Character Search And Who I'd Be

 Although I am not typically a fan of "The Modern Musical", occasionally I am forwarded songs by Na Clann with the suggestion I listen.  Once in a while I am pleasantly surprised; most of the time I file them away with "Other Modern Music I Need Never Hear Again".

In this case it was music from "Shrek:  The Musical" (available on your local streaming service).  Shrek, to those of a certain age that may not know, was a children's book that became a highly successful movie, then highly successful movies, then a musical (because of course Hollywood has to drain every last potential drop of profit from an intellectual property) and follows the adventures of Shrek, an Ogre, as he attempts to and learns to integrate into society.  The movies are fun to watch for entertainment value and end up including some reasonably high level performers (for the second movie, as I recall, John Cleese and Julie Andrews are voice actors and the other movies have some pretty high caliber cameos).  

The musical of course is not the same as the movie - musicals never are, as they have to fill the void of the visual of CGI with other things.  The characters have morphed as well: in this case Shrek is a great deal more introspective than he is in the movies.  At one point, when challenged by his companion (Donkey, a talking donkey) about why he hates people so much and challenged what he would do if, he starts to recount his dreams in the song "Who I'd Be".

It was one of those moments when you least expect something significant to happen, and something significant happens.

I have linked both the words and video at the end of this post and they are worth a read or listen, but one set of lines jumped out of me:

"So yes,  I'd be a hero, and if my wish were granted,

Life would be enchanted, or so the stories say

Of course, I'd be a hero and I would scale a tower

To save a hot-house flower and carry her away

But standing guard would be a beast, I'd somehow overwhelm it

I'd get the girl, I'd take a breath, and I'd remove my helmet 

We'd stand and stare

We'd speak of love

We'd feel the stars ascending

We'd share a kiss

I'd find my destiny

I'd have my hero's ending

A perfect, happy ending

That's how it should be"

It made my heart stop a little, because that was me, once upon a time.

Growing up, I was enmeshed in a world that I could not see but believed should exist even if it did not.  I grew up on The Oz Books and Raggedy Ann And Andy and books of talking animals and toys, and later found the world of fantasy and Medieval mores and chivalry - not the gritty sort of fantasy that is written today that is more reality than idealism, but big, larger than life heroes - John Carter, Conan, the heroes of Andre Norton.  I believed in chivalry and romantic love and great causes and crusades.

And then, of course, life happened.

But hearing that song made me wonder what happened to that man.

Yes, there were a lot of things that were far from ideal from that period of time and mindset - as there are about every period and mindset (and as there will be about this period as well,  to the shock of those living in it and as certain of the rightness of their causes and previous ages have been of theirs).  But large living in bright colors, courtly behavior (which is really nothing more than polite behavior), romantic love that treats the beloved in an idealized fashion (instead of what we have made it), seeking right and justice in service of a great cause - why should these have fallen out of style when in fact, if you read between lines, these are exactly the world seems to lament we have lost?

One can never go back into the river of course, and there is no reason that in many ways I should want to bring that younger, more callow man back.  At the same time, that younger, more callow man may have seen somethings in a light far clearer than what I see them now,  as age and film will dull even the most exacting and clearest of lenses.

Perhaps, in this search on character, I need to consider how to sluice away the years of grime, less that ideal decisions and less than desirable traits, and find the bedrock that is there.

Video (Run time is about 5:00 minutes, song starts at about 1:00 minute):

Lyrics:

 [SHREK]
I guess I'd be a hero, with sword and armor clashing
Looking semi-dashing, a shield within my grip
Or else I'd be a Viking, and live a life of daring
While smelling like a herring, upon a Viking ship
I'd sail away, I'd see the world
I'd reach the farthest reaches
I'd feel the wind, I'd taste the salt and sea
And maybe storm some beaches
That's who I'd be, that's who I'd be

Or I could be a poet and write a different story
One that tells of glory, and wipes away the lies
Into the skies I'd throw it, the stars would do the telling
The moon would help with spelling and night would dot the 'I's
I'd write a verse, recite a joke
With wit and perfect timing
I'd share my heart, confess the things I yearn
And do it all while rhyming
But we all learn, but we all learn

An ogre always hides

An ogre’s fate is known

An ogre always stays in the dark and all along

So yes, I'd be a hero, and if my wish was granted
Life would be enchanted, or so the stories say
Of course, I'd be a hero, and I would scale a tower
To save a hot-house flower, and carry her away
But standing guard would be a beast, I'd somehow overwhelm it
I'd get the girl, I'd take a breath, and I'd remove my helmet

We'd stand and stare
We'd speak of love
We'd feel the stars ascending
We'd share a kiss
I'd find my destiny
I'd have a hero's ending
A perfect happy ending
That's how it would be

A big, bright, beautiful world
But not for me

[FIONA]
An ogre always hides
An ogre's fate is known
An ogre always stays in the dark

[DONKEY]
You're all alone

[SHREK & FIONA]
All alone!

(All in unison)
[SHREK]
So yes, I'd be a hero, and if my wish was granted
Life would be enchanted, or so the stories say
Of course, I'd be a hero, and I would scale a tower
To save a hot-house flower, and carry her away

[FIONA]
And I know he'll appear
'Cause there are rules and there are strictures
I believe the storybooks I read
By candlelight

[DONKEY]
All alone
You need a pal, my calendar's open
You need me

[ALL]
A perfect happy ending
That's how it should be!