!
GenX here and in total agreement with you. The generational war bullshit is so frustrating. Generational differences are trends or tendencies, not absolutes. I find so much value in making sure I have relationships with younger and older folks. Adulthood is an illusion and it was so freeing when I realized that. We're all making it up as we go.
I actually disagree with you, but in a way that means I actually kind of agree with you. There are no trends or tendencies that are true for entire generations. Generations are BS.
Before World War II, there were no generations. That wasn’t how people looked at things. It’s all just an invention of the late 20th century, and honestly, at this point, it’s used to divide us as a population. It’s used to keep us from unitingand screwing over the powerful. In other words, I’m saying that generations are a made up thing, like how race is also made up.
Right on. Absolutism is extremism.
We also have to remember that these generational labels (Boomers, Gen X etc,) were created on Madison Ave. by the advertising industry to divide and conquer strictly for profit.
Too many people judge others based on how they can categorize them and not by the content of their ideas.
Im still making it up at 66 🤣🤣
I've rarely meshed well with my direct peers. Is that a Gen-X thing? My elders have so much to offer in terms of life experience and the wisdom that goes along with it, and my juniors are often eager to share their unique perspective, which is just as valid. People my own age are too ... familiar? And yet we are also worth listening to. Bowie includes all of them & more.
@@wendychavez5348 that is not a Gen X thing. Gen X, we were trapped on our entire lives by boomers. Told we were worthless, told we were stupid, told our culture didn’t matter. I don’t know what you’re talking about, I do not have real elders outside of GenX that were nice to me. Everybody I know who was ever chill was born in 1965 or later I’ve known maybe three boomers my whole life who weren’t total fucking crap, but they were still criminals and hustlers.
I actually really like how casual and relaxed you are on this video
I'm "elder millennial" who recently turned 40. It dawned on me recently that this world belongs more to today's youth than it does to me. And that's ok. The only thing left for me to do is to empower them to make it their own. But they should be starting to take the wheel.
Look at the average age of CEOs, landlords, politicians, etc. You may not fit one definition of "today's youth" but you we're gonna need you to keep your hands on the wheel for a bit longer!
The problem with boomers is that we improved science and technology so much that they keep just living and dragon-hoarding wealth, moreso than previous generations. I graduated into the mortgage crisis followed by the greek debt crisis, then 5 years later, Brexit. The endgame for my generation's startups seems to have been to cash in by selling out to Gen X and Boomers rather than keeping anything for ourselves.
In some of the online spaces I'm in, I'm fortunate enough to speak with people your age/slightly younger. The wisdom spread by people in your age bracket (younger than my parents, older than me) is indispensable and I really appreciate it. hell, even the people 3-4 years older than me still wisdom to impart. Those conversations have helped me define what I want out of relationships, life, and art.
We still haven’t taken the wheel though! Boomers still have it and they refuse to give it up.
@@justinw1384 they will give it up when they finish driving all of us into a tree x__x
Coincidentally, I woke up with “All The Young Dudes” in my head, so I’ve had Bowie on the brain today. Serendipitous timing, my friend!
As a young trans girl this is nothing but true when people talk about my life and think they understand it they never get it right they know nothing about gender dysphoria or how I feel all I want is respect and validation yet it feels like the entire world is against me and the way you described it is perfect and makes me have some faith in the world haha thank you
This is one of your best videos to date. You're damn right. The kids are gonna be alright.
Damn, one more reason why i love Bowie. Not every person care about every individual that di not have any voice to reached and demand world to understand their needs. I salute his resolution, and fact that hes consistent and confident with his idea till his death is enlightening. Thats why, hes always be my favorite, the musician i spin while im lost, and found myself through hus music.
Thanks for making this video, Polyphonic.
Breakfast Club inclusion of the quote was at the beginning and blows up in 80's cgi glory.
I was in 7th grade in 1985 and someone in my art class did a piece using that quote. I was full of self-doubt at the time and feeling very socially isolated and bullied by my peers. And I thought the quote sounded pretentious and entitled. I actually believed that I would get more conservative when I was older, and I'd understand how wrong I had been about everything. _But I was wrong!_ How poetic!
I love that quote more than ever. I love the insights millenials have give me as a GenXer. And I admire my own zoomer kids so much. They are so full of life and creativity and _integrity._ I learn so much from them all the time.
