Freedoms just another word for nothing left to lose

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«Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.»

This quote from the song Me and Bobby McGee by Kris Kristofferson is just one of many approaches to understand the difficult-to-understand concept of «freedom». But is freedom really just that? Is freedom really just another word for having nothing more to lose? Isn’t that view just narrow-minded and inaccurate? Freedom is much more, isn’t it? Admittedly, the song mentioned above, which became the number one hit in the version sung by Janis Joplin, does not have the purpose of defining or explaining the term «freedom». Rather, it is about enjoying the happiness of the moment while hitchhiking not through the galaxy, but through the United States, the alleged land of freedom.

There are different approaches to reflect a modern understanding of freedom. Science, above all philosophy, has also been dealing with this topic for a long time and has not yet come to a final conclusion. This shows the complexity of this topic, which is why it may initially seem presumptuous to devote yourself to this broad field here in the form of this short article. Nevertheless, this should be done here and it should be shown why it is possible, at least without claiming to be exhaustive.

According to Isaiah Berlin there is a positive and a negative form of freedom. The positive liberty is to be understood as the kind of freedom that this enables an individual to freely for deciding something. In contrast, there is negative freedom, i.e. that type of freedom that is a state of non-influencing designated. The negative freedom is a prerequisite for the positive freedom, since only in a state of non-influencing the free turning towards something can be realized. The Austrian economist and social philosopher Friedrich August von Hayek sees freedom as a “condition in which a person is not subjected to the arbitrary compulsion by the will of another or another”. On the other hand, according to Niklas Luhmann, freedom can also be understood “as the unrecognizability of the cause of restrictions of freedom”, i.e. the individual’s sheer ignorance of what makes them unfree.

Furthermore, in the modern age there is the idea of ​​economic freedom, as well as concepts of freedom of opinion, speech, press, free will, action and religion, to name just a few. However, depending on the understanding, these freedoms can be classified in the sphere of negative as well as positive freedom. If these freedoms are not understood to be subject to any external restrictions, e.g. censorship in the case of freedom of the press, these freedoms can be understood as negative freedoms. However, if one of these freedoms is consciously exercised, for example through freedom of expression, this is positive freedom.

According to common understanding, economic freedom frees people from their not self-inflicted immaturity, since this is socially constructed. According to the premise that a person’s freedom is his natural state, all imperfections are the product of social construction. But how can this assertion be understood, how can it be derived? To this end, the development of humans must first be considered. Unlike other animals, humans have evolved from a more primitive state to a living being gifted with reason. If it is assumed that there are no restrictions on freedom by nature, except for those that are biologically or physically conditioned and are related to the metabolism, then man is naturally free. Man is free to live his life according to the premises he has set up himself, to determine his whereabouts, as well as his consumption necessary for the metabolism and the individuals with whom it associates. In this way, man himself achieves the freedom he strives for with regard to his biologically unavoidable restrictions. People want to be free.

In the course of its development, humanity decided to give up a small part of this inherent freedom in order to be able to cooperate better. Little by little, humans first founded family associations that wandered through the African savannah, and later tribes in which different families came together, which in turn united to form nations and finally established entire world empires. At each of these stages of development, humans gave more and more personal freedoms to the community. However, the extent of the restriction of freedom, i.e. the degree of lack of freedom, does not have to be identical at the same stage of development. It is ultimately up to the design of the respective social order to what extent the individual surrenders sovereignty rights to the collective.The degree of freedom can also vary between the individual individuals in a society, depending on the extent to which the individual individuals make use of their positive rights of freedom.

In general, personal freedom finds its limit where the freedom of another person begins. So there may be a freedom of action (freedom of action), however, an action that restricts the freedom of another by the fact that he is unable to exercise his or her right to freedom is prohibited. An example would be the reluctant detention of another person who is then no longer able to exercise their civil liberties. In addition, everyone has unrestricted rights of freedom. John Stuart Mill once wrote: “The principle is that the only reason humanity, individually or united, is empowered to interfere with the freedom of action of any of its members is in self-protection. The only purposeFor which one rightly uses coercion against the will of a member of a civilized community is the avoidance of harm to others. ”Freedom, however, is not a privilege that a society grants its members, but the rightevery person.

