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Readers recommend: songs about left or right Readers recommend: songs about left or right
(about 3 hours later)
Which way? At right angles or stage left? And have you ever tried writing your name or brushing your teeth with the other hand? The human brain, constantly adapting, can face confusion over where it goes, but the results can be complex and colourful. Arguably the greatest rock guitarist of them all, Jimi Hendrix, was naturally left-handed, but his father reportedly forced him to learn with his right, because he believed left-handedness was associated with the devil. So Hendrix would play right-handed when his father was around, but quickly switched over on the left, with strings upside down, when he wasn’t. He ended up being able to play all ways, including behind his head. Was this ambidextrous upbringing one of the secrets of his extraordinary skill? And can one hand be naturally stronger than the other?Which way? At right angles or stage left? And have you ever tried writing your name or brushing your teeth with the other hand? The human brain, constantly adapting, can face confusion over where it goes, but the results can be complex and colourful. Arguably the greatest rock guitarist of them all, Jimi Hendrix, was naturally left-handed, but his father reportedly forced him to learn with his right, because he believed left-handedness was associated with the devil. So Hendrix would play right-handed when his father was around, but quickly switched over on the left, with strings upside down, when he wasn’t. He ended up being able to play all ways, including behind his head. Was this ambidextrous upbringing one of the secrets of his extraordinary skill? And can one hand be naturally stronger than the other?
Paul McCartney plays bass and guitar on the left, as did Kurt Cobain. But some musicians have mixed it up, picking and strumming with the left hand but without changing the corresponding strings around – among them Bobby Womack, surf-style pioneer Dick Dale and blues hero Albert King. And even odder, there’s an eclectic lineup including David Bowie, Noel Gallagher, Robert Fripp, Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler who are all left-handed, but hold their guitars on the right. That’s probably just how they learned. Conversely, while most guitar or violin players are right-handed, it is arguably the left hand that undertakes the more complex tasks. Pianists’ hand movements express even more directions in subconscious muscle memory.Paul McCartney plays bass and guitar on the left, as did Kurt Cobain. But some musicians have mixed it up, picking and strumming with the left hand but without changing the corresponding strings around – among them Bobby Womack, surf-style pioneer Dick Dale and blues hero Albert King. And even odder, there’s an eclectic lineup including David Bowie, Noel Gallagher, Robert Fripp, Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler who are all left-handed, but hold their guitars on the right. That’s probably just how they learned. Conversely, while most guitar or violin players are right-handed, it is arguably the left hand that undertakes the more complex tasks. Pianists’ hand movements express even more directions in subconscious muscle memory.
Some left-handed musicians don’t have a choice. Conventionally, orchestral violinists always play right-handed due to the physical restrictions of where they sit, and the aesthetic of the seating plan. But whatever way you hold your instrument, this week’s songs are most of all about lyrics that employ the words left or right. But aside from the convenience of alliteration or rhyme, what other connotations or factors may influence the choice of such words?Some left-handed musicians don’t have a choice. Conventionally, orchestral violinists always play right-handed due to the physical restrictions of where they sit, and the aesthetic of the seating plan. But whatever way you hold your instrument, this week’s songs are most of all about lyrics that employ the words left or right. But aside from the convenience of alliteration or rhyme, what other connotations or factors may influence the choice of such words?
While the left hemisphere of the brain, associated with the right hand, largely controls how we handle language, some left-handed people have also been found to have this function governed more their right hemisphere. A 2012 study by Georgetown University in New Orleans found that participants, whether left or right-handed, heard background noise differently if using different hands to press response buttons. They heard rapidly changing sounds more sharply when using their right hands, but heard slower changing sounds better when using their left. Extraordinary.While the left hemisphere of the brain, associated with the right hand, largely controls how we handle language, some left-handed people have also been found to have this function governed more their right hemisphere. A 2012 study by Georgetown University in New Orleans found that participants, whether left or right-handed, heard background noise differently if using different hands to press response buttons. They heard rapidly changing sounds more sharply when using their right hands, but heard slower changing sounds better when using their left. Extraordinary.
History and cultures have been cruel to the left-handed. The Latin for right is dexter, from which we get the word dextrous, but for left – sinister – came associations of evil and the unlucky, with sinister witch burnings or other unsavoury practices and prejudices. It’s interesting that many European languages, including English, the word for right has positive connotations – German’s recht also means correct, and the French droit means straight or straightforward, but left’s gauche can also mean awkward or clumsy. We also have derogatory phrases such as two left feet, left field, left out, and the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing.History and cultures have been cruel to the left-handed. The Latin for right is dexter, from which we get the word dextrous, but for left – sinister – came associations of evil and the unlucky, with sinister witch burnings or other unsavoury practices and prejudices. It’s interesting that many European languages, including English, the word for right has positive connotations – German’s recht also means correct, and the French droit means straight or straightforward, but left’s gauche can also mean awkward or clumsy. We also have derogatory phrases such as two left feet, left field, left out, and the left hand doesn’t know what the right is doing.
