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Turtles All The Way Down Lyrics
I have lived every day of my life
thinking only of what I should think
when I read back at everything
that I have written
on how I lived my life
And in the process of doing so
i have started the chance to feel alive.
Just to stay an observer of an impartial observer.
Here I go again. I'm chasing my tail around the sun.
Standing beneath a tortoise under an elephant under the world.
The gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace.
I can't believe I thought my thoughts meant anything.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we begin.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we begin.
Superman. Superman. Superman.
We are starving to death on full stomachs.
Running miles, new hearts on old legs.
If I had known all the howls were false alarms,
oh just imagine the ammo we'd save.
Here we go again.
I'll come to your party if it goes until 4 question marks at least.
3 or less and it's not worth my time at all.
On nights like those my absence trumps my company.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we begin.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we being.
Superman. Superman. Superman.
I truly believe I'll be remembered and that even this sentence will be studied.
Will you think I am wise because I'm aware of that?
Or am I just killing myself before they get me?
thinking only of what I should think
when I read back at everything
that I have written
on how I lived my life
i have started the chance to feel alive.
Just to stay an observer of an impartial observer.
Standing beneath a tortoise under an elephant under the world.
The gravity of the battle means nothing to those at peace.
I can't believe I thought my thoughts meant anything.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we begin.
Superman. Superman. Superman.
Running miles, new hearts on old legs.
If I had known all the howls were false alarms,
oh just imagine the ammo we'd save.
I'll come to your party if it goes until 4 question marks at least.
3 or less and it's not worth my time at all.
On nights like those my absence trumps my company.
When we think we've reached the end, we're only back where we being.
Superman. Superman. Superman.
Will you think I am wise because I'm aware of that?
Or am I just killing myself before they get me?
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"Standing beneath a tortoise under an elephant under the world." Reference to the Hindu's view that the world rested upon an elephant, and the elephant rested upon a tortoise.
When someone asked what the tortoise is resting upon, an old lady replied "You're very clever, young man, very clever, but it's turtles all the way down!"
"Superman. Superman. Superman." is a reference to Nietzche.
eternal recurrence is a reference to Nietzsche as well. saying in a universe that is finite in space and matter but infinite in time will have an finite number of outcomes that repeat themselves perpetually. he's saying his thoughts dont mean anything because they are not original, they cant be. "When we think we've reached the end, were only back where we begin"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all_the_way_down -the concept is a very popular one in the mythology of many cultures.
i think it's keith's struggle with the value of his own writing. and whether or not he's actually existing in the here and now, rather than spending all his time thinking about how things should be 'observed'.
and yeah, the nietzsche stuff: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%9Cbermensch#This-worldliness that's what i think inspired this.
although i feel it may be about writers in general, something he can relate to. rather than a direct experience. maybe. that's what i've tried to extract.
Can someone explain these two lines for me : "I'll come to your party if it goes until 4 question marks at least. 3 or less and it's not worth my time at all. "
I think it's about the pseudo-intellectuals we are plagued with in social situations. People who read and quote Nietzsche not because they like it but because they like that other people will think it's impressive. I think the final line is a reference to the newer hipster mentality of meta-awareness, where people know that they do this sort of stuff and think they're justified in it because they know. In the end they're still spending so much time wondering how they should live they've forgotten to live. That's my take on it anyway