Nonetheless, freedom has always been an important issue in the course of human history. Jews have celebrated Passover annually for millennia, which commemorates the liberation from Egyptian slavery. The Stoa, an ancient Greek school of philosophy from the fifth to fourth centuries BC, also deals with the subject of freedom, which is understood here as «as one will». The same thing continues in Christian teaching. Both with Paul, «For you are called to freedom, brothers and sisters» (Gal 5, 13), as well as in one of the most important Reformation writings of Martin Luther, On the freedom of a Christian, freedom plays an important role. Here it is the first of a total of 30 theses in a prominent position. “A Christian is a free lord over all things and is not subject to anyone.” This development goes even further in Christian teaching. God’s love for people, the central aspect of this teaching, is expressed in the fact that God grants people complete freedom.

Freedom, Liberté, Freedom. Every language has a name for this concept, every culture creates works of art for it and some even erect entire monuments. The Statue of Liberty in New York, which depicts the Roman goddess Libertas, is just one example of many.

Laws also take up freedom as a topic. In addition to current works such as the German Basic Law or the UN Human Rights Charter, “All people are born free and equal in dignity and rights”, this is also done in earlier writings, such as the Declaration of Human and Civil Rights of 1789 with “People become free and born immediately in rights and will remain so ”, or the Magna Carta Libertatum of 1215.

Overall, the topic of freedom seems to be of great importance in the course of human history, but especially in modern times. Freedom seems to be more than having nothing to lose, no matter what understanding of freedom the inclined reader may subscribe to, whether it is about the mere freedom from oppression, the possibility of free self-development, or even a completely different philosophy. Almost all modern perspectives see freedom as the innate right of every person to be protected and preserved. In far too many places on earth, however, this is not taken into account. It is time to live what we have known for a long time, namely that everyone has the right to be free.

Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose (Д. Джоплин)

    Эта картина не является дебютом у Оливье Ассаяса, но она принесла  автору первый успех, попав в программу «Особый взгляд» Каннского кинофестиваля 1994 года.

    Этот фильм рассказывает историю двух молодых людей — Жиля и Кристин. После совместной кражи из музыкального магазина Кристин попадает в полицию, а после этого ее отправляют к отцу, который кладет ее в психиатрическую клинику. Жиля параллельно отстраняют от занятий в школе, что ставит под сомнение получение им аттестата, и отец собирается отправить его в школу-пансион. Через некоторое время Кристин сбегает из клиники и направляется в сторону заброшенного дома, где ее одноклассники устроили вечеринку. Там она снова встречает Жиля и они решают вместе бежать в коммуну художников, расположенную где-то во французской глубинке…

    Как известно Оливье Ассаяс начал свою кинокарьеру с должности критика, а позже главного редактора Cahiers du cinéma и это роднит его с отцами-основателями «французской новой волны» 1960х. И в одном из поздних интервью этому журналу режиссер сказал что этот фильм является в какой-то степени автобиографичным, и это роднит «Холодную воду» с полнометражным дебютом Франсуа Трюффо «400 ударов».

    И некоторые сцены в этом фильме очень похожи на сцены из дебюта Трюффо, например сцена отстранения Жиля от уроков. Также эти фильмы роднит проблемный персонаж Кристин, в которой можно обнаружить сходство с Антуаном Дуанелем.

    Но при просмотре и анализе этих двух картин начинаешь понимать, что их сходство является поверхностным.

    Во-первых Ассаяс более беспристрастен к своим персонажам, чем Трюффо. Если в «400 ударах» невооруженным взглядом видна симпатия автора к Дуанелю, то у Ассаяса нельзя увидеть не симпатии, не антипатии ни к одному из персонажей. И враждебность окружающего мира к главным героям у Ассаяса ставится под вопрос, например на протяжении всего фильма мы слышим нелицеприятные выражения Кристин про ее мать, но когда Жиль встречается с ней, зритель видит ее вполне адекватным человеком.

    Также мотив побега у Жиля отличаются от мотивов побега Антуана. В отличие от главного героя Трюффо Жиль происходит из состоятельной семьи и этот побег для него лишь способ юношеского протеста.

