I think there is a lot of misinformation floating around in these comments.
First, I don't think there is any association between the key of C and simplicity, and certainly no association between it and crappy music eaten up by the masses. In addition to Beethoven's Symphony no.1, Mozart's final, and arguably greatest, symphony is also in C. Stravinsky, Bizet, Wagner, and a ton of other composers also used the key. Haydn wrote about a dozen. It was taken as seriously any other key by classical composers.
I'd argue that the choice of "C" has less to do with any deeper point that Cake is trying to make and more to do with lyricism. "Symphony in C" just sounds better, given the rest of the lyrics.
Now that that's out of the way, I think some people are spot on that this is a song about record companies, and the extent to which they've transformed into the hated musical patrons of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Back in the good old days, all great works of art were commissions, mostly from rich noblemen. Haydn, Mozart, and the like all relied upon wealthy, noble "patrons" to support themselves. Beethoven, all high on popular sovereignty, liberte, egality, fraternetie, rode a wave away from this system and towards more autonomous composers who published their own music through private music publishers (pre-cursors, in a way, of the modern day record company).
The music biz, then, was once a seen as a liberator of artists and their creativity, rather than the oppressor that it has come to be viewed as today. This song is a satirical jab at the way the record industry has come to fancy itself the patron, or Austrian nobleman, of yesteryear.
@outofhiselement It's definitely gagging a bit on the symphony getting big accolades and being in C and written using victorious young triads. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is definitely there.
@outofhiselement It's definitely gagging a bit on the symphony getting big accolades and being in C and written using victorious young triads. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is definitely there.
Hi guys,
I think there is a lot of misinformation floating around in these comments.
First, I don't think there is any association between the key of C and simplicity, and certainly no association between it and crappy music eaten up by the masses. In addition to Beethoven's Symphony no.1, Mozart's final, and arguably greatest, symphony is also in C. Stravinsky, Bizet, Wagner, and a ton of other composers also used the key. Haydn wrote about a dozen. It was taken as seriously any other key by classical composers.
I'd argue that the choice of "C" has less to do with any deeper point that Cake is trying to make and more to do with lyricism. "Symphony in C" just sounds better, given the rest of the lyrics.
Now that that's out of the way, I think some people are spot on that this is a song about record companies, and the extent to which they've transformed into the hated musical patrons of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Back in the good old days, all great works of art were commissions, mostly from rich noblemen. Haydn, Mozart, and the like all relied upon wealthy, noble "patrons" to support themselves. Beethoven, all high on popular sovereignty, liberte, egality, fraternetie, rode a wave away from this system and towards more autonomous composers who published their own music through private music publishers (pre-cursors, in a way, of the modern day record company).
The music biz, then, was once a seen as a liberator of artists and their creativity, rather than the oppressor that it has come to be viewed as today. This song is a satirical jab at the way the record industry has come to fancy itself the patron, or Austrian nobleman, of yesteryear.
Or maybe it's literal. Fuck if I know...
@outofhiselement It's definitely gagging a bit on the symphony getting big accolades and being in C and written using victorious young triads. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is definitely there.
@outofhiselement It's definitely gagging a bit on the symphony getting big accolades and being in C and written using victorious young triads. It's a little tongue-in-cheek, but the implication is definitely there.