Several days ago, following her sensational capture to no less than 5 Grammy awards, probably the most any singer has ever accomplished at one presentation, this blog had an article dealing with Amy Winehouse, one of the most talented music artists of all time. But with all this in mind, and in light of the 24 year old artist’s strange and kinky personality, many people are trying to find out just what makes Amy tick.
A psycholinguistic analysis of Amy’s words reveals a deep seated fear of planning for the future. Not a fear of the future itself, just planning for it. This fear is so wide and deep that it manifests itself in major decisions as well as trifle ones. She refuses to be involved in any marketing decisions concerning her new CDs because these decisions address forthcoming events. According to Amy: “I just wrote the songs, and I sing them. That’s pretty much it for me. I guess the rest of it’s all record company stuff, right?†Note the words “just,†“it,†and “all†in the phrases “just wrote the song,†“that’s pretty much it for me,†and “the rest of its all record company staff.†She detaches herself from anything that involves planning for future events.
When interviewed not long ago, she was asked what she would do if she was working in a position like a secretary (something she did try once with disastrous results) and he boss asked her to order some new stationary:
“Well, I was the sort of secretary where it’d be, ‘Amy, make me a cup of tea’, ‘No, fuck off’. You should call Rymans (a UK specialist supplier of Stationery and Office Products). for their catalogue Hang on, are you taking the piss out of me? You fucker! Really? Call Rymans. Or.. Are you being serious? Just go to another secretary and get her to order it. You were taking the piss, weren’t you?â€
Amy’s reaction to being asked to perform such a mundane task as this is just part of her complicated makeup that also includes a strong fear of any kind of planning for the future, which includes even something like ordering something.
The future, or planning for the future, seems to be scare Amy so much that she is said to do the exact opposite, rather than even think about making any future plans. This might explain her escapism into both drugs and alcohol, both of which are often used by people wishing to escape reality.
Amy’s pre-occupation with past includes her personal fashion including 1960’s style “beehive” hairdos, as well as a liking for music and singers from that period, including groups like the Supremes and the Shangri-Las. Amy’s Jewish background has resulted in her considering an album of “cool Jewish Hanukah songs” as she said recently that there weren’t “any cool Hanukah available for Jewish kids”. Maybe this idea is going against the grain of her disdain to make future plans.
Liking things from the 1960’s isn’t anything to be ashamed of, as that period is one that many people, especially that of a large group known as “baby boomers”, still have fond memories for. For one thing, the music from that period still excites and turns people on. Maybe with this in mind, Amy has a good point in preferring that period, compared to what is going on in our ‘Brave New World’.
March 3, 2008 at 7:45 am
I only hope someone manages to save Amy (from herself) before it’s too late. She is one of most talented artists of recent times;and if not “turned around” sho might very well go the route of other music greats like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and Jimmi Hendryx.
We’ve got to start a “Save Amy Winehouse” campaign now!