Lessons From 'The Logical Song'

“Won’t you please, please tell me what we’ve learned
I know it sounds absurd - Please tell me who I am?”

From “The Logical Song,” a song written and performed by British musician Roger Hodgson’s for the band Supertramp’s eight studio album, “Breakfast in America” (A&M, 1979).

The question of identity at the heart of the “The Logical Song” is never really answered and it leaves the listener with the impression that there is no answer. However, taking a deeper look at the lyrics and the author, Roger Hodgson himself, one can find that in his lack of an answer he actually infers a solution, that is; one should not look to others but to themselves to find out who they really are. As cliché as this might sound, it is a message worth repeating. Hodgson’s lyrical composition reminds us not to stray too far from the magical world of childhood if we want know who we are and if we want to be happy. The logical song is the child’s tug on the hurried parent’s hand steering them toward the flower stand at the grocery store exit. Like the child, the song reminds us that we must take the time to stop and smell the roses.

A ‘logical’ education, according to the lyrics, means that everything can be explained ‘logically’. That includes childhood questions in which the answers may have had some ‘magical’ or ‘mysterious’ quality to them. The problem arises, as Hodgson indicates in his song, when ‘logic’ shatters these childhood illusions because individual identity suffers as well. The song shows the effects of this as the main character sings about sleepless nights while he grapples with who he should now become. This uncertainty, can lead to an unfulfilling life of cynicism and worse yet, people may end up just going through the motions of living as an uncreative ‘vegetable’. Hodgson’s composition reminds the listener that reconnecting with one’s ‘inner child’ will help them to remember who they were and ground their identity so they can get on with discovering what really matters in life. Reconnecting, can make one’s life more enjoyable, happy and balanced. Stop and smell the roses he urges, but more importantly stop looking for ‘logical’ answers in everything and appreciate the magic for what it is. We don’t need, nor should we want to know all the magician’s tricks.

Hodgson’s own life can be seen a model for his implied message in The Logical Song. Being a member of an award winning musical group at its peak, he chose to leave fame and fortune behind to raise a family. Now, at 67, he has returned to the stage and he happily and joyfully performs for new audiences. In a recent interview, Hodgson was asked about why he made these choices. He smiled and replied, “I really try and follow my heart in life.”