This prejudice is humorously revealed in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Ned Flanders is initially ridiculed by Homer for opening the Leftorium shop, with goods for left-handed people such as himself. In the end, it survives because Moe the barman and Montgomery Burns and others finally find goods that suit them. The added joke is that Simpsons creator Matt Groening is also left-handed.This prejudice is humorously revealed in an episode of The Simpsons, in which Ned Flanders is initially ridiculed by Homer for opening the Leftorium shop, with goods for left-handed people such as himself. In the end, it survives because Moe the barman and Montgomery Burns and others finally find goods that suit them. The added joke is that Simpsons creator Matt Groening is also left-handed.
They may be in a minority (about 10% of the population) but some of history’s other most famous figures have also been lefties – from Aristotle to Albert Einstein, Julius Caesar to Joan of Arc, Napoleon to Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln to Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Clinton to Barack Obama. It has been theorised that left-handed politicians have an advantage because they use their left hand to gesticulate, and the majority of voters, who are right-handed, see the speaker’s left hand to their right, and it seems to convince the subconscious. Perhaps that also helped other (ahem) ‘lefties’ to somehow get into power – George Bush Snr and David Cameron.They may be in a minority (about 10% of the population) but some of history’s other most famous figures have also been lefties – from Aristotle to Albert Einstein, Julius Caesar to Joan of Arc, Napoleon to Winston Churchill, Abraham Lincoln to Mahatma Gandhi, Bill Clinton to Barack Obama. It has been theorised that left-handed politicians have an advantage because they use their left hand to gesticulate, and the majority of voters, who are right-handed, see the speaker’s left hand to their right, and it seems to convince the subconscious. Perhaps that also helped other (ahem) ‘lefties’ to somehow get into power – George Bush Snr and David Cameron.
Many sports stars have been blessed with a left-sided ability, including tennis stars John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, cricket’s Sir Garfield Sobers, David Gower and Brian Lara, but perhaps most interesting and prolific of all, Sachin Tendulkar, who uses his left hand for writing, but bats and bowls with his right hand. Sobers also bowled left-arm unorthodox wrist spin, a style known in the game as “chinaman” after West Indian pioneer Elliss “Puss” Achong, who was of Chinese origin and toured England in 1933. Famous baseball hitter Babe Ruth was also left handed, and the term southpaw for a pitcher, also used in relation to left-handed boxers, comes from the pitcher’s arm facing west being in a southern position in relation to the compass points of the baseball diamond.Many sports stars have been blessed with a left-sided ability, including tennis stars John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova, cricket’s Sir Garfield Sobers, David Gower and Brian Lara, but perhaps most interesting and prolific of all, Sachin Tendulkar, who uses his left hand for writing, but bats and bowls with his right hand. Sobers also bowled left-arm unorthodox wrist spin, a style known in the game as “chinaman” after West Indian pioneer Elliss “Puss” Achong, who was of Chinese origin and toured England in 1933. Famous baseball hitter Babe Ruth was also left handed, and the term southpaw for a pitcher, also used in relation to left-handed boxers, comes from the pitcher’s arm facing west being in a southern position in relation to the compass points of the baseball diamond.
Although they play with both, many of the world’s greatest footballers, including Pele, have also been left-handed or favoured the left foot. Lionel Messi, who continues to break records, has scored the vast majority of his (to date) 368 goals for Barcelona, with his left – even though he writes with his right hand. The same goes for Gareth Bale and the evergreen Ryan Giggs, who aside from practising yoga and other fitness techniques would switch to his left hand when playing darts or table tennis to improve his brain-body co-ordination. And then of course, there was Maradona, not only best with his left foot, but also waved the infamously divine left hand a sneaky goodbye to England in the 1986 World Cup.Although they play with both, many of the world’s greatest footballers, including Pele, have also been left-handed or favoured the left foot. Lionel Messi, who continues to break records, has scored the vast majority of his (to date) 368 goals for Barcelona, with his left – even though he writes with his right hand. The same goes for Gareth Bale and the evergreen Ryan Giggs, who aside from practising yoga and other fitness techniques would switch to his left hand when playing darts or table tennis to improve his brain-body co-ordination. And then of course, there was Maradona, not only best with his left foot, but also waved the infamously divine left hand a sneaky goodbye to England in the 1986 World Cup.