When I was a kid I had two contrasting images of adulthood. My mom and my stepdad were liberal, but firmly entrenched in the "kids are stupid and ignorant" camp. My dad, on the other hand, was excited to hear about my passions and ideas. I will always be grateful for that - he served as a role model for me with my kids.
As someone a little bit older... I've only ever become less conservative in my life, too. I think there used to be a trend that what "conservative" is would change fast enough that it would catch up to you in your lifetime, if you didn't change your beliefs. But that ended a long time ago now.
These days I try to learn from the kids, where I can. They often have a lot of ideas I reject at first but grow to understand and respect. It's happened so many times that when I feel myself rejecting a new idea I just say "wait, I need to think a bit." It's done a lot of good for me.
45 here and I feel the same way. It’s frustrating how so many of our generation are so closed minded, ignorant, stubborn and bigoted
Conservatism is an anachronism
ou're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
Time! Is marching on.
And time, is still marching on.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
This day will soon be at an end and now it's even sooner.
And now it's even sooner.
And now it's sooner still.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
And now you're even older.
You're older than you've ever been.
And now you're even older.
And now you're older still.
@@pensivepenguin300051 and I agree. I also noticed this when I was a teenager in the 80s
There's a Brazilian song by a singer named Belchior called "Como nossos pais" in a literal translation it means "Just Like our parents". You should check it out. It speaks a lot about the generational conflicts and how the cicle repeats itself.
I also recommend to listen to Elis Regina's version of that song, it's just beautiful.
!!! I can't believe someone has already made this comment! It's mesmerizing how these two songs tell a similar story and come from very similar contexts as well...
The thin white duke always hits different.
I'm 54 and I fully agree with you and everything you have said.
5:00 that interviewer has the same energy as the headmaster from Pink Floyd's The Wall
I'm glad that you made a point to highlight this topic. It is hard to listen and watch at what people within my general age group say and do to younger people still finding their way. Knee jerk reaction to some of the things I don't "get" from those younger is to criticize and try to invalidate whatever it is they are into, or that they are feeling, but taking a moment to see ourselves in our youth and treat them with empathy and support has been a huge help. I kind of enjoy becoming that older person that a younger person can come to if they need it. I was never going to be a voice of a generation or do something that changed the course of the world at large, but I take a lot of comfort in the knowledge that I can help to guide and encourage others around me to be their very best. Peace, love, and patience.
20:33 Hell yeah, we keep punching down, but we gotta PUNCH UP
I am 39 and turning 40 in a few days and trying not to fall into older generations' mistakes when they get to this age.
Trust me, I think a lot when I hear David Bowie songs.
David Bowie last album was what was happening in music. He could have done a rock n roll album but listened to music at that time and went with it.
In a similar boat. I think the antidote is self reflection and trying to remember what it was like to be young. Socrates said: "The unexamined life is not worth living" when accused of corrupting the youth (for which he was sentenced to death). I tend to agree to say the least.
I absolutely loved this video! I actually enjoy all of your videos, but I loved how this one you really used your voice! Your passion for this topic & the insights you shared are beautiful!
Any concerns about not being polished or scripted should not be taken to seriously! As many others have already stated, your expression was wonderfully balanced with the exploration of the music & artist!
Keep being awesome!
*from Gen Xer*
💜🙌🏾🌈✊🏾🌍
Okay- I had to re-watch this three times because I think you are spot on.
Okay, I'm a boomer, but I feel for what you are saying, because I've been shouting about this as soon as another layer of youth culture back-filled under mine, probably in the late 70s-80s. Like you, I'm exhausted.
I think the key is to keep an open mind, and we all know that a lot of people's minds are shut tight. They seem to tune out a lot of life as they hunker down with living their own lives. They enjoy the comradery of their own kind, so to speak, so spitting down a generation or so, and spitting up at the same time, they might feel better inside themselves.
Perhaps life is shaped like a rope ladder, with those of us older people at the top. It would be nice to reach down and make a solid way for all the generations hanging on to the rope to communicate and help each other without judgement.
