Mike Ragogna, HP: Can you go into how you created “The Logical Song”?
Roger Hodgson: “The Logical Song” was a very personal lyric for me. I had actually finished the words and the arrangement six months before I proposed it to the band for the album–I didn’t think anyone would like it. Interestingly enough, this song won the prestigious Ivor Novello award and has the distinction of being one of the most quoted lyrics in schools.
(Interview continued below video.)
This song was born from the questions that haunted me about what is the deeper meaning of life. Throughout childhood, we are told and taught so many things, and yet we are rarely told anything about the purpose of life. We are taught how to function outwardly, but are rarely guided to explore and find out who we are inwardly. From the innocence and wonder of childhood to the confusion of adolescence that often ends in the cynicism and disillusionment of adulthood, so many end their lives having no idea of who they truly are and what they came here to learn. In “The Logical Song,” I ask the fundamental question that is so present in the psyche of today’s modern world but rarely spoken out loud–who are we and what is our true purpose of being here? And that is why I believe it continues to strike a chord in people around the world. I’m continually told how the lyric is often used and discussed in schools, which tells you something.
