The Haunting Songs

MAPHRA: The Plot In You - Silence (MAPHRA Vocal Cover)

“Our definition of art is the breaking open of the breastbone, for sure. Just open-heart surgery. I wish there was an easier way. But in the end, people want blood, and I am one of them.” -Bono, U2

Bards drag out the heart kicking and screaming and compel her to wail, to weep and to prophesy, to slit her throat on the knife of brutal truthfulness. Honesty strangles herself with her own hands, it’s a Greek tragedy for sure; but a necessary death that testifies that there are still those who know how to really live.

Homer: “We drove past swiftly, but when we were within hail of the shore, the Sirens could not fail to see our speeding vessel, and began their clear singing:

‘Famous Odysseus, great glory of Achaea, draw near, and bring your ship to rest, and listen to our voices. No man rows past this isle in his dark ship without hearing the honeysweet sound from our lips. He delights in it and goes his way a wiser man.

We know all the suffering the Argives and the Trojans endured, by the gods’ will, on the wide plains of Troy. We know everything that comes to pass on the fertile Earth.’

This was the haunting song the Sirens sang, and I longed to listen, commanding my crew by my expression to set me free.

But they bent to their oars and rowed harder, while Perimedes and Eurylochus rose and tightened my bonds and added more rope. Not till they had rowed beyond the Sirens, so we no longer heard their voices and song, did my loyal friends clear the wax that plugged their ears, and untie me.” -The Odyssey, Book 12 (translated by A.S. Kline).

The truly human life, which is a truly spiritual life, is a vulnerable, dangerous and shattered life.

Prophets and poets dare to speak out-loud to those who often would rather live in silence…the silence of feeling, of heart and mind.

Music should be an oracle of reality that forces people to respond to truth, the truth of how we really feel, think or live.

Unfortunately people, especially religious folk, often have only stones for prophets because they force us out of the shadows that we live in.

Deep down I think we’re all vampires in need of the blood of meaning, passion, truth and purpose. For many people music is the tender neck, full of life which we sink our incisors into and desperately try to draw out the life force found in its notes, melodies and chords.

We are brought more fully to life by music, it’s the gift of audible resurrection.

The bards of our time are the oracles of our modern Delphi. We are drawn to the power of human experiences woven together in song, presented to us on instruments, played with skill meant to speak to our inner lives with animating voice.

“God gave us preachers to remind us that we will not live forever. God gave us poets to remind us that we’re not dead yet.” -G.K. Chesterton.

“…the Sirens sang, and I longed to listen.”

“…commanding my crew by my expression to set me free.”

Indeed Odysseus…indeed.

(Song: explicit lyrics/addiction/depression)