Wow! What a breath of fresh air! Gen X here and I agree so much with your message. You should do this more often. It obviously did you good. It’s cathartic and therapeutic. It’s good for the mind and body to just go off on a rant and get it all off your chest. You’ll be surprised at how many people agree with how you feel and what you have to say. After all, we’re all just humans trying to navigate this crazy fucked up world. It’s better for all of us to lift each other up vs knock each other down. There’s a lot to learn from all generations and I think it will only do us good to listen to one another more often. ❤
My friends have been talking about the Bowie lyrics on Under Pressure for weeks. I'm glad they're listening to Bowie first of all and that they are all loving all his stuff
"Label myself as well under 30" 🔥
Dylan was a zoomer well before we called them that haha
13:00 I thought one of the coolest and defining features of the mellenial generation (92 kid) was how much we'd get and understand the younger generations who'd follow us. When Gen Z started roasting us on socials, we didn't get defensive--got a kick out of it. We'd laugh and say "cool, kid. Right on." I'm genuinely disheartened at what some of us have become today. Maybe I was too optimistic about what our generational legacy would be, but I mean c'mon. We were the emo kids. And I don't mean this in any political way. I'm strictly speaking about empathy. Dismissing kids has historically failed, yet we never learn. "Each generation makes its own apology," to quote Vampire Weekend. And yeah, the issues we're dealing with today are heavy and complex and I do think older generations have responsibilities to the younger ones, but none of that starts by negating their very real experiences.
For me, "And the clock waits so patiently on your song" has been resonating with me so much lately
I adored this rant. It's not only relevant to the music genre but the general generations. I'm also enjoying the more personal, casual side to Polyphonic. The polished essays are BEAUTIFUL, but I admittedly am in that group of people who is multi-tasking while my YOuTube watch later runs, despite how much I love rock & this channel.
I have a MASc in ECD. I've been working with young men and women who have learning and psychological obstacles in their lives. Your advice on listening to and asking about "their world" is sound advice for any youth. That's usually how I start every conversation with a new student.
I think the word you were looking for is "trust". Every person, regardless of age, will only tell you what's troubling them or listen to your advice if they trust you. Trust isn’t built through disdain and criticism, its built through empathy and support.
"Gone are the days when the ox fall down,
Take up the yoke and plow the fields around."
Grateful Dead - Brown Eyed-Woman - Europe '72
Hunter. Robert Hunter, who also penned the following on the very same song: “Sound of the thunder with the rain’s pouring down. It looks like the old man's getting on”.
@@cactaceous There's a few of his lyrics that, while short and simple, just hit some deep fundamental chord with me... Another prime example from a much more well known song, Ripple:
"Let it be known there is a fountain
That was not made by the hands of men"
@@zxcbvnm90 The lyrics to Ripple are beyond profound. “There is a road. No simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night. And if you go no one may follow. That path is for your steps alone”.
Your videos are NOT bad. You are sooooo good at what you do. Don't take your talent for granted, Noah.
Echoes Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin'" a few years earlier.
I'm so with you, a coworker of mine has recently ranted about scibidy and rizz claiming it made no sense claiming our slang was always easy to understand and it reaked of 'The only exposure I have to youth culture is from evening news where old gen x'ers tell me about it'.
I think the wisest thing one can learn with age is not to be so obsessed with changing the world that one is unwilling to be wrong.
I'm pushing 60. I did a deep dive on TikTok last year to understand Gen A/Gen Z ideas of funny because I was just scratching my head. I'm here to tell you, they are hilarious, insightful, bitingly bitter, dry as hell, understated and derp obvious at the same time, and still empathetic.
As a Gen Xer, I thought we had irony on lock. We had hair gel. The kids are quite real. They are layered. They are a force.
Hell yes they are. Mid 40s here. I’m finding incredible voices and it’s super exciting to see the passion. More of it!
I love this video!
Please do more of this kind of video if you're so inclined.
The line that always stuck with me was the pleasing, "turn and face the strange." Meaning... We're no bad, and we're not going away. At least, that is how took the meaning.
Bowie had a lot of foresight and this can be seen in multiple songs he wrote. That's part of the reason why I believe that he will remain relevant even when he's been dead for hundreds of years. There's very few moments in his work where I think that it aged poorly.
