I think this song is about ACCEPTING what you cannot know, and being content to not know.
The man in the song has tried really hard to find out the meaning of life (he used to burrow through book pages and stuff them in his pocket, he's tried on a thousand faces and beliefs), but no matter what religion or philosophy he tries out, no matter how much he bleeds his fingers by his strenuous efforts, no matter what "sturdy instruction" he seeks out, a full understanding of life is still BEYOND his reach.
The moon is a symbol of the unknowable, an ancient Goddess worshipped by people gone by, and even today, visited by only a handful of humans. The moon represents our yearning for understanding of the universe, and the moon landings are still the most awesome attempt ever by mankind to reach out and explore what we do not know, explore the places we have not seen, know things we don't yet know.
The lump of sugar represents those few sweet facts we can establish about our reason for existence, but the bulk is unknowable.
Religion ("sturdy instruction"" tries to explain everything, but ultimately cannot quell all a human being's doubts. This is why the man who ACCEPTS DOUBT, the unexplained, the mysterious moon goes to a "place where no religion has found a path to or a likeness." Though he cannot know "the moon" (the metaphor for the meaning of life), the man still "Smiles at the moon like he knows her," embracing the mystery of life, and quitting his 1000 faced fruitless search for THE "answer".
It reminds me of the moment in Shakespeare's Hamlet, when the retionalist, Horatio, stuggles to explain the mysterious appearance of Hamlet's dead father, and Hamlet tells him to just accept what he cannot know:
Horatio:
"O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!"
Hamlet:
"And therefore as a stranger give it welcome.
There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio,
Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
(William Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159—167)
I think this song is about ACCEPTING what you cannot know, and being content to not know.
The man in the song has tried really hard to find out the meaning of life (he used to burrow through book pages and stuff them in his pocket, he's tried on a thousand faces and beliefs), but no matter what religion or philosophy he tries out, no matter how much he bleeds his fingers by his strenuous efforts, no matter what "sturdy instruction" he seeks out, a full understanding of life is still BEYOND his reach.
The moon is a symbol of the unknowable, an ancient Goddess worshipped by people gone by, and even today, visited by only a handful of humans. The moon represents our yearning for understanding of the universe, and the moon landings are still the most awesome attempt ever by mankind to reach out and explore what we do not know, explore the places we have not seen, know things we don't yet know.
The lump of sugar represents those few sweet facts we can establish about our reason for existence, but the bulk is unknowable.
Religion ("sturdy instruction"" tries to explain everything, but ultimately cannot quell all a human being's doubts. This is why the man who ACCEPTS DOUBT, the unexplained, the mysterious moon goes to a "place where no religion has found a path to or a likeness." Though he cannot know "the moon" (the metaphor for the meaning of life), the man still "Smiles at the moon like he knows her," embracing the mystery of life, and quitting his 1000 faced fruitless search for THE "answer".
It reminds me of the moment in Shakespeare's Hamlet, when the retionalist, Horatio, stuggles to explain the mysterious appearance of Hamlet's dead father, and Hamlet tells him to just accept what he cannot know:
Horatio: "O day and night, but this is wondrous strange!"
Hamlet: "And therefore as a stranger give it welcome. There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy."
(William Shakespeare, Hamlet Act 1, scene 5, 159—167)
Superb! Thank you!
Superb! Thank you!
@yhtrownu Regina? lol
@yhtrownu Regina? lol