Gotham Lullaby by Meredith Monk – A Story Without Words

In “Gotham Lullaby”, Meredith Monk’s voice is the main focus as her emotions are expressed wordlessly through the sounds of her voice. Monk emphasizes the needlessness of words and the sufficiency of the voice’s music alone. The language of the lyrics is incomprehensible, leading to the presumption that the story which is buried deep in this lullaby imbeds sentiments and affections that find no expression in languages known to humans and are therefore unutterable and indescribable in the form of spoken words in the human speech. The sung melody is soporific but it is not too simple or monotonous due to variations in sound volume and pitch range. The melodic contours and slow tempo have a soothing effect even though the soft, tender and protective components at times segue into an atmosphere of sorrow, yearning and menace before descending gently. “Gotham Lullaby” vocalizes an emotive story that is reminiscent of a melancholic love song a mother dedicates to her child. 

 

When listening to “Gotham Lullaby”, a vivid image unfolds in my mind, namely that of a mother rocking her baby to sleep while singing this lullaby. The mother sings about the highs and lows in life, about eventful and surprising turning points and that, despite everything, life goes on. The harmonious parts refer to the exciting adventures as well as achieved successes and the shouts and cries portray the unfortunate experiences or crises in life. The comforting humming brings the lullaby to an end with a lingering assurance that everything will be okay. 

 

The lullaby has a mystical touch because of the mysteriously unintelligible vocalizations that are sort of similar to the secret language of children or an unearthly language. It is exceptional and mesmerizing with how it merges childlike wonder and the presence of some occult forces. Monk’s singing also reminds me of other vocal techniques such as throat singing or overtone singing practiced by the Mongols. This art of singing mimics the sounds of nature, and listening to it gives the feeling of being taken back to ancient times, to an ancient form of art that awakens supernatural deities and transcends into their world. It facilitates the reconnection with nature on both a spiritual and physical level. These musical expressions demonstrate the changeability of the human vocal chords and show how many sounds can be created with nothing more but a human voice. It is a form of self-expression that is entirely raw and unprocessed. It is in its natural state. “Gotham Lullaby” is focused on the very natural sounds of the voice and its expressiveness, or rather its ability to transmit emotions and soulful tales.