Cultural exchange should always be a two-way street. So many older folks insist their music is superior and want to “educate” the young generations on what “real” music is. It’s great that you want to share your music with younger people, but you should equally be interested in learning what they are listening to. You might not always like it, but at least you can learn something about what it means to them, and why they like it. As a 45-year-old guy myself, I’ve probably learned more life-changing, or at least life-improving, knowledge and culture from people Noah’s age or younger, thanks to places like UA-cam
I’m two weeks late here, but I finally got a chance to watch this. Older millennial here born in 1981. 😭 I agree with everything you said here. And I’m not trying to be young again or keep up with Gen Z or Gen Alpha, but I try my best to stay informed on what’s going on with youth culture and today’s younger folks. Like you, I hated having to hear “You’re so young” as if I were some naive little delicate flower or whatever (I guess that’s how people viewed women back then especially when you were in your late teens and early 20’s). And I’m reminded of how antiquated the older generation is because I work in a nursing home. Elderly folks and some who are old enough to be my parents who live there who are stuck in their mindset. It’s annoying even though that’s what they believe in and was the norm back then.
I just hope that when I’m in between my 70’s and 90’s, I won’t be like that. Of course I don’t know everything. I won’t either. Just as long as I remember when our generation was beaten down especially us in the queer community and I don’t wind up like that, I guess I should be okay?
Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts and for understanding me! 😂 I’m glad I’m not the only one! And my God, no we aren’t the youth culture anymore, which is strange, because I still do feel young!
A lyric that really imprinted on me when I really thought about it was from The Dear Hunter’s song Blood.
“In search of worth, have I burned the earth?”
On its own it’s already poignant but as a reflection on the last 5 albums of storytelling and seeing what Hunter has been through and what he’s done, it’s just something else.
The Times They Are A-Changin!
I love your music video history deep dives but this was truly fascinating stuff and very well executed. Good work my man!
my glorious king
You have been one of my favorite profound music reviewers for years now. When you do Zep and Floyd and deep classic rock... I rejoice.
Now your cool regular guy image is indelibly stamped upon your expressive voice which already owns a solid grouping of my neurons!😂🎉😂
Thank you. 🙏❤️
Gen X with war baby parents here, and I love this. Okay, I'm also lifelong Bowie fan, and I've spent my life being a a confused and overwhelmed outlaw.
It's time to love each other, of every age.
As DB said later,
You're not alone, and you're wonderful.
This video is the most important video i've seen all week. Having the same thoughts at the minute but not from this new perspective. Thank you for sharing, Comrade!
I just relate to you so much, Noah. I came for your music knowledge and cool graphics 7 years ago but have stayed for your cultural insights. Thanks for putting this into the words I’ve been looking for. - Fellow millennial music lover who hates the gen-z hate
It's that Art Rock thing - full of cutting and memorable lyrics ..
"loneliness is a crowded rook" - Roxy Music
"hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way" - Pink Floyd
... to name but a couple that immediately spring to mind.
20:58 “Who gives a shit if someone says groovy or tight or skibidi” … genuinely profound
I was talking to my dad about this quote because it was my favourite and I said to him that you speak about so many differences between gen x and gen z, but we're so much similar than people make us out to be. We are the generations with the most subcultures, the most rebellious strikes, the biggest yearn for changes funnily enough. Social media is making us fight each other but we all just want the same thing. To make sure our children can feel human in the future
Your're not unhinged you're right! Very perceptive and I'm an old boomer.
This is possibly your best video yet, so don't undermine yourself Noah, we love you
Fantastic video, I've though about this a lot and you've voiced so much for me. Thank you!
For two years I've been thinking about doing a video on this Bowie lyric on my channel. I stalled because I couldn't articulate what I was feeling. I'm so glad I stalled because your video blows away anything I would have created. I'm 66 years old and it really bothers me when my peers say new music sucks. I confront them. Thank you, sir, for an excellent video. I think I'm going to do a video short simply recommending this video without using any of your content. I'll simply say it's a superb video and provide the link in the comments. I will simply share.
The line that keeps coming back to me for Bowie is from Oh You Pretty Things!:
"All the strangers came today,
and it looks like they are here to stay."
