Mind Games Lyrics
Pushing the barriers, planting seeds
Playing the mind guerrilla
Chanting the mantra, peace on earth
We all been playing those mind games forever
Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil
Doing the mind guerrilla
Some call it magic, the search for the grail
Love is a flower, you got to let it, you got to let it grow
Faith in the future, outta the now
You just can't beat on those mind guerrillas
Absolute elsewhere in the stones of your mind
Yeah we're playing those mind games forever
Projecting our images in space and in time
Yes is surrender, you got to let it, you got to let it go
Doing the ritual dance in the sun
Millions of mind guerrillas
Putting their soul power to the karmic wheel
Keep on playing those mind games forever
Raising the spirit of peace and love
(I want you to make love, not war, I know you've heard it before)
This is just what I think...
We're playing those mind games together...we are just minds and life is meaningless if we take it too seriously, its equally valuable as a game of kick ball.
Playing the mind guerrilla...we are alone and against the unknown and eachother. Guerrilla aka a small irregular force against a larger regular force
Some kinda druid dudes lifting the veil...we've been relying on religion for "truth"
Some call it magic, the search for the grail...some people name/label/talk about things they don't know.
Love is the answer and you know that for sure...lets cut all the bullshit, its all a game anyways.
Love is a flower, you got to let it, you got to let it grow...love all, be the love don't just say the love.
Faith in the future, outta the now...we should have faith in the future by living in the now.
Absolute elsewhere in the stones of your mind...God is ingrained in our minds, and only in our minds. (Lennon was an Atheist)
Projecting our images in space and in time ...The idea that the universe has a n absolute human quality, love and hate for example, but in reality its only projected from inside our minds. There is no God, but the projection of fear.
I'm a believer in God, but I can dig much of your interpretation of "Mind Games". It makes much sense to me. I agree with you about 75%. See my comment posted February 4, 2014.
I'm a believer in God, but I can dig much of your interpretation of "Mind Games". It makes much sense to me. I agree with you about 75%. See my comment posted February 4, 2014.
@invisible vagabond he was a cynic but you fail to see that despite no personal manifestation of God the universe exists and thoughtr seeds do take root and grow and love is the answer despite having to let go of the attachment taught by the gurus from india at the time( buddhist /Krishna/Hindu) .he was not being alliterative in saying he wants us to make love not war he was firmly for peace
@invisible vagabond he was a cynic but you fail to see that despite no personal manifestation of God the universe exists and thoughtr seeds do take root and grow and love is the answer despite having to let go of the attachment taught by the gurus from india at the time( buddhist /Krishna/Hindu) .he was not being alliterative in saying he wants us to make love not war he was firmly for peace
If you read the book Mind Games by Jean Houston and Robert Masters, which came out in 1972, the meaning of this song becomes obvious. John and Yoko bought several copies of it and John even called it one of the two most important books he had read that year, the other being Yoko's book Grapefruit.
It's about mind games. If you think about it, every human interaction involves a certain level of head games. It's a sad fact that you can't even communicate with your own mother without some level of head games, 99% of the time. This is a sad fact that John Lennon is lamenting in this song, in a satirical way. Sad. And great.
I think it is about how everyone always talks about changing things, making things better (peace on earth) But everyone is just playing mind games, hoping things will get better and not taking action. (Faith in the future, out of the now)
Hmm...not a bad interpretation...
Hmm...not a bad interpretation...
@meanmrmustard whos to say soul piower to the Karmic wheel is inaction? I believe in Karma and reincarnation in fact .even Jesus spoke of being on Earth previously. he was a peaceful protestor and doing not nothing all is done (tao te ching)\r\n
@meanmrmustard whos to say soul piower to the Karmic wheel is inaction? I believe in Karma and reincarnation in fact .even Jesus spoke of being on Earth previously. he was a peaceful protestor and doing not nothing all is done (tao te ching)\r\n
@meanmrmustard whos to say soul piower to the Karmic wheel is inaction? I believe in Karma and reincarnation in fact .even Jesus spoke of being on Earth previously. he was a peaceful protestor and doing not nothing all is done (tao te ching)\r\n
@meanmrmustard whos to say soul piower to the Karmic wheel is inaction? I believe in Karma and reincarnation in fact .even Jesus spoke of being on Earth previously. he was a peaceful protestor and doing not nothing all is done (tao te ching)\r\n
John was having an ongoing fight with the media, so I think this was him just saying, you know, 'For fuck's sake, can we just cut all the bullshit and be God's children?'
