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Agemo View Drop Down
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Points: 264 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Who Am the Only One?
    Posted: March 17 2006 at 15:15

I am always puzzled by the title of the Van Der Graaf Generator album "H to He Who Am the Only One". The "H to He" part I understand, but the second part doesn't make any sense to me. Since I'm not a native english speaker, I don't know if "Who Am the Only One" is a regular expression. I probably would say "who is the only one".

When I googled I found the following quote: "God and mankind have concerned themselves for nothing, for nothing but themselves. Let me then likewise concern myself for myself, who am equally with God the nothing of all others, who am my all, who am the only one." It is from "All Things Are Nothing To Me" by Max Stirner.

Is there a relation with the VDGG album?
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ElwoodHerring View Drop Down
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Points: 232 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2006 at 15:36
Interesting question. Sorry I don't have an answer, but I'd also be interested to find out.

And you're right, "Who am" is essentially bad English (unless you want to say "Who am I?")

Edited by ElwoodHerring
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chamberry View Drop Down
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Points: 9008 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2006 at 15:41
I think the title has something to do with the elements of the periodic table. But I wouldn't know much of that since I don't know chemistry that much.


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Agemo View Drop Down
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Points: 264 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 17 2006 at 15:56
H to He means the fusion of Hydrogen (H) atoms to form Helium (He) atoms, which takes place in our sun. With this reaction energy comes free and this is one of the reasons there can be life on earth (this can be read on the album sleeve). But now the second part of the title...
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Points: 715 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 18 2006 at 17:40
They probably mean that that reaction is essentially "God".
My music!

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Points: 46301 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2006 at 00:53
I am thinking of God too.
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video vertigo View Drop Down
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Points: 1930 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2006 at 04:54
When I got the album I read the blending of atoms thing, and thought who is (am) the only one who can blend the atoms. Am instead of is because God am not God is (I think God calls himself I AM in the good book.)
"The rock and roll business is pretty absurd, but the world of serious music is much worse." - Zappa
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goose View Drop Down
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Points: 4097 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2006 at 19:00
Did you expect him to say "I is"?
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video vertigo View Drop Down
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Points: 1930 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: March 19 2006 at 19:32
absolutely not
"The rock and roll business is pretty absurd, but the world of serious music is much worse." - Zappa
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