I don’t think we praise literature, plays, and movies final scenes enough. It’s responsible for bringing the audience into the full loop, or tying up loose ends, or exploiting those loose ends, or making us question the grand scheme of life, or just flat out confusing us – forcing us to think about it for years to come. That last sentiment has been the case for me regarding the end of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? In both the play and the later movie adaption, it ends with George mockingly singing with affection: “Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?”, to a heartbroken and distraught Martha, his wife, after killing their imaginary son. Martha replies with “I am, George… I am.” Thanks to Fran Lusty’s “Flight of Your Mind”, the intent and overall meaning of this ending no longer eludes me.
“Flight of Your Mind” is a Folk-Pop single that serves as a lyrical double entendre; it’s acknowledging the preference for fantastical illusions over reality and the logical end of a relationship. The song begins with acoustic guitar notes that quickly establishes itself as a melancholic love ballad, making any listener’s chest swell with heavyheartedness. Lusty’s voice then entices the listener with the opening verse: “Morning / Tired of morning / I want the moon to come out / And teach us how to play again”, alluding to the first half of the double entendre. Morning and night are metaphors for reality and fantasy. And reality is not the least bit pleasant; there’s so much going on, too much at times that we need to escape occasionally into a world created by our own design, our imagination. We can only ‘play’ there – we can live out our wildest fantasies, right egregious wrongs, and make the fictitious feel real. After a soulful delivery of the chorus, Lusty then provides the third and fourth verse that gives listeners the second half of the double entendre; “Morning / Don’t want to mourn this / Something has come to an end / And I can’t put my finger on it // Hold me / That’s what you told me / And I can hear your words / But I can’t find your body in this mess with me”. It’s the recognition that the relationship has ended, and quite frankly it might have ended a while ago. As listeners, we can hear an admission of refusal. They do not want to process the end of this relationship. And why would they process it when they can very easily recess into the depths of their own mind and pretend this relationship is still thriving? In Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Martha’s fantasy world is shattered by George at the end. Within the confines of her own mind, Martha had a doting husband and a son that was turning 16. But after George kills this imaginary son, it shatters Martha’s illusion and propels her into reality. The married couple cannot have children and George has an abundance of resentment for her. Martha now finds herself trapped in morning, no longer capable of escaping to night to be with the family she longs for. Which makes George’s singing crueler when the audience finally realizes he’s taunting Martha and her permanence in reality alongside him; in a marriage that failed a long time ago and was only being kept alive by her ability to fantasize.
U.K. native and indie-folk artist, Fran Lusty, writes lyrically rich music with layers of depth and meaning. Currently based in London, “Flight of Your Mind” is the latest single to be released from the artist. “Flight of Your Mind” was inspired by Virginia’s Woolf’s diaries and showcases Lusty’s storytelling. Lusty was captivated by Woolf’s ability to ‘take flight’ when exploring the unknown crevices of her mind while writing, and the author’s immediate disappointment upon returning from ‘flying’. Lusty wrote the song from the perspective of Woolf’s husband. If you’ve enjoyed the musical atmosphere provided by Fran Lusty as much as I have, show the artist some virtual love in the form of streams, likes, and follows.
Written By Giavanna Gradaille
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