| Radiohead – Reckoner Lyrics | 15 years ago |
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Official lyrics taken from the lyrics booklet: Reckoner Reckoner You can�t take it with yer Dancing for your pleasure You are not to blame for Bittersweet distractor Dare not speak it�s name Dedicated to all human beings Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore in rainbows Because we separate like ripples on a blank shoree Reckoner Take me with yer Dedicated to all human beings I don't know the exact meaning of this song, but I can tell you that it bears many allusions to Buddhism. Dedicated to all human beings, is the traditional way of ending a meditation, teaching, or other Dharmic practice in the Mahayana tradition. Thom is making a reference here, to the fact that some kind of spiritual truth is being imparted for the sake of others. One of the many, many names the buddha is known by is the reckoner. Someone who has dealt with all the karma, habits, and things of the past. He has reckoned with himself, and can now see the outside world clearly. One of the qualities of a "Reckoner" is that he is able to overcome the division between self and other. This brings us to the lines, Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore in rainbows Because we separate like ripples on a blank shore When you listen to the song, Thom talks about seperation but it's overshadowed by the vocal of "In Rainbows" which is indistinguishable, because we are separating the sounds into units that we think make sense, but we aren't hearing the "In Rainbows" that is being extended past the point of conventional words and understanding. It points to a unity that is imperceptible to most people. If the Reckoner is the Buddha(I personally think Thom is speaking of the Dalai Lama(check this link: http://www.shambhalasun.com/sunspace/?p=13737) then the part where he talks about, "Dare not speak it's name" talks about the unspeakable ecstacy of enlightenment. This pleasure is not mentionable, because it is not experienced by others. The Reckoner must set it aside, as it's simply a product of altruism and complete dedication to others. That's my take on it at least. :) |
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