We Must Believe In Magic

This song has always held a special place in my heart, ever since I was a young boy carefully dropping the needle again and again and yet again on this song on my mother's record. There was also a strange and beautiful rendition of the song on The Muppet Show with some striking and ethereal Muppets accompanying her. I still remember it to this day: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlHTa0JpvbQ

As for meaning... right now my current life experiences will colour my interpretations but this is what I see:

The captain is mad and the misfit crew of poets instead of sailors is flying blind. We must be out of our minds to stay on this crazy ship of life bound for tomorrow when no one seems to have the skill or sense to direct it.

Still, even if we are all blind poets unable to direct our ship, we should believe in the magic of the providence of the universe and the guiding hand or whatever forces of synchronicity, destiny or deity we apprehend or subscribe to. Also we should not feel helpless and we should realize that all of us are shipmates and we are all just as blind and struggling.

I feel it is not about giving up control to the "guiding hand" or destiny or deity. Instead I would say trusting that the magic of whatever we believe in, be it our friends, our gods, our goals or our selves, will be enough to let this blind poet, dreamer and clown be the mad captain of their own ship, guiding their life boldly into the future with whatever skills and powers they have, even if it is only dreams, poetry and laughter. That belief and conviction will give them access to the universe of their own possibilities at their command.

In the end there is no better choice than to boldly believe and go forward, because this life is a ship on the steady winds of time bound for our tomorrow and our tomorrows and our light years of tomorrows...

...and nothing can turn it around.

• Tony the Tiger