Turtles All The Way Down

So brilliant!

"...they all changed the way I see, But love's the only thing that saved my life."

Amen! Can definitely relate to this terrific song writer.

A quote from Sturgill himself: "...I would urge anyone that gets hung up on the song being about drugs to give another listen ... to me "Turtles" is about giving your heart to love and treating everyone with compassion and respect no matter what you do or don't believe. The cosmic turtle is from a much quoted story found in publications throughout modern physics and philosophy, even ancient theology, that now essentially serves as a comedic picture or expression of a much grander idea." Taken from an interview he did with NPR (https://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2014/04/17/304075384/god-drugs-and-lizard-aliens-yep-its-country-music)

The word "Turtle" refers to the "World Turtle" seen in various mythologies found in China, India, and indigenous North American cultures. The World Turtle is thought to carry the world on its back. The phrase "Turtles All the Way Down" is a sort of challenge or slight to the idea that this could be possible. It's basically saying, "if the world is on the back of a giant turtle, then that turtle must on the back of another giant turtle", and so forth, infinitely. It directly challenges the idea of an "unmoved mover": "If God created existence, then who created God?"

  I've seen Jesus play with flames in a lake of fire that I was standing in
  Met the devil in Seattle and spent 9 months inside the lion's den
  Met Buddha yet another time and he showed me a glowing light within
  But I swear that God is there every time I glare in the eyes of my best friend
  Says my son it's all been done and someday your gonna wake up old and 
  gray  
  So go and try to have some fun showing warmth to everyone
  You meet and greet and cheat along the way

  There's a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this 
  plane
  Where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain
  Tell me how you make illegal something that we all make in our brain
  Some say you might go crazy but then again it might make you go sane 

Sturgill's 'meetings' with Jesus, the devil, and reptile aliens could largely be chalked up to drug use, as I'm sure he would admit. He sees "God" in the eyes of his best friend. His best friend is very likely referring to his wife. Seeing "God" in her eyes is him seeing love, or his reason for existence. One could easily interpret that Sturgill sees God to be love, and beyond that, no one really has a clue why we're all here. He also mentions his distaste with the illegality of certain drugs, specifically DMT, which is produced naturally in the brain, specifically when you sleep.

  Every time I take a look inside inside that old and fabled book
  I'm blinded and reminded of the pain caused by some old man in the sky
  Marijuana, LSD, Psilocybin, and DMT 
  They all changed the way I see 
  But love's the only thing that ever saved my life

Here Sturgill's "fabled book" is the bible, and the "old man in the sky" is God. Although he is likely referring to the Christian God here, the overarching message of the song leads us to believe that his criticism is not of any specific religion. The "pain" being caused could be referring to the punishments of God in Leviticus, other pieces of the text he found 'harsh', or just the existence of modern day "evil" that God "allows" to exist. He also does not seem to regret his drug use, instead he mentions that they gave him a different perspective on things; but ultimately love is what 'saved' him.

Sturgill has also mentioned that he is not an atheist and even has Jesus' name tattooed on his body; however, the lyrics of this song show that he strays from the traditional christian belief system, especially regarding evangelism. This lyric directly contradicts the idea that Sturgill holds any sort of traditional Christian belief:

  So don't waste your mind on nursery rhymes
  Or fairy tales of blood and wine
  It's turtles all the way down the line

The song is trying to tell you that Love comes first.

“Turtles All the Way Down” By Jason Barnes...

This song is about the one and only thing that will save You from Yourself once “self” gets caught inside the “Lions Den...”

Should you ever have the pleasure of finding yourself inside that Den... and on that journey... Then believe you/me... there is but ONE way out.

“The Only Thing that will ever save your Life... “ is LOVE.

“Marijuana, LSD,Psilocybin & DMT... “ open doors in the minds (3rd) Eye. The “Spirit” becomes Ti-Died after these experiences... They “change the way you see...” And allow you to become “open to the possibility” of a Higher Power-or the idea that there may be something else out there... something greater than “self” -

If you’re willing to “Just Let Go” or “woke up today and decided to Kill your Ego” then love is on the other side... Ready, willing and able to Save your Life.

“It’s so hard looking through... all the lies made of wool... but if you close your eyes it becomes so easy to see...”

And that’s when the Miracle Happens...

You’ll know it when LOVE starts flooding every pore and every cell of your being. The more you lean into it... and away from “Self” the bigger the Buzz.... and the more u know it to be Your “Truth.” It IS Something Greater. It’s just.... “WHEW.”

And when it’s coming on... there is No Denying that It’s here to save your life. “Man it feels so good... “just can’t help but cryin” all you have to Let Go... so a soul... May Fall!”

It’s not some old hang in the Sky my friends... it’s inside you...you are part of everything... and it’s Turtles all the way down the line...”

Finding something greater than self brings on a newfound freedom to someone locked inside the “Den”

What goes up must come down and vice vs. Sometimes there’s so much love coming through that you don’t think you can take it.

Then “Self-Pity and interest in Selfish things begin to slip away. You will gain interest in your fellows and you will know the word ”Peace”

it’s in that moment that you’ll “Swear that God is there... in the Eyes of your Best Friend...”

The Lions Den looses its Power on “Self” Once “Self” is no longer at the Center.

It’s Self-LESS silly!

The moment you completely give yourself to this concept... “Reptiles Aliens made of Light will cut you open, pull out all your Pain”

And When the Student is Ready ... Buddi will Appear .... Ready, willing and able to “show you a glowing light within” -

Call it GOD, Call it The LORD, Call it BUDDI, or Call it LOVE....

JUST CALL IT!

There is NO more rewarding journey than this one... and those of us that get to take the ride ... paid for it with our lives....

Though it may entertain the atheidiotic mind, haha, jkn, ........ ljfwy......

   There's reasoning,  explanation  in knowing that Heavenly Father allowed us to feel pain, because there ain't no such thing as pleasure without pain, like before (before birth existence), we had no concept of mortal pain and living a life in adversity in attaining clarity, the pleasure from that pain would be immensely felt,  intense euphoria brought on after being released from this mortal life.  Absent from grief and sorrow, but still continuing to learn.  Theres a whole Universe and we will have unimaginable time in getting to learn all of it.  

  Heavenly Father was as Jesus was, being a begotten Son as well, but we'll come to learn all that.  Creation of life within the cosmos could still mean creation of all, creating life on celestial bodies and having the ability to manipulate debri from universal matter.  Which having that all be detailed in the testimonials on scrolls, l can't see it being important now, that knowing how Heavenly Father came to be in detail wouldn't have anything to do with our salvation as mortals at this time and being told or not, knowing  or not knowing, wouldn't be relevant for our purpose on earth, anyway.  Its like first things first, like all things.

Excellent lyrics, found this on Rolling Stones top 200 country songs. However Rolling Stones list was pretty sad, a lot of the songs on it either aren't country or are crappy songs they put on just because they're old, also they put blues songs on their country list and they favored songs that had woke lyrics. But I found this song and it is a gem edited: After reading more on the RS list, it gets worse. they are saying that it's the best country songs of all time but also say over and over again they give favorability to songs that include minority races and women. So it's not the best songs...it's the best songs according to their weird scoring system

[Edit: more to add]

This is what happens when you give a hillbilly LSD.