Anthony Week 9#: The Universal Language

 Music is amazing. 

It seems that there’s constantly a melody beating through my Airpods whenever and wherever I go, whether that be in class (when I’m really not supposed to), or playing it out loud in the shower before my Mom yells at me for taking too long. Often, when we meet with someone for the first time, one of the most commonly asked questions is, “What kind of music do you like?” Music is a bridge that makes connections between people, whether that may be eyeing a stranger's hyper-niche song preferences or swapping playlists with a friend. 


My first ever campfire
During a summer camp with my Boy Scouts troop, the counselor taught us a new campfire song called “Ging Gang Goolie.” As he sang it, I thought I must be going crazy because I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. Yet, as I looked around, I saw the same face of confusion that I must’ve been making reflected across the faces of the other campers. As the song ended, the counselor began to tell the story of the song, I was not losing my mind; the song was, in fact, complete gibberish.


“Ging Gang Goolie” had been made at the first World Scout Jamboree in 1920, where Scouts from all over the world joined together for a celebration. Being from different countries, the Scouts understandably struggled to communicate with each other. Yet, they strove to connect and rejoice together. Thus, “Ging Gang Goolie” was born, a song made up of complete gibberish that no one understood but that everyone could sing along to. 


Music is a gestalt—something more than the sum of its parts—and that thing is amazing.

Comments

  1. Wesley GuoJanuary 21, 2025 at 6:02 PM

    Hello Anthony! I have to admit that when I saw that the topic was “Language and Power,” I thought people would focus on “traditional” forms of power, mainly political and economic. So I was certainly surprised to find not one but two blog posts speaking on the power of music. I really liked how you focused on the aspect of music being a “universal language” in a way being especially powerful, with your anecdote on the song “Ging Gang Goolie” being made out of complete nonsense in a way people across different languages and cultures can all sing along to. In the current day and age with increasing conflict and tensions across the globe, music is a powerful factor that shows how people have more in common with each other than they have different. I really liked your concluding statement (though I had to search up what a gestalt was), and I hope to read more from you in the future.

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  2. Michelle GeorgeJanuary 22, 2025 at 7:54 PM

    Hi Anthony! I completely agree with you that music can take over your life, but in a good way. Music acts as a vessel for my emotions, especially during times of trials and tribulations. It contains lyrics that touch my heart, much like they do for countless others. I also agree that music is a universal language since everyone listens to music. It brings people together as it is a great conversation starter and that shared interest of music can create a whole community. Just like how "Ging Gang Googlie" brought people together in 1920, music now, such as Travis Scott, SZA, and Kendrick Lamar, has the indefinite power to unite people and numerous friendships form, solely through a single conversation about artists and their lyrical tastes. Whether it is school or at a concert, people bond over music as it serves as a connection between people that allows them to discuss their common interests.

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  3. Raymond Holmes-KingJanuary 22, 2025 at 8:18 PM

    Hello Anthony. I really enjoyed reading your blog. I liked that you took experiences from your life as a kid and a funny song and put it into the blog. I fully believe that music is the bridge that connects people around the world. People can like music that they don't understand what they are singing. When everyone can sing a song together and not worry about mispronouncing anything brings people together because they can bond over something ridiculous. I listen to music every single day, and some songs I don't understand but I still enjoy it, and that brings people who are different together because of music taste.

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