Although at this point I'm merely adding on to what others are saying, I'll voice my thoughts anyway. The opera singer could be likened to today's actor or pop artist, pretty much anyone who believes that they are the best and are obsessed with their fame. They go on and on about how great they are and how their work is immortal.
Opera singers were once celebrities on the level of big-name actors, perhaps beyond that. People were known to faint on the streets when they saw one. Can you name one opera singer? Probably not.
That's where the real irony of the song comes in. This opera singer thinks that their name will never die, but we, a modern audience, knows that very few people will know their name in the future. Fame for the sake of fame is empty, and the quest for immortality is fruitless.
We can draw a parallel with modern celebrities. They may think that they are all that, but only the truly great remain famous after their deaths, and they are typically not the narcissistic egomaniacs we are surrounded with.
This song is great on so many levels. It's a great reminder that even though you're not famous, your legacy is not measured by the number of people who know your name, since even they will be gone one day soon. All that matters is the mark you make on the world.
Although at this point I'm merely adding on to what others are saying, I'll voice my thoughts anyway. The opera singer could be likened to today's actor or pop artist, pretty much anyone who believes that they are the best and are obsessed with their fame. They go on and on about how great they are and how their work is immortal.
Opera singers were once celebrities on the level of big-name actors, perhaps beyond that. People were known to faint on the streets when they saw one. Can you name one opera singer? Probably not.
That's where the real irony of the song comes in. This opera singer thinks that their name will never die, but we, a modern audience, knows that very few people will know their name in the future. Fame for the sake of fame is empty, and the quest for immortality is fruitless.
We can draw a parallel with modern celebrities. They may think that they are all that, but only the truly great remain famous after their deaths, and they are typically not the narcissistic egomaniacs we are surrounded with.
This song is great on so many levels. It's a great reminder that even though you're not famous, your legacy is not measured by the number of people who know your name, since even they will be gone one day soon. All that matters is the mark you make on the world.