When The Swans Have Sung
For the past year, I’ve found myself on an emotional whirlwind where every thought leads to a question with no answers. I’ve thought about the choices I’ve made in my life, struggles I’ve had to endure and the sacrifices others have had to make on my behalf.
It takes its toll.
At the same time, I discovered the music of Baroness. It’s been an immersive and surreal journey.
There is something quite unique and personal about relating to somebody else’s pain through art. It reminds us of our personal struggles, alleviates the fear that we’ve been left alone and provides a meaningful example of the path to re-discovery.
Although I’ve always been drawn to the ‘darker’ tones of music, I currently look for a path that arcs toward the light. Baroness is exceptional in this regard. Their music and particularly their lyrical content explores the more challenging facets of the human condition. At the same time, their delivery is epically triumphant. The music acknowledges the agony of its conception, but provides an inspiring drive towards an outcome of hope.
A month into the release of their ground-breaking double album ‘Yellow & Green’, the band experienced a horrific bus crash where everybody miraculously managed to survive what appeared to be certain death. A process of healing, transformation and introspection naturally ensued.
Their subsequent release ‘Purple’, is where I caught up with them. An artist does not go through a life changing experience without this finding it’s way into their creative realm. But collective art (music) is more than the sum of it’s parts. In this instance, 2 of the new members did not go through that experience. The end result is an incredibly powerful release that is sonically, lyrically and emotionally pulling in all directions.
‘If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain ?)’ is a song that resonates right to the core of my being. There is something immensely powerful and beautifully vulnerable in a man asking his soulmate to “clip my wings and let me fall to you”. There is an implicit understanding/trust that this is not a message of giving up, but rather an admission that love is the foundation from which strength is derived from.
I don’t want to give up. I don’t intend to give up. But I feel like giving up.
The human experience is more than one emotion, thought or purpose. It is at this juncture that the music of Baroness provides the blueprint to navigate the conflicting directions of the mind, heart and soul. You find beauty in a message filled with despair, a drum beat that refuses to march anywhere but forward and a guitar that shines brighter than hope. It provides resilience to the notion of moving on.
The underlying theme that connects the intricate mesh between music & life is undoubtedly love. Love for your art. Love for what you believe in. Love for the people that provide meaning in your life. But above all, love for yourself and the belief that your offerings hold the power to become a source of joy for someone remarkable out there.
“Broederschap”
We are conditioned to think that our emotional lives consist of timely sections with a linear beginning → end. Hence in turbulent times, we await the conclusion of this period through a cataclysm of sorts that signals the return of our true self. We look to the end as our only opportunity to start anew.
But feeling alive, strong and confident is not an event, it’s a decision.
I have decided I will sing the beauty of my song not with my last breath, but with the next…
Rock and Roll Will Save Your Soul
For an introductory audio overview of Baroness and your emotional state, please refer to the following guide:
Anger: Isak (Red): Young, raw, rough; we obey thy will
Escape / Loss: March to the Sea (Yellow): An ode to the chemical journey towards solace
Self-Doubt / Anxiety: Little Things (Yellow): The voices in your head are only as loud as you allow them to be…
Passion: Green Theme (Green): No words required, beauty signals the way
Broken / Redemption: Chlorine & Wine (Purple): Broken bones, metal pins and hydrocodone are no match for an inspired soul. Pink Floyd would be proud.
Support / Hope: If I Have to Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain ?) (Purple): My soul is as strong as your love for us
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