| Daft Punk – Beyond Lyrics | 12 years ago |
|
As the other commentators have stated this IS a beautiful song. It's also directly referring to one of my favourite cycles, by my favourite author, H.P. Lovecraft. This cycle is the "Dream Cycle", specifically, consisting of "The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath", "The Silver Key", and "Through the Gates of the Silver Key". First note that "Through" and "beyond" are synonyms...but the lyrics are a much stronger indicator. Please note that I will show the verses as the artists wrote them in the cover of the album (they are in the insert, front side of the second-to-last page). Let's examine the first verse: "Dream Beyond dream Beyond life" This first part is a clear giveaway. In the story, the entire plot is that the main character, tired of his life, falls into a dream state, and, with the help of the artifact, the Silver Key, goes on an epic dream-journey. He dreams beyond normal dreams, and beyond his mortal life. "You will find Your Song Before sounds To be found" H.P. Lovecraft referred to sounds as important many times, at some points, they were the entire plot point! (The Music of Erich Zann, for example) As for a song "before sounds to be found", this refers, of course, to Azathoth's eternal musicians, who play drums and flutes in order to keep him asleep. Azathoth created the universe, and resides at the centre, badly damaged by some means, left blind and incapable of rational thought. The realm about him is "Azathoth's court", which is said to produce instantaneous insanity. Azathoth, the primordial being, of course, existed before sounds were to be found, and so, his song is primordial as well. "Close your eyes And Rise Higher still Endless thrill To the land Of Love Beyond love Come alive Angel Eye Forever watching you and I" This verse has many obvious references. Firstly, "Close your eyes and rise" Refers to transcending reality...through dreaming! Secondly, "Higher still endless thrill" refers, of course, to the thrill the main character obtains in these exotic Dreamlands, they thrill him far more than his mortal life, which is why he wishes to obtain them once more. "To the land of love beyond love" Those familiar with H.P. Lovecraft say my argument may fall apart here; H.P. was famously depressive and rather against the idea of having love in his works...except within his oddly-cheery Dream Cycle. Not only is this a cycle that focuses on happiness and contentment, but the line "land of love" refers, of course, to the lands that the main character loves, the Dreamlands. "Beyond love", of course, refers not only to the fact that it is transcending the mortal realm, but that he is also beyond mortal love, he wishes only for the Dreamlands. "Forever watching you and I" refers to Yog-Sothoth, the Entity who permeates everything, watching everything simultaneously, containing all knowledge, fully infinite and immortal. He would also be the "Angel Eye", as he is one of the few benevolent deities, helping travelers navigate the dreamscape. "You are the night you are the ocean You are the light behind the cloud You are the end and the beginning A world where time is not allowed" This verse makes my life easy, as it's a very, very direct reference to three things within H.P. Lovecraft's lore, and in the story I have been referring to. The first two lines are simple enough, they describe Yog-Sothoth, the being that permeates everything. Said to exist everywhere simultaneously, he is Azathoth's firstborn son. The third line ,again, refers to Azathoth directly. Not only did he create the universe, but, if he ever awakens, he will immediately end the universe as well. Thus, he is the end and the beginning. The last one is the most obvious, however, referring to the manner in which time is skewed or completely nonexistent when journeying to the Dreamlands. In fact, at one point, the main character goes twenty years into the past through his dream journey! "There's no such thing as competition To find a way we lose control Remember love's our only mission This is the journey of the soul" This verse at first appears vague, but in reality, it is fully clear. Firstly, the character's journey is at first solitary, it's not a race, it's simply an experience, there's no competition, and no stress. Secondly, those he does meet generally help him on his journey, and he helps them...a very co-operative tale. Next, we look at “To find a way we lose control”, which is very clear...after all ,the character eventually loses all but a disembodied fragment of himself as he journeys, and when he returns, he has no body! In order to find a way back, he has to lose control of that, and actually merges with another figure (a man who helped him get to the Dreamlands). “Remember love's our only mission” This, of course, refers to the fact that he is there due to his love of the Dreamlands, no other force is pulling him there. “This is a journey of the soul” Completely clear, he only may travel with his soul whilst navigating the Dreamlands, the body is left behind. “The perfect song is framed with silence It speaks of places never seen Your home's your promise long forgotten It is the birthplace of your dreams” Once again we go into the aspect of songs and sounds, we won't repeat ourselves here. As for “places never seen”, this of course, refers to the higher dimensions the character travels through. The last two lines are the clearest. The main character once journeyed into the Dreamlands every night, but, as time went on, he forgot how to do so, he “lost the key”. Wanting to return to his promised home, the birthplace of his dreams as a child, he undertakes an incredible adventure, the Dream Cycle. I hope that clears up the meaning for you all. Do note that I addressed each and every line in the song, I did not pick and choose to try to fit some wild theory. Thanks for reading! |
|
* This information can be up to 15 minutes delayed.