Unfortunately I've spent the majority of my life not having heard this song until recently..I agree with Boggyplanet in the last line that love to lennon was a higher level of thinking and the song generally is about playing mind games with a loved one..that to stay in love keep playing those mind games together.. however i believe the quote "doin the ritual, dance in the sun" could be related to a different quote of his which was "Rituals are imporant. Nowadays it's hip not to be married. I'm not interested in being hip" you can look up a variety of quotes on brainyquotes.com if interested..all of his quotes make such great sense when applied to everyday life..
Mind Games = conversing with each other changing each others beliefs . Guerrilla - A soldier in a small independent group fighting against the government or regular force. Mind guerrilla - he is telling the listener try and change the minds of others for the better, convincing them through conversation, lyrics etc to change their attitude and spread the word about love and peace thus waging a war against war through shared beliefs to change the world. Living within society yet waging a war against it's worse aspects and changing it from within. A revolution using mind guerrilla warfare The minds of...
Mind Games = conversing with each other changing each others beliefs . Guerrilla - A soldier in a small independent group fighting against the government or regular force. Mind guerrilla - he is telling the listener try and change the minds of others for the better, convincing them through conversation, lyrics etc to change their attitude and spread the word about love and peace thus waging a war against war through shared beliefs to change the world. Living within society yet waging a war against it's worse aspects and changing it from within. A revolution using mind guerrilla warfare The minds of the army (us)acting as weapons instead of guns.....in otherwords he is telling people to try and change themselves and other individuals for the better and society at large will follow. A revolution by changing the way people think. Think about it...it's what Lennon was all about, changing other peoples minds about war being ok and such. We all want to change the world. Hate = violence and death Love = peace and life.
thank you seamusdog , you really help me understand this euphonious and "powerful" song
thank you seamusdog , you really help me understand this euphonious and "powerful" song
thank you seamusdog , you really help me understand this euphonious and "powerful" song
thank you seamusdog , you really help me understand this euphonious and "powerful" song
The only way to stop these silly mind games is to not play along. What really matters in life? Love.
Post Beatles John was all about revealing truth. Sometimes when I listen to 'mind games', I think he's hinting. ..no, taunting his audience...even ridiculing them for having been taken in by his, and their (Beatles), mind games. Perhaps while employing those mind games over the years he wasn't fully cognizant of their employ.....or was but didn't care...and was only now becoming angry with the revelation of their previously unrevealed negative cultural significance. I know it sounds ludicrous as I put this out there, but what if he was saying that the peace/love mantra was about sedating the masses under the thumbs of the oppressors? A machiavellian effort to put down the revolution? Opiate the fucking peasants. "Love is the answer and you KNOW that....for sure....no Love is surrender...." "Faith in the future is absolute elsewhere... outa the now"....means that you've been duped into concerning yourself with nonsense like heaven, religion, meditation, sex and drugs....instead of what really matters like equality and human rights and the fight against tyranny. I feel I could go on and on and deconstruct the lyrics to this song for a year.....but for now....just try it on once and see if it resonates at all ok. Listen to the song again with these ears. I'm sorry....it's painful. But if you do....you just might see a whole other level of genius in John.
@Paulnotpaul I agree. It's theorised by some that The Beatles were an intelligence agency Psy-op during their 'hippy' phase. John seemed pissed off in his last days, perhaps realising they were being used as tools. He may have been referring to himself as the 'Druid Dude lifting the veil' - Veil of secrecy around what the Beatles were tasked to do. It's well known that 'Dough Boys' , a military reference to easily molded 'soft' young troops, are easier to break down and be re-made into fully compliant troops. You could extend that to citizens, corporate slaves, factory slaves...
@Paulnotpaul I agree. It's theorised by some that The Beatles were an intelligence agency Psy-op during their 'hippy' phase. John seemed pissed off in his last days, perhaps realising they were being used as tools. He may have been referring to himself as the 'Druid Dude lifting the veil' - Veil of secrecy around what the Beatles were tasked to do. It's well known that 'Dough Boys' , a military reference to easily molded 'soft' young troops, are easier to break down and be re-made into fully compliant troops. You could extend that to citizens, corporate slaves, factory slaves and so on. 'Doing the mind guerrilla' psychological warfare/ intel operation. 'Ritual dance in the sun' - referring to ancient psy-ops that Druids performed to control the tribe, with at least the illusion of 'good vibes' for all.
@Paulnotpaul i think youre missing half of it
@Paulnotpaul i think youre missing half of it
I kinda agree with meanmrmustard, to me the song isn't so much a love song but a song about empty promises. People say they want to change the world but they don't. John is saying love each other instead of just playing the game and saying what people want to hear. less talk more action is what i get from the song.
John was having an ongoing fight with the media, so I think this was him just saying, you know, 'For fuck's sake, can we just cut all the bullshit and be God's children?'