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Playlists

James Gleick's Playlist for 'Time Travel'

by James Gleick, October 4, 2016 9:56 AM
Time Travel by James Gleick

“The future is a faded song.” T. S. Eliot said that in his magnificent Four Quartets. And: “Words move, music moves / Only in time.” What art form explores time, plays with time, manipulates time? That’s what music does. Time is the medium and the message.

1. "Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)" by the Byrds
The Byrds made this famous, but Pete Seeger wrote it. Or rather, borrowed it from Ecclesiastes. A time to every purpose under the heaven, you know. He might have added, That which has been is now; and that which is to be has already been; and God requires that which is past.

2. Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 9, Adagio
In this movement, the finale of Mahler’s last completed symphony, time stops. Music can do that. How? It’s a mystery. Adagissimo barely conveys the unreality of it — the notes disembodied, cellos barely taking breath, violins and violas hovering like ghosts. We enter a place outside of time.

Note: In order to listen to the playlist, you will need to log in to Spotify. Sign up for a free account here.
3. Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 32, Arietta 
Mahler wasn’t the only one who could turn the dial on the time machine. Here’s Beethoven’s last piano sonata — yes, once again, the last. Coincidence? I don’t think so. After this second movement, the sonata is over. Thomas Mann’s Doktor Faustus contains an entire (fictional) lecture on the subject, “Why Beethoven has not written a 3rd movement to Op. 111.” But I digress.

4. "Time Is on My Side"
Everyone knows the Rolling Stones version, but listen to Patti Smith here: “The past projects fantastic…tick tock, tick tock, fuck the clock!”)

5. "Is It Like Today?" by World Party
Just all the history of humankind, past and future. And then we come face to face with God. 

It isn't just a day Oh-oh-oh 
Is it like today? Eh-oh-oh
Is it like today? Oh Bang!

6. "I Got You Babe" by Sonny and Cher
This one is an exercise for the reader: In what magnificent movie of time travel (a special kind) does our hapless hero hear this song? Again and again. And it’s always 6:00 a.m. 

7. "Time Between Trains" by Susan Werner
She is one of my favorite singer-songwriters, and this is a song about waiting. Waiting is what every good time traveler wants to avoid. Is she waiting for a train? Maybe. Could be a metaphor, though.

8. "Forever Young" by Bob Dylan 
Why do we need time travel? Because it’s the closest we can come to immortality.  

May your song always be sung.
÷ ÷ ÷
James Gleick is our leading chronicler of science and technology, the bestselling author of Chaos: Making a New Science; Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman; The Information: A History, a Theory, a Flood; and most recently, Time Travel. His books have been translated into 30 languages.



Books mentioned in this post

Chaos Making A New Science

James Gleick

Four Quartets

T S Eliot

Genius The Life & Science of Richard Feynman

James Gleick

Information a History a Theory a Flood

Gleick, James

Doctor Faustus The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkuhn as Told by a Friend

Thomas Mann

Time Travel A History

James Gleick
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One Response to "James Gleick's Playlist for 'Time Travel'"

David Quinn October 13, 2016 at 09:43 AM
Nice! Though any time travel music playlist should include Thelonius Monk! Love from NYC

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