En Gallop

I am quitting therapy and listening to Joanna Newsom for one hour every week. It's more efficient, earnest, and it's free.

never get so attatched to a poem you forget truth that lacks lyricism

Brave words from a lyrical genius.

Ah, I do agree with you!

How many millions of times through history has the artist, writer, musician, and nearly every other person, tried to express the difference between what they really have, and what they long for? We are addicted to dreams and fantasy stories. When you find some of the really important answers, life can be amazing; but the things we lose and the things we can't reach can also be painful, and that's just how it is.

I think this song acknowledges the depth of desire we all have, but also makes a deliberate choice to recognise that we must keep walking upon reality... just because we must, we have no choice, and to deny it is worse than to experience it. In many ways we can't be like children anymore, looking only at our immediate feelings and living to satisfy them. We have to make tough choices, and sometimes remember the truth that lacks lyricism.

This is worth the cost it takes: in the same way that diamonds are valuable because they are rare and can't be fabricated on demand, the truly incredible parts of life are so much more so because they are waited for, and because they are so distinct from everything around them. Truth is also necessary and safe... you can't put on a virtual reality set and try to cross a road; in the same way, you can't exist in absolute reality living by unsubstantiated feelings and imagination. Truth costs, but truth is also absolute beauty and freedom. I think our generation is too obsessed with instant pleasure to hold onto the absolutes it desperately needs: we are aching for things that are both real and valuable, and often making choices we regret on unrestrained impulse.

A bit off-topic, but anyway. Basically, I do agree with you that this song plays with feelings of the conflict between what we should have, what we do have, and what we want in the deeper parts of our hearts. It's exploring the tension of that, and also the hole left by desire.

I am really curious about this German tradition of Idealism of which you speak...

This is quite possibly the most beautiful song ever created.

best lyrics. omg. i wish i was joanna newsom.

"And the halls were lined with the disembodied and dustly wings, which fell from flesh gasplessly"...

Being an HSC student with a kazillion assessments to do makes me sometimes feel like my wings fell off and left me to drag my feet through the halls... I think that's where my grade is right now, so this is very apt. The Panopticon is probably a good description too... ;-)

But against our whims we stay, and it's worth it. Sometimes the lyricism of life goes to greater heights only if you work for it.

I am quitting therapy and listening to Joanna Newsom for one hour every week. It's more efficient, earnest, and it's free.

Just saw your second comment, on the existential question... yeah, I also agree with you on this. I love your thoughts! They illuminate a lot and make me think.

It's true, often it is hard to understand the world in which we have found ourselves. We long to be able to express it all, understand it and tie it up neatly in a string... but the fact is that we can't. It fascinates me how different people respond to this 'not knowing'... I think it defines how we live in many ways. Some try to rationalise it, explain everything as best they can. Some ignore it and try to go on with life, not thinking too deeply and being intimidate by philosophy. Some decide that there is no meaning, that life is random (or some even say there IS nothing...) - but I would say that so much of who we are conflicts with this , and it can't satisfy anyone because we are so innately set on life and its meaning. Some say that it doesn't matter, that they can create their own meaning, just live in what they immediately know (I think western individualism and postmodernist thinking stems from this a lot). And some people find meaning in something bigger than themselves.

I think that for me, I have become content to trust. I may not understand it all... I can't explain so many parts of my life, and I am certainly not in control. But there is peace in knowing that someone who is powerful and who loves me does know, and I can keep on walking securely in that. That's a personal thing, but yeah, I believe that it is true and it changes everything.

I have totally extended this song too far though... sorry. The most important thing is the song as it stands. I think I will go listen to it again, it's beautiful :-)

I know it's disgraceful of me to post thrice in a row, but I had a thought...

Have you noticed all the economic references in the song? I don't know enough about the theory of all this to know if it means anything, but I thought it was of interest and could afftect the meaning of this song in some way. Phrases like these, for instance:

"I walk from a higher education / (for now, for hire)",

"And you laws of property / you free economy / you unending afterthoughts",

and others like that got me thinking. And if you found significance in that, alongside the previous interpretations or in place of them, you might then be interested in things like these:

The mention of "Palaces and stormclouds"--especially in its reference to established wealth and power; and even its fragility and danger in a social context,

"the way it will all come together / (in quietness, in time)"--you could take a Marxist conclusion from this about the inevitability of the economic cycle,

the comment "never draw so close to the heat / that you forget that you must eat"--making reference to our need for things like food, and also the processes of production and economy that go with this, as well as the idea of a political or philosphical illusion that makes one 'forget' and act foolishly,

and "the rought, straggly sage, and the smoke"--at a stretch, this could be a particular historical figure or philosopher to whose thoughts she refers; or just the general idea of heeding ancient wisdom

--so these phrases are all kind of fascinating too. Also, even the beginning could be seen as a social comment regarding freedom and government. I really don't know if that's relevant, but if you're educated enough for that to give you some ideas and piece it all together, I think you should post and teach us your thoughts :-)

i thought joanna sang 'unmending' instead of 'unending' in the line "and you unending afterthoughts". joanna's truly a great lyricist, but 'unmending afterthoughts' is now my favorite expression. fits really well. sadly these two misheard words are quite parallell, aren't they? just for the record.