Another beautiful video! I love hunky dory all togther and was actually listening to it this morning lol, changes always stood out to me for its really underrated walkdown into the main riff and its amazing vocals, but id love too see a video or two on some others from it, like the fantastic eight line poem or even the belway brother
It if gives you a little hope, I am 60 and have not changed my political and social views, or at least I haven't gotten more conservative. (NEVER voted Republican) Helps that I have lived in San Francisco and NYC, it broadens the mind to be around others of different ideas. The internet gave us all access, and broadcast too. Some of it good, like you, some of it not so.... but at least there is the ability to communicate, that's something.
Thanks for everything.
Suburbs are where ideas go to die, and the boomers were all about having their "American dream" of a little box on a hillside, driving everywhere in an oversized inefficient car and organising HOAs to attack any nonconformity.
I know this is the wrong takeaway from the video but 21:15 your videos are not bad. You have the channel I look to as the beacon of “how to do it right.” Maybe this video isn’t the pinnacle of your channel, but what you’ve made has been incredible and you really put your all into it. Good luck with the mental crisis though, seems we’re all going through it at the same time lol.
I mean, "turn and face the strange" says pretty much the same thing in fewer words.
But yeah. 100%. Good vid, Noah.
This may be the best video yet, the rant was spot on 💯
Older generations have been belittling younger generations since the beginning of time. Its nothing new. I'm 56 now, I can remember feeling misunderstood when I was in my teens and twenties. Now, I try to not yell at clouds.
I have singled that line out and have often used it to tell my own generation to quit spitting on the younger generations. You're quiet aware of what you're going through. It's literal, but it's still poetic. Please continue...
"Let's drop the title, and let's get into it a little." lol. That should be the new tag.
"Whole fucking toxic thing" YES!!
I had to tell another Gen X'er who was complaining about "Participation Trophies" that we were generation that started with, not your kids, and by the way, why are you denigrating your own children, they're here on facebook, you know, they can read.
The thing is I always got the Attendance award at the end of the school year, I'm pretty sure he did not. lol
I bump up against the Gen X'ers that did not experience what Millennials so commonly experience and Gen Z is overwhelmingly going through. That being the decline of the middle class. I was told in high school that mine was the first generation that would make less than their parents.
Reaganomics. Deregulation. They robbed a bit of my generation, and more of each successive generation, it's infuriating.
Rant! Rant! Against the failure of greed culture.
What's given me hope is that it really seems like with every new generation more people are seeing that things we're totally cockeyed and that something needs to be done. I felt like most of my generation weren't seeing it, so we didn't protest like in the 60s, but we really needed to. Even more than I understood.
But leaders are coming up in my generation, in yours, and in Gen Z that see how pressing the need for change is. It's going to be a battle. I don't know how it will go, but I have hope that the times they are a-changin'.
This was a fantastic video with an important message! I am 47 years old now. I was 14 years old when I was first exposed to the music of David Bowie, and Changes immediately became one of my favourite songs.
So many of my friends are trans, weird or queer in various ways. I am happy to be part of a community where 'who you are' is more important than what generation you are from. Your videos are great, and this one was phenomenal!
I interpret the lyric, "but I was so much older then I'm younger than that now" in a different manner. I don't see it as a criticism of old age comapred to youth... I see it as the young person feeling so self assured, having seen just part of the picture and mistaking it for the full picture, then later on having lived longer., the person knows enough to know how much he doesn't know. "I was so much older then" as in, I felt so experienced and wise, but upon growing older and gaining more experience and perspective, he becomes more humble and less certain and in that sense "younger than that".
Late-'60s vintage GenXer here...one of the ones who watched the Yippies turn into the Yuppies, and who entered the job market just as downsizing became all the rage. You are absolutely spot on--it's a cycle, and a cruelly unwinnable game of "just wait a few years, and you'll get to be ON TOP"...except that never really happens, and then while you're waiting with waning patience and growing puzzlement for your promised reward, you notice younger people rising up and feel threatened by them.
"Lift as you climb" is a mantra I've taken to heart, even if climbing is becoming ever more difficult.
And Hunky Dory has a prominent place in my desert island albums list, along with Diamond Dogs.
And thank you for giving props to trans rights.
You are a good human.
For me, it is the chorus of Jethro Tull's Too old for Rock n Roll.
It hits hard for me, especially since i was held a bit in school and the age gap between classmates made me feel super awkward and alienated. But, no matter what, you can always rock and roll if you're too young to die.
