the neked people

No one is really sure why "The Naked People" statue came to the Music Row roundabout a few years ago. I'm sure our reaction was similar to the one I'm about to describe below when it was first unveiled, but the locals have come to just accept / ignore it's existence and get on with life.

Apparently Nashville's "powers that be" decided we needed something to mark the foot of Music Row, an area just outside of downtown that is home to many of the Nashville based country, gospel, and Christian music companies. And what better way to honor Nashville's historic music tradition than confusing residents with a circular intersection and a 40 foot tall statue of naked dancers? According to the artist, the sculpture "Musica" uses dancers to convey the "physical expression of music" bursting forth in "celebration and exuberance". Whatever. Remember, this is Nashville, the home of country music... Johnny Cash would just roll his eyes. A statue of a broken down pickup truck, a sad coon dog, and beat up guitar would have captured the spirit of the city better.

But anyways, yesterday as I'm leaving work and about to enter Nashville's most perplexing intersection, I see this little old car creeping along on the roundabout. He's going terribly slow. I wait for him to pass me, glance at the license plate and see he's from out of state. Georgia. I figure he's as baffled as I am as to where to exit the never-ending circle road.

Then I look closer. The driver is an older guy - gray hair, glasses, and there's this shocked expression on his face and his eyes are glued to the drivers side window. Peering up, he's taking in for the first time, with dropped jaw, the naked people. I can hear in my mind exactly what he's thinking... "what in the world is that???" He continues to drive around the roundabout, making a full revolution - not just once, but twice, with mouth open staring up in utter amazement.

Welcome to Nashville my friend. The Country Music Hall of Fame is ahead on your right.