10. Olivia Newton-John, Xanadu
In the poem “Kubla Khan,” Xanadu is a fantastical place of immense pleasure and beauty. But Coleridge was interrupted writing the poem, forgetting most of it. If only he could remember, he laments. If only he could realize the visions of his imagination, then he’d get his due. If only, if only, if only, we chant, bemoaning all the dreary ugliness, the littleness and lack. But what if Xanadu is not a place, but a state of being? What if we mistake the mythic sacred river, the stately pleasure-dome, as something external—that they have been within us all along?
Olivia Newton-John with Electric Light Orchestra, "Xanadu," written by Jeff Lynne, 1980.
This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through May 31, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.
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I am a child of the 70s, and remember this song, but did not realize Jeff Lynne wrote it!
Thank you, Rainey. I missed all of this, but am so glad I found it NOW! What if I hadn't!? Blessings...