Wolf's Haunting Melody: A Tale in Harmony
Wolves: Their Impact on Human Culture, Music, and Coexistence
Wolves - these fierce, wild relatives of man's best friend - have always held a captivating allure in our collective consciousness. They straddle the line between fear and fascination, stirring up a whirlwind of emotions that have left a lasting impression on human imagination and culture.
Leaning on the wild, untamed side of life, wolves are the dark specters that haunt our fairy tales and horror stories, yet they are also intimately connected to the warmth and companionship we find in our domesticated dogs. They bring forth complex feelings tied to our primal instincts and our longing for a connection with the natural world.
It's no wonder, then, that they make a prominent appearance in music. Four centuries ago, Roman naturalist wrote a tale of a flute player who chased off a pack of wolves with his music. But we who've observed those ethereal, harmonized howls echoing across a landscape know that such a story couldn't be further from truth. Wolves, far from detesting music, are drawn to it and even Romantic composers like Richard Wagner, who spent time in the Black Forest of Germany, drew inspiration from the eerie, calling wolves for his music.
Fear and prejudice run deep, etched in our language itself. Lopez notes that in modern music, a discordant note on the violin is still referred to as a "wolf" as are the turbulent sounds on the organ. Yet, the wild and mournful howls of wolves far from being discordant, give us a fleeting glimpse of non-human community and communication, a longing for connection, and an inkling of the deep sadness that resonates within these landscapes emptied of the wild wolves and the untamed systems that once thrived alongside them.
Popular culture often portrays wolves as villains, the embodiment of reckless, insatiable hunger. But there exists a surprising number of songs that endeavor to bridge the gap between the wolf and man, transporting listeners, however abstractly, into the realm of wolves. Below is a selection of tunes that touch upon the age-old wolf-human connection in one way or another.
Grateful Dead, Dire Wolf (1970)
The Grateful Dead exhibited a unique resonance with American ideals. Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter weaved their peculiar understanding of frontier America into a hazy tapestry of folk music. "Dire Wolf" stands out as our favorite entry in their mythical exploration of the Wild West, where the "600 pounds of sin" wolf looms large, confronted by an invitation to play cards and drink whiskey and the impassioned plea, "Don't Murder Me."
To Garcia and Hunter, the awesome power of the dire wolf was menacing, but the retaliation wasn't violence. Instead, it was an appeal for coexistence. A lesson we should keep in mind in all our dealings with wildlife, including wolves, as we strive to preserve the delicate harmony between wolves and humanity at Defenders of Wildlife.
Los Lobos, Will the Wolf Survive (1984)
This song, as Louie Pérez, drummer for Los Lobos, put it, was born from a National Geographic article about the dwindling habitats of wolves and the struggle for their survival. But it also serves as a metaphor for the trials of the band, Mexican-American cultural preservation, and a testament to the indomitable spirit of the Mexican gray wolf, an endangered subspecies.
"It was like our group, our story: What is this beast, this animal that the record companies can't figure out?" Pérez reminisced in 1989. "The other verses, and the overall thing, is about trying to sustain something that we all believed in and that we see slipping away," Pérez continued. "We [Mexican-Americans] saw the importance of preserving our culture, and of passing along the traditions of our fathers. So it's all of that wrapped up into one song."
I like to listen to this song as an embodiment of not just the resilience of Mexican-American culture and the innovative musical ensemble of Los Lobos, but also the Mexican gray wolf, an animal that came perilously close to extinction and bit by bit clings on in the southwest thanks to the tireless efforts of conservationists and open-minded ranchers.
Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Wolf Among Wolves (2003)
Bonnie "Prince" Billy, the pseudonym of singer-songwriter Will Oldham, has an uncanny ability to connect with the wolf's essence, channeling heartrending melodies that resonate with the feelings of isolation and longing that define the wolf experience. In "Wolf Among Wolves," he sings, "Why can't I be loved as what I am? A wolf among wolves, and not as a man Among men."
Coexisting with wolves requires a shift in perspective, understanding that we cannot expect wolves to behave like humans or domestic dogs. We instead must "think like a wolf," using the knowledge of wolf cognition, behavior, and social structures to craft coexistence strategies that cater to the needs and behaviors of wolves.
TV On the Radio, Wolf Like Me (2006)
"Wolf Like Me" conjures memories of a corona-filled, pulsating theater in 2006. The crammed room belted out the unforgettable hook, "Howling, forever, oh oh," with infectious enthusiasm. While the lyrics can be interpreted as a werewolf allegory, the music's haunting harmonies, combined with the compulsive urgency to sing along, capture the essence of the lupine connection, a perfect sonic memoirs of the nightly symphony of wolves.
In conclusion, songs throughout history have cast wolves as ancient symbols of wildness, embodying the deep, primordial urges that reside within all of us. By embracing the beauty and wisdom of these creatures, we can foster the necessary understanding and compassion needed to coexist with them harmoniously.
Author
Michael Saul
- Gray Wolves
- Mexican Gray Wolves
P.S. In our search for lupine melodies, we stumbled upon a rich ecosystem of animal-inspired music and the artists with a knack for connecting with the essence of their subjects. So we prepared a special playlist that showcases the best songs dedicated to wolves and other animals, inviting you to step into the "separate reality" of these magnificent creatures and discover the beauty that dwells within them.
