It ain’t over till it’s over.
–Yogi Berra
I knew that Yogi Berra was the one who most famously uttered the short phrase above but I thought it was much earlier than 1973 when he was referring to the chances of the NY Mets, who he was managing, in winning the pennant that season. It’s such a simple obvious little phrase but it says so much about the power of continued resistance against defeat. It’s easy to throw in the towel or at least try to compromise with your opponent in the face of imminent defeat.
But when it comes to weighty matters, matters of life and death, that is not an always an option. Tired or seemingly beaten, the struggle must continue.
One must continue to speak those words–It ain’t over.
That brings us to this week’s Sunday Morning Music which is It Ain’t Over from Northern Ireland native Foy Vance. The song refers to the main character, Mathieu Delarue, from a series of books, the Roads to Freedom trilogy from Existentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre. The books takes place the German invasion and occupation of France in World War II and echoes in many ways Sartre’s own experiences during that time.
In the books, Delarue fights a brief, intense battle against the Nazis and in it discovers a feeling he has never known, a sort of freedom found in decisive action and brave commitment to one’s belief. Delarue is ultimately captured and sent to a POW camp where he comes to the conclusion that the evils of fascism and nationalism will never end– it ain’t over— until the ordinary people of the world can unite to overcome the class struggle that divide them.
As we all know all too well, that is not anywhere close to happening anytime soon. But so long as at least one person continues the fight, it ain’t over.
This is a beautiful version from Vance, recorded in the Scottish Highlands. I particularly love the character of the underlying sound from the foot powered drone. It adds great depth to the song as it builds.
Redtree Times 