"The Logical Song"

“The Logical Song” is a song that questions the importance of being educated and intellectual. This song asks whether losing the marvels of childhood is really worth the gains of knowledge in adulthood. It seems that the man who sings this song does not recognize himself after he has been made “sensible/Logical, responsible, practical”. His struggle can be summed up by one line: “I know it sounds absurd but please tell me who I am”.

I believe that this song is a good example of the longing and the nostalgia that many people have for a simpler place or time that has been mentioned over the last few days in class. Many people wish that they were young and carefree again. They selectively block out the parts of being a child that they were not so fond of and create an idealized world where there were no bad experiences or painful moments. Everything was new and beautiful and perfect. This is shown best at the beginning of the song where the musician states “When I was young/It seemed that life was so wonderful/A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical”.

There is a deeper meaning to this song, however. Though it is only hinted at, I think the musician believes that individuality is being crushed in modern society. The third verse shows this the best. He says that people are being called “radical” and “criminal” for not being “acceptable”. It appears that an unnamed someone is trying to ensure that anyone who does not conform is punished. This song may represent a man’s longing for simpler days, but it is also possible that he is longing for more freedom.