The song is from the album ‘Numbers’ by Cat Stevens. Numbers (the 33-rpm original) is presented as a fantastical fairy tale about a planet that makes numbers for the Universe. The story by Numbers seems to me to be an allegory about community, social structure, the appearance of a prophet, spiritual awakening, and freedom.
At the beginning of the story, everything is very ordinary, structured, and unchanging. There are nine numbers: 1-9. Then something goes wrong. A new number shows up: 0. And the other numbers enslave it.
I think Jzero (i.e.., 0) represents the appearance of the prophet, Jesus or Muhammad. The enslavement of Jzero recalls the story of Joseph in the Bible, whose jealous brothers sold Joseph into slavery.
My sense is that this song is about Ego Death. The Ego sees the arrival of the prophet as a “demon” and a “kind of madness” that makes the Ego feel “ashamed” and “weaponless.”
The Ego asks: “Where have my brothers gone? Why don’t I see them about? They’re all around him now. And keeping me out.” And the brothers say to the ego: “Go on and let him in. He’s only asking for a simple job to do. And nothing more.”
Eventually, the person’s truer self will realize, “looking back,” that this “stranger had the key to any door.”
Does anyone know what this song is about?
The song is from the album ‘Numbers’ by Cat Stevens. Numbers (the 33-rpm original) is presented as a fantastical fairy tale about a planet that makes numbers for the Universe. The story by Numbers seems to me to be an allegory about community, social structure, the appearance of a prophet, spiritual awakening, and freedom.
At the beginning of the story, everything is very ordinary, structured, and unchanging. There are nine numbers: 1-9. Then something goes wrong. A new number shows up: 0. And the other numbers enslave it.
I think Jzero (i.e.., 0) represents the appearance of the prophet, Jesus or Muhammad. The enslavement of Jzero recalls the story of Joseph in the Bible, whose jealous brothers sold Joseph into slavery.
My sense is that this song is about Ego Death. The Ego sees the arrival of the prophet as a “demon” and a “kind of madness” that makes the Ego feel “ashamed” and “weaponless.”
The Ego asks: “Where have my brothers gone? Why don’t I see them about? They’re all around him now. And keeping me out.” And the brothers say to the ego: “Go on and let him in. He’s only asking for a simple job to do. And nothing more.”
Eventually, the person’s truer self will realize, “looking back,” that this “stranger had the key to any door.”
That’s my sense…
Thoughts?