Overview
Despite all the synchronicities
uncovered in the last several years, "Dark Side of the Rainbow" is, in
my opinion, still the reigning queen. This opinion is shared by many others
of my sub-culture as well. Almost all the song transitions match up with
scene transitions, and most of the lyrics of Dark Side of the Moon
can be seen to resonate with simultaneous things happening in
The Wizard
of Oz movie as well in one way or another. Although you have similar
bursts of synchronistic energy in other synchs, none appear this sustained
or consistent; "Dark Side of the Rainbow" seems unique in this way.
Because of my rather
esoteric interpretation of "Dark Side of the Rainbow" which includes, among
other things, a different cueing point for the Oz half of the synchronicity
and omission of the popular looping method for viewing (see below), I've
decided to publish my own list
of internal "Dark Side of the Rainbow" matches, arranged according
to Dark Side of the Moon songs and with introductory, italicized
lyrics (synched lyrics being underlined). While Shawn Hare has perhaps
the
definite list of such matches, a collective effort, I think my own
list is a good complement, giving the viewpoint of a single enthusiastic
and studious fan.
What's
this unique set up then?
My
set up for "Dark Side of the Rainbow," which I would strongly suggest be
set as some kind of standard for the Kansas part of the synchronicity at
least, has three basic ingredients:
1)
Use the popular 3rd lion roar of MGM logo Leo the Lion introducing
The
Wizard of Oz to start your synchronicity. You can usually set
it up fairly well by pausing your Dark Side of the Moon CD at track
1, starting The Wizard of Oz video, and unpausing
Dark Side of
the Moon right at the end of the 3rd lion roar. To check this, make
sure that:
All these
transitions should match up exactly and precisely. However, the
starting point in The Wizard of Oz that gives these line-ups may
vary according to the pause release speed of individual CD players. Also,
according to several sources (although I haven’t been able to check it
myself), some of the older Dark Side of the Moon CDs that have an
outlined prism instead of a solid one contain a couple extra seconds at
the beginning of track 1. As long as you have the three line-ups above,
however, your synchronicity should be right, at least through the Kansas
part of the movie (see below).
(2)
Omit the popular looping method that involves setting the Dark
Side of the Moon CD on repeat and letting it run an additional 1 ½
times through the rest of the movie.
In my opinion, "Dark Side of the Rainbow" properly ends with the Tinman’s
missing heart symbolically being filled by the ending heartbeat of Dark
Side of the Moon, at the end of the first run through that is. Any
match ups that come after this -- and they are sparser in the 2nd and 3rd
run throughs to be sure -- appear to be anticlimactic in comparison.
If you desire additional synchronicities beyond the 43 minutes of "Dark
Side of the Rainbow," try the others ( 1 2
) recommended on this site, all of which are excellent in their own ways.
(3)
If possible, try the The Wizard of Oz movie
version in pre 1989 videotapes, instead
of ones released in 1989 or afterwards. The latter group includes
the 50th Anniversary, the remastered 1996 THX versions, and TWoO DVD, all
apparently reflecting a faithful one to one correspondence with the original
1939 movie. In comparison, the pre 1989 VHS tapes contain several
tiny omissions in relationship to the 1939 film, including 1½ and
3 second cuts at the exact beginning and end of the Munchkinland scenes
respectively. Odd as it may sound, these cuts appear to make "Dark
Side of the Rainbow" run quite a bit more smoothly through the Oz part
of the synchronicity in my own opinion, almost as if they correct refractions
in DSotR that begin at Dorothy’s entrance into Oz/Munchkinland. This Kansas-Oz
transition in the movie corresponds exactly to the end of side 1 on the
original Dark Side of the Moon album, at the end of the song "The
Great Gig in the Sky."
If you have doubts
about your version, here is a chart to help you.
| Tape
Contains: |
You
have: |
Small
cuts? |
| Black & White
Kansas |
Pre 1989 recorded
version |
Yes |
| Sepia toned Kansas |
1989 recorded version
or newer |
No |
Here is also a link
to information concerning all video releases
of The Wizard of Oz , beginning in 1983.
My rather strict interpretation
of "Dark Side of the Rainbow" is a type of reaction against the more open
ended interpretation espoused in Mike Johnston's "Dark
Side of the Rainbow" page from his Synchronicity Arkive. While certainly
respecting the need for experimentation and variation, I also feel this
approach ultimately devalues the synchronicity over the long haul, especially
in comparison to those with more clear set ups such as "Jovian Echoes."
What
if I can't find this variation tape (or don't want to bother with it)?
The pre 1989 The
Wizard of Oz videotapes are actually getting quite hard to find, and
the "Dark Side of the Rainbow" craze of 1997 plays no small part in these
tapes' disappearance and/or premature wear. The good news is that
their counterparts, the 50th Anniversary/THX versions and newer, are essentially
the same as the pre 1989s through the Kansas half of the synchronicity,
and they also obviously do a fair job through the Oz half as well (otherwise
DSotR would have received a lot less fanfare!). But, in my opinion, it
spoils the fun quite a bit if you don't run the synchronicity with these
"refraction corrections" found at the beginning and end of the Munchkinland
scenes in the pre 1989s. My judgment about this has been echoed by
others who've looked at both versions of DSotR.
Luckily, there is a
way to approximate this effect when using the newer The Wizard of Oz
tapes to watch "Dark Side of the Rainbow." Simply mimic these cuts
yourself by pausing Dark Side of the Moon at the end of "Great Gig
in the Sky" for about 1½ seconds, and then again at the end
of "Us & Them" for about 3 seconds (the latter corresponds to the switch
between Munchkinland and the Scarecrow’s Cornfield). In theory, these pauses
would make the 50th/THX version and pre 1989 version run exactly the same
through "Dark Side of the Rainbow" as far as timing goes. However, you'll
probably have to experiment a little bit to get it just right. Theoretically
you could then just tape this version using a two VCR set up after getting
the timing down.
The best test to see
if you've got the 1st pause correct is if the first and last rounds
of the phrase round and round and round in
"Us & Them" hit exactly on the two turns of Dorothy’s ruby
slippers (see last part of Deeper
Stuff for more on these slippers). There are also numerous other, more
minor matches that work better in the songs "Money" and "Us & Them"
using this 1st pause. Until further notice, the best test for the 2nd pause
I have devised is Dorothy and the Scarecrow simultaneously pointing to
Oz
when the word moon is sung in the phrase
dark
side of the moon in "Brain Damage" (this is the first of two times
the album's title appears in its lyrics). Using this 2nd pause appears
to make the ending Tinman scenes quite a bit more entertaining ... for
example, amplifying the climactic conjunction of the Tinman’s hollow chest
being filled by Dark Side of the Moon's ending heartbeat, as well
as making him subsequently seem to whisper the final cryptic sentences
of the album to Dorothy ("There is no dark side of the moon really.
Matter of fact it's all dark.").
What
about these long lists of internal "Dark Side of Oz" matches I’ve seen
at various sites?
As mentioned above,
I've now created my own list of "Dark
Side of the Rainbow" matches, arranged by individual Dark Side of
the Moon songs. If you're really into the synchronicity, I'd
advise you to compare this list with Shawn Hare’s The
Definitive List, buffeted by numerous contributions from his "Dark
Side of the Rainbow" pals around the Internet.
What
related sources are there on the web?
There use to be quite
a few, but present offerings can basically be summarized in the couple
of links provided at the top of my Synch
Links page.