    И вообще режиссерский стиль Ассаяса больше похож на почерк Робера Брессона своей пессимистичностью. Это можно увидеть по тому какую роль играет вода в «400 ударах» и в этом фильме. Если у Трюффо вода является символом свободы, то у Ассаяса она символизирует жестокое разочарование для одного из героев.

    Также в создании атмосферы фильма сыграла роль музыка, и она точно синхронизирована с настроем каждого фрагмента, на протяжении которой она звучит. Но автор ее использует только во время сцены молодежной вечеринки и финальных титров. А во всех остальных сценах тон задают сероватые тона, шум города и бессмысленные поступки главных героев.

    Ассаяса с Брессоном в этом фильме роднит и подбор непрофессиональных актеров на главные роли. И я считаю это пошло фильму на пользу, потому что эта непрофессиональность актеров помогла создать реальных персонажей, отклики которых в себе найдут многие молодые. Но это больше относится к исполнителю роли Жиля, так как у Виржини Ледуайен, сыгравшей Кристин, все-таки был небольшой актерский опыт. Но эта роль дала толчок ее карьере, как для Доминик Санда после роли в фильме Брессона «Кроткая».

    Подводя итог хочется сказать, что получился хороший фильм про болезненный процесс вступления во взрослую жизнь, и он достоин просмотра, если вас не оттолкнет его пессимистичность.

8 из 10.

Busted flat in Baton Rouge
Waitin’ for a train
And I was feelin’ near’s faded as my jeans
Bobby thumbed a diesel down
Just before it rained
And rode us all the way in to New Orleans
I pulled my harpoon outta my dirty red bandana
I was playing soft while Bobby sang the blues- yeah
Windshield wipers slapping time
I was holding Bobby’s hand in mine
And we sang every song that driver knew

CHORUS:
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to loose
Nothing- well no nothing honey if ain’t free- yeah
And feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues
You know feeling good was good enough for me- hmm hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee
LA LA LA’s

From the Kentucky cole mines
To the California sun
Yeah Bobby shared the secrets of my soul
Through all kinds of weather
Through everything we done
Yeah Bobbby baby kept me from the cold
One day up near Salinas Lord I let him slip away
He’s a lookin’ for that home and I hope he finds it
Well I trade all of my tomorrows for one single yesterday
To be holdin’ Bobby’s body next to mine

CHORUS:
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose
Nothing- well that’s all that Bobby left me- yeah
Well feeling good was easy Lord when he sang the blues
Feeling good was good enough for me- hmm hmm
Good enough for me and my Bobby McGee
LA LA LA’s
& Naw Naw Naw’s

Hey Hey Hey Bobby McGee Yeah!

Busted квартиру в Батон-Руж
Waitin ‘ поезда
И я чувствую рядом исчезла , как мои джинсы
Бобби нажал дизель вниз
Как раз перед шел дождь
И поехал нас всю дорогу в Новый Орлеан
Я вытащил мой гарпун Outta My грязной красной бандана
Я играл мягкий в то время как Бобби пел блюз — да
Стеклоочистители пощечины время
Я держал за руку Бобби в шахте
И мы пели каждую песню , что водитель знал

Припев:
Свобода есть просто другое слово для нечего потерять
Ничего — хорошо нет ничего мед , если не бесплатно — да
И чувствует себя хорошо было легко Господь , когда он пел блюз
Вы знаете, чувствую себя хорошо был достаточно хорош для меня — хм хм
Этого вполне достаточно для меня и моей Бобби МакГи
La La La ‘S

Из Кентукки капусты шахт
К калифорнийским солнцем
Да Бобби поделился секретами своей души
Через любую погоду
Через все, что мы сделали
Да Bobbby ребенок держал меня от холода
Однажды возле Салинас Господа я позволил ему ускользнуть
Он смотрит, для этого дома, и я надеюсь, что он найдет ее
Ну я торгую все мои завтра для одной вчера
Чтобы быть Сохранил тело Бобби рядом со мной

Припев:
Свобода есть просто другое слово для нечего терять
Ничего — Ну вот и все , что Бобби оставил меня — да
Ну чувствую себя хорошо было легко Господь , когда он пел блюз
Хорошее настроение было достаточно хорошо для меня — хм хм
Этого вполне достаточно для меня и моей Бобби МакГи
La La La ‘S
И Нау Нау Нау ‘S

Эй Эй Бобби МакГи Да!