Animals by contrast do not display the same the same disproportionate bias towards one side or the other. Some chimpanzees and bears do show a preference, but it is more likely to be 50/50. But ambidextrous direction, as proven in the greatest musicians and sports stars, seems to be best in the human or animal kingdoms, with brain adaptable given the greatest freedom. Animals by contrast do not display the same the same disproportionate bias towards one side or the other. Some chimpanzees and bears do show a preference, but it is more likely to be 50/50. But ambidextrous direction, as proven in the greatest musicians and sports stars, seems to be best in the human or animal kingdoms, with adaptable brains given the greatest freedom.
Finally, what of left and right in politics? The terms originated after the French Revolution, when the anti-monarchist Montagnards and Jacobin deputies from the Third Estate sat to the left of the president’s chair in parliament after 1789. A similar pattern of left or right leanings is approximately expressed in the seating architecture of today’s hemisphere-shaped European parliament. But history has proved that extremes at either end of the political spectrum, from Spanish or Italian fascism to Russian communism, by method, ended up with the same result – exploitation and oppression.Finally, what of left and right in politics? The terms originated after the French Revolution, when the anti-monarchist Montagnards and Jacobin deputies from the Third Estate sat to the left of the president’s chair in parliament after 1789. A similar pattern of left or right leanings is approximately expressed in the seating architecture of today’s hemisphere-shaped European parliament. But history has proved that extremes at either end of the political spectrum, from Spanish or Italian fascism to Russian communism, by method, ended up with the same result – exploitation and oppression.
In centre-left and centre-right coalitions, and the growing PR-driven hypocrisy of democracy, the lines seem to blur more and more, with a growing disparity between what is said to win votes, and actual underlying philosophy and policy. In principle, leftwing politics supports social equality and opposes social hierarchy. Rightwing politics tends to see social hierarchy as either necessary or desirable and inequality as inevitable. My view is that the current UK government has entrenched the latter for the longer it has been in power. Your song choices may however not go in a political direction at all, but, left or right as you choose, may take an altogether different tone or context.In centre-left and centre-right coalitions, and the growing PR-driven hypocrisy of democracy, the lines seem to blur more and more, with a growing disparity between what is said to win votes, and actual underlying philosophy and policy. In principle, leftwing politics supports social equality and opposes social hierarchy. Rightwing politics tends to see social hierarchy as either necessary or desirable and inequality as inevitable. My view is that the current UK government has entrenched the latter for the longer it has been in power. Your song choices may however not go in a political direction at all, but, left or right as you choose, may take an altogether different tone or context.
This week’s street-wise king of the road is the wondrously musical sonofwebcore, who, whether going left or right, will undoubtedly wave the lines of lively song traffic in a healthy direction. Please put your song nominations in comments below and optionally in the Spotify playlist by last orders (11pm GMT) on Monday 1 December in time for his final choices published on Thursday 4 December.This week’s street-wise king of the road is the wondrously musical sonofwebcore, who, whether going left or right, will undoubtedly wave the lines of lively song traffic in a healthy direction. Please put your song nominations in comments below and optionally in the Spotify playlist by last orders (11pm GMT) on Monday 1 December in time for his final choices published on Thursday 4 December.
To increase the likelihood of your nomination being considered, please:To increase the likelihood of your nomination being considered, please:
• Tell us why it’s a worthy contender.• Quote lyrics if helpful, but for copyright reasons no more than a third of a song’s words.• Provide a link to the song. We prefer Muzu or YouTube, but Spotify, SoundCloud or Grooveshark are fine.• Listen to others people’s suggestions and add yours to a collaborative Spotify playlist.• If you have a good theme for Readers recommend, or if you’d like to volunteer to compile a playlist, please emailpeter.kimpton@theguardian.com• There’s a wealth of data on RR, including the songs that are “zedded”, at the Marconium. It also tells you the meaning of “zedded”, “donds” and other strange words used by RR regulars.• Many RR regulars also congregate at the ‘Spill blog.• Tell us why it’s a worthy contender.• Quote lyrics if helpful, but for copyright reasons no more than a third of a song’s words.• Provide a link to the song. We prefer Muzu or YouTube, but Spotify, SoundCloud or Grooveshark are fine.• Listen to others people’s suggestions and add yours to a collaborative Spotify playlist.• If you have a good theme for Readers recommend, or if you’d like to volunteer to compile a playlist, please emailpeter.kimpton@theguardian.com• There’s a wealth of data on RR, including the songs that are “zedded”, at the Marconium. It also tells you the meaning of “zedded”, “donds” and other strange words used by RR regulars.• Many RR regulars also congregate at the ‘Spill blog.