An Extra Music Post

I know no one reads, or at least comments, much on these music posts of mine. I am offering this one because it echoes in many ways my own place right now on my spiritual journey. I suppose Keenan, who wrote these lyrics, would either laugh at that statement, or wonder what it meant, but that's OK. I'm just glad he's around to say better what I have been trying to say. If semi-prog, very dark heavy metal isn't your thing, just skip the vid and read the lyrics, please.

I have written several times that I think Tool lead singer and lyricist Maynard James Keenan should be named poet laureate. Known for their off-putting videos and uncompromising sound - including dark lyrics soaked in rage - what is less known is the sublime beauty of some of their songs. I think Lateralus is without a doubt their best record to date (although 10,000 Eyes has its moments, too), and the title song is a wonderful celebration of the possibility inherent in real living. That is to say, living with eyes open to the possibilities of both pain and beauty that is true human living. Lyrics below the video:

Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
lets me see.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
drawn beyond the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.

Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition, missing opportunities and I must
Feed my will to feel my moment drawing way outside the lines.

Black then white are all I see in my infancy.
red and yellow then came to be, reaching out to me.
lets me see there is so much more
and beckons me to look through to these infinite possibilities.
As below, so above and beyond, I imagine
drawn outside the lines of reason.
Push the envelope. Watch it bend.

Over thinking, over analyzing separates the body from the mind.
Withering my intuition leaving all these opportunities behind.

Feed my will to feel this moment urging me to cross the line.
Reaching out to embrace the random.
Reaching out to embrace whatever may come.

I embrace my desire to
feel the rhythm, to feel connected
enough to step aside and weep like a widow
to feel inspired, to fathom the power,
to witness the beauty, to bathe in the fountain,
to swing on the spiral
of our divinity and still be a human.

With my feet upon the ground I lose myself
between the sounds and open wide to suck it in.
I feel it move across my skin.
I'm reaching up and reaching out.
I'm reaching for the random or what ever will bewilder me.
And following our will and wind we may just go where no one's been.
We'll ride the spiral to the end and may just go where no one's been.

Spiral out. Keep going...