"Slipstream"
And the products of wealth
Push you along on the bow wave
Of their spiritless, undying selves
And you press on God's waiter your last dime
As he hands you the bill
And you spin in the slipstream, tideless, unreasoning
Paddle right out of the mess and you paddle right out of the mess
______
The rise of consumerism (please don't confuse this with consumer protection) has caused a reinterpretation of the Bible which conflicts with, well, what it seems to say. But unthinkingly many just push into obscurity those passages that are an uncomfortable fit with our economic, political, and patriotic beliefs.
I have always loved the phrase: "the lush separation enfolds you." From about age 14, I guess, I listened to the flowing words. It was a beautiful song. At some point it dawned on me that it was not chimerical at all. The song was word for word like a parable and this phrase was similar to a parodox that explained the whole. It is genius really, to pack such meaning into a bit of seeming nonsense.
The whole second side of the Aqualung album was and is a favorite of mine. It is hard to imagine the influence that music and the interpretation of lyrics had for me. The other songs, with the exception of "Locomotive Breath" are harsher still on organized religion. I know what event made me balk, but, again, it is hard to imagine my life without the poetry that made me think deeply enough about the events surrounding me.
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