Among the Intellectualoids
Desired Things
The death of Les Crane last week allows us to retrace the story of the soppy poem “Desiderata.”
(Page 2 of 3)
br>
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
/em>
p>
em>Therefore be at peace with God,
br>
whatever you conceive Him to be….
/em>
/p>
p>
em>With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
br>
it is still a beautiful world.
br>
Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
/em>
/p>
/blockquote>
br>
When I first saw it, the poem was still being mistakenly labeled as
the product of some anonymous 17th century genius in Baltimore,
though it turned out to date only from that first iteration of the
decade of the 1960s in the 1920s. Crane’s version, with music by
Fred Werner, made it soppier still and went to number eight on the
Billboard charts. Years later, Crane himself was supposed to have
said, “I can’t listen to it now without gagging.” A lot of us felt
that way about it from the beginning.
About the Author
James Bowman, our movie and culture critic, is a resident scholar at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. He is the author of Honor: A History and Media Madness: The Corruption of Our Political Culture, both published by Encounter Books.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (1) | Leave a comment
Related Articles
More Articles by James Bowman
More Articles From Among the Intellectualoids
http://spectator.org/archives/2008/07/23/desired-things
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Ailes: A Voice for the Silent Majority
- Self-Righteous Republic
- Public Nuisances
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
guo | 7.1.10 @ 5:47AM
www.movconverterformac.net