Hey man, I don't know if you'll see this, but your videos were the ones that allowed me to grow as a human. I first saw your "Nirvana was a feminist band" when i was 14 and it really changed my views on everything I had been taught. I never had a good role model in my life yet there was your video that saved me from becoming the terrible human I was raised to become. Your video was a catalyst to me realising my own sexuality and gender a few years later. Seeing this video of yours reminded me again of how i very narrowly escaped a terrible rabbit hole of inceldom and for that I am forever grateful to you. And i also want to thank you for still being an incredible human.
The older I've gotten (GenX), the farther to the left I've gone, as is correct and good.
No gods, no masters, no colonial cops.
Loved this new approach
Thank you for making this video 😁
This was one of my favourite videos!
I actually really enjoy learning more about a creator.
I know you want to keep the focus on the music and I can agree on that idea but I’m always curious to know more about who creates the art. In your case it’s about why would you be so passionate about the content.
Now having heard you echo so many of my thoughts on the ick of the generational bs (as a 50yo GenX) I have that moment of connecting with you.
It’s what makes ME tick.
Rant on!
You've got good instincts and good perspectives, keep it up. Jay Cavanaugh, 66 yrs old from Generation Jones. Peace out! ✌
I just watched this video on Nebula, and you’re calling it a bad video and apologizing, but it was really great to get a chance to “know you” better. Less scripted, more passionate, and with important things to say. Thanks for this. It also made me think about my own art as a socially-engaged, angry 61 year old. Tomorrow I’ll be reading poetry at an event with a lot of young poets, and your video reminded me that I don’t have to worry about whether I get them or they get me. I just have to be myself and bring my joy, my anger, my experience, my art to the room and let everyone there meet it how they need to. BTW, I think you’re Toronto-based, right? You should check out the monthly poetry event at Buddies in Bad Times, 3rd Sunday of the month, 4:00 (or 4:30, depends) pm.
I don’t know if it’s deep but the lyrics on Dusk by Genesis stayed in my mind after the first listen.
“A pawn on a chessboard, A false move by God will now destroy me, But wait on the horizon, A new dawn seems to be rising, Never to recall this passer-by, Born to die.”
I love the new style of video!
As a 55 year old GenXer I try to think of what my grandparents must have thought of me as a teenager when feel judgmental about GenZers. And i remember this spoken word intro to one of my favorite albums:
“In the beginning, good always overpowered the evils of all man’s sins
But in time our nation grew weak, our cities fell slums while evil stood strong
In the dust of hell lurked the blackest of hates, for he who you fear awaits you,
Now many many lifetimes later, lay destroyed, beaten down, only the corpses of rebels
Ashes of dreams and blood stains streets
IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN THAT THOSE WHO HAVE THE YOUTH HAVE THE FUTURE
SO COME NOW CHILDREN OF THE BEAST,
BE STRONG AND SHOUT AT THE DEVIL!
Mötley Crüe has never been accused of being a lyrically deep band but at 13 in 1983 this truly resonated with me. Those who have the youth have the future….I try to remember that.
Faces: if I knew then, what i know now, when I was older is one of those Lyrics that sticks with me. An episode on The Faces/Faces/and Rod Stewart would be a great episode!
i’m a 22 year old gen z. thank you for this. having grown up amidst the dawn of social media, and as a young adult trying to reassemble the pieces of a post-pandemic world, i’ve often found myself under the boot of boomers and millennials. constantly being told “you don’t know any better” or “you’ll get it when you’re older” is debilitating as someone trying to find their way. and i’ve recently been repeating that same cycle by labelling gen alpha as dumb.
this video reminded me that it’s ok not to “get” the new trends and slang, but it’s NOT ok to put down younger people and pretend as if i wasn’t subject to the same ridicule.
i’ve been watching your videos since i was a freshman in high school, and i love seeing these uncut discussions. i don’t like you because of your content, i like your content because of you, poly.
I wouldn’t think those comments you quoted up front are out downs. I’m a boomer and got them from my parents and just took them for what they were. Probably the truth! And, they turned out to be the truth. You learn as you grow, grow as you age. You don’t need all the knowledge (baggage) to weigh you down. You’ll have enough pressing issues to weigh on you as you get older and you’ll be wishing you could relive your younger days when you had less pressing issues to deal with, to work through, to ponder.
