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Self Portrait with Electric Brain Lyrics

From which everything comes
the minimum and the maximum
represent universe in the most
distinguishable way

concentrate, internal side,
which will make of a being
a substance and not
a phenomenon
concentrate

To go from the external
to internal
from the composed to
the simple
the simple

Perception, appetition
constitute,
action of the very souls
the action, perception

What can be conceived as the
most remote manifestation
of things to be
it is what contains last of
all reasons,
current existence, reality
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Cover art for Self Portrait with Electric Brain lyrics by Stereolab

This is my favorite song from Chemical Cords. It's a typical theme from the 'lab: the transition we take in our thought processes from what is imaginary and illusional to what is real and actual. Here in this song it is kind of blown up into cosmic, metaphysical terms: "represent the universe in the most distinguishable way". Like, she's saying instead of thinking conventionally, we should "concentrate" instead on ideas which are "the remote manifestations of things to be" and make them "current existence, reality".

I think the last stanza also has the sense that whenever we think we have things figured out, it turns out that our deepest fears and far-fetched hopes end up becoming true in the end.

My Interpretation
 
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