02/07/02

"AS TIME GOES BY"

      The song "As Time Goes By" is a part of the soundtrack for the 1943 classic film, "Casablanca", starring the beloved faces of the time, Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid. The movie's plot is the typical love-triangle between two distinguished gentlemen and a lovely young woman, dropped in the midst of political turmoil between democracy and totalitarianism. Its themes are focused on honor, love, duty, self-sacrifice, and romance within a deranged world. Its setting is the city of Casablanca, Morocco, along with typical societal characters of traditional morals, cynical statures, and internal sensitivity. "Casablanca" was also identified through the churning times of World War II. The movie was released three weeks after the Allied landing at the Axis-occupied, Northern African city of Casablanca, giving movie-goers ample familiarity with the city's name. The song "As Time Goes By" with lyrics and music by Herman Hupfeld, sung by Nat King Cole is a fantastic representation of the "forties era". With lyrics glorifying the forever struggle of man and woman in love, " a kiss is still a kiss.." This song clearly identifies with the American music culture with less tributes toward an "ethnic" sub-cultural media. This possibility might be linked to the patriotism war evokes in society and its pervading influence throughout all forms of life- entertainment, for example. The song ponders the greater meaning of human life with almost a playful jest and yet, it possesses a ring of truth, "...it's still the same old story, a fight for love and glory, a case of do or die..." As a twenty year old man living amongst the anxieties of war and youth, it is not a wonder my grandfather would identify himself with a box office smash hit. As previously mentioned the patriotic influence is permeating and all inspiring, so much that it conceivably could be among the reasons why my grandfather joined the US Air Force, leading him to fight in the Vietnam War. This leads me to my second point of analysis, my mother's favorite song, "The Hustle", by Van McCoy circa 1975.

-Additional Songs-

Frank Sinatra - As Time Goes (rm)

Perry Como - As Time Goes By (rm)