Finally, I think an attitude of gratitude for what I’ve had, not a longing for what I don’t have (but want), always helps to keep you moving positively forward through life.
I'm glad you did this video, i hope you do more deep dives into Bowie, I'd love to see a breakdown of the ziggy stardust album the way you did dark side of the moon
I'm a Gen-X'r and a huge Bowie fan. In fact, I had the very quote you're talking about written on my bedroom wall when I was a teen. It epitomized how I felt unseen by my parents' generation. I have grown children now, 2 are Millenials, 1 is a Gen Z. They teach me a great deal about the world, and I think they appreciate that I'm aware that we can learn from each other, not just from the elder downward. I really liked your video, and my only real complaint about many of the young people that I meet is that they really lack basic, good manners. But I'm aware, it's not even their fault. Manners are taught by our parents.....so, that means my peers are to blame for that!
BTW- Another great lyric in 'Changes' is, "Don't tell them to grow up and out of it." Bowie was a genius. I was lucky enough to see him live in 1987! Great video!👍🏻👍🏻❣️
As much has I appreciated what Polyphonic was, I think I appreciate the real, raw and messy Polyphonic. This one obviously feels like a truly passionate rant as someone who was a part of a generation that has faced a lot of criticism from the last criticized generation. As it should be. The youth run this world and keep this world turning, and bringing up the worst to try and temper them feels like hater energy. I, for one, welcome the kids, as long as we know we are bringing them up the best we can.
Bowie becoming more and more relevant in his later years is a career ark not typically seen in music, other than Leonard Cohen and Johnny Cash, and to a further (and more tragic) degree Nick Cave and Tim Buckley, I can think of few others who have become so much more entangled in the zeitgeist as they grew older......this is usually the path taken by novelists, and this perhaps hints at the depth Behind the music, the emphasis on lyric and story.
Would love to see more videos about pieces of music culture that have special resonance today, or even just special resonance with you. Idc if it’s unhinged or railroaded, just keep making really true stuff like this.
i often get obsessed with lyrics instead of the whole song and recently i did this with gracie abrams "i love you. i'm sorry" with the "lay on the horn to prove that it haunts me" part, the rest isn't really that interesting to me but the visual of needing to be extremelly loud about something that hurt you so that your pain would be taken seriously is so interesting to me, specially at this day and age where you often see people broadcasting their suffering to either gain sympathy or let out the steam, when just a couple years back the norm was to just bottle it and refrain from making your suffering public knowledge.
That is strange, that same lyric rattles in my head pretty often too
I feel like this describes the consistent turmoil with different generations. The young begin idealistic, gain a following, and try to change the world. But eventually a new youth rises up that despises the old one. The old youth has now become king, and needs to be toppled just as he toppled the reigns of those who came before. “Better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to heed a warning. The youth may have come from prison to the kingship, or he may have been born in poverty within his kingdom. I saw that all who lived and walked under the sun followed the youth, the king’s successor. There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.”
Ecclesiastes 4:13-16 NIV
You should continue this David Bowie generational trend by exploring the duet that he did with Bing Crosby "The Little Drummer boy/Peace on Earth". Hopefully you'll be able to get that out in time for Christmas.
Good call. I remember seeing that on TV back in the day.
love your channel
I've had the second verse of Mutineer by Warren Zevon stuck in my head for about 2 weeks now, but maybe it can make way for Bowie now.
If you want to understand the kids, look at their humor. Comedy is from someone older than you. Millennial UA-cam poops has a direct line back to Monty Python.
If you're confused about Skibbidy Toilet, remember Gary's Mod and how stupid your parents used to think it was.
I've been on a back in the depot jag.
"Lower away the lifeboats
shark repellents been diluted twice."
- Alex Harvey of the Sensational Alex Harvey Band.
My latest thrift store find everyone needs to hear
For me it's a different line from the same song: "Turn and face the strange"
Everyone has rebelled, every generation. Its the 1st time for you and you think you're at the cutting edge - THERE IS NO CUTTING EDGE. Human experience is driven by human nature and THAT never changes. On your death bed you'll see what you were going through and know that nothing really changes
Kanye once wisely preached, "Listen to the Kids, Bro!"
I haven’t thought about the Lazarus Musical in a long moment. That’s where this song gets stored for me.