*
Me and Bobby McGee was Joplin’s only number one single on the charts, though she had ruled the hearts of a generation with her sound. The song became legendary, and its chorus line — “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” — a bit of a rallying cry.

On Independence Day, as a global pandemic robs us of our freedom to explore the great outdoors, it would be a good idea to explore the expanses of the mind and what words threaded together can do in times such as these. And one of the first phrases to fit the moment has quite the history.

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” — as Janis Joplin’s whisky-soaked and raw-powered vocal cords sang this, generation upon generation nodded their heads at the nuance; and at the genius of Joplin to mould it so beautifully into an emotion-laden classic,
Me and Bobby McGee , whose iconic chorus line this is. The song was not originally Janis Joplin’s, of course. In fact, her version was discovered a day after she passed away and gifted to the world by its original creator. But more on that later.

The year was 1965. Kris Kristofferson had left the Army that year and made his way to Nashville, Tennessee. Domestic problems led to a divorce, and he got a job sweeping floors at the legendary Columbia Studios, the home of country music at that time. There he handed in his audition tape, hoping that it would reach country music legend Johnny Cash. Cash did get the tape, but added it to the large pile that he already had.

Not getting a response from Cash, Kristofferson — who, meanwhile, had moved on to being a helicopter pilot — thought of a ploy that was rather, shall we say, innovative, to get Cash’s complete attention. He landed a helicopter on Cash’s front lawn. While that did not immediately land him a record deal, his helicopter flying for an oil platform inspired him to write a song called
Bobby McGee , about two drifters singing their experiences as they hitch a ride on a truck driving through the American South. There was also an intensely personal reason for the chorus line of the song. As he told
Esquire magazine: “I’d lost my family to my years of failing as a songwriter. All I had were bills, child support, and grief. And I was about to get fired for not letting 24 hours go between the throttle and the bottle. It looked like I’d trashed my act. But there was something liberating about it. By not having to live up to people’s expectations, I was somehow free.”

It sang of the pain of parting as the first-person narrator and Bobby McGee visit California and decide to part ways. Interestingly, the name of the narrator was never revealed, leaving it gender neutral and leaving the vocal interpretation open to gender.

In 1970, Kristofferson finally got his debut album. Kristofferson was its name, and in it was a song called
Bobby McGee . But it was not the first time the song had been sung. Doubting his singing skills and fancying himself a better songwriter than singer, Kristofferson’s lyrical legend was first sung by country singer Roger Miller in 1969. It soared to number 12 on the Country Music charts.

Kristofferson’s debut, meanwhile, did not really create ripples on the charts or on record store shelves. That was when the founder of Monument Records, the home of the album, suggested a name change. The new album name was to be
Me and Bobby McGee , and success followed.

October 1970 was to see the completion of Janis Joplin’s album
Pearl. Kristofferson had sung
Bobby McGee to her, and the multi-talented artist Bob Neuwirth had taught her the song. Kristofferson also believed that the essence of the two characters who animated the song was so close to Joplin’s own free-spirited personality that she would be a natural choice of voice for the words. Just a few days before her death, she recorded the song. Kristofferson did not know this.

The first time he heard the song was a day after her death on October 4, 1970, from a heroin overdose. It was released to the world, and the eager eardrums of the listening public were so enamoured that they led the song all the way up the charts. It was Joplin’s only number one single on the charts, though she had ruled the hearts of a generation with her sound.
Me and Bobby McGee had become legendary, and its chorus line — “freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose” — a bit of a rallying cry.

Kristofferson has described the meaning of the famed chorus line in his own way. This is what he said in an interview, “It definitely expressed the double-edged sword that freedom is. You may be free but it can be painful to be that free. But maybe at the very end, when you leave, you will be free when you’ve nothing else to lose, you know, when you’re gone.”

And though the creator of the most famous rendition of the lines may be gone, the emotion is certainly alive and well. Though the likes of the Grateful Dead, Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash have all put the words to music, it is Joplin’s lacerated, emotion-drenched effort that animates the loss of an idea.

Sarthak Kaushik is an RJ at Ishq 104.8 FM, Delhi

Twitter: @radiochaos