One of the great existential Procol Harum songs. They always reflect a deep belief in the wisdom of Eastern-style Spirituality, and yet, the singer is always somehow mired in "a morass of self-despair". A strange paradox. He should be liberated from darkness and suffering, and as the last two verses show, he understands full well how to be liberated, but he chooses suffering and despair anyway, knowing that it's self-indulgent. It's like a novel by Dostoevsky.
Still, the end, listened to in a certain way, can be powerfully inspiring. Because he's right. Life can seem incredibly difficult at certain times, but it really is "all so simple really if you just look to your soul". One of the most uplifting realizations that you can ever have in life. And the sound of the "Grand Finale", with the combination of Choir singing and the Robin Trower guitar solo, is awesome. Almost like an ascent into heaven.
If they somehow decide to save a few songs the way that they save paintings for posterity to be experienced by future generations as the great artistic achievements, this deserves to be one of them.
One of the great existential Procol Harum songs. They always reflect a deep belief in the wisdom of Eastern-style Spirituality, and yet, the singer is always somehow mired in "a morass of self-despair". A strange paradox. He should be liberated from darkness and suffering, and as the last two verses show, he understands full well how to be liberated, but he chooses suffering and despair anyway, knowing that it's self-indulgent. It's like a novel by Dostoevsky.
Still, the end, listened to in a certain way, can be powerfully inspiring. Because he's right. Life can seem incredibly difficult at certain times, but it really is "all so simple really if you just look to your soul". One of the most uplifting realizations that you can ever have in life. And the sound of the "Grand Finale", with the combination of Choir singing and the Robin Trower guitar solo, is awesome. Almost like an ascent into heaven.
If they somehow decide to save a few songs the way that they save paintings for posterity to be experienced by future generations as the great artistic achievements, this deserves to be one of them.