Introduction: From the notes on www.marillion.com: Steve Hogarth's words combine a series of personal thoughts and quotations compiled by Mark's then-partner Angie.
"I thought they were all positive philosophies, a code by which you could live. 'It's by spending one's self that one becomes rich,' I thought was such a fantastic idea. It's a celebration of life, really. Absolutely full-on, positive, no cynicism, no sarcasm. We finally pulled off that rare thing of writing something that's happy and, at the same time, is real and manages to avoid the vacuous, playroom trap."
'Reality is something that you rise above'
Rob and Sue Corlett said: "This is a direct quote from actress/ singer Liza Minnelli."
'We don't see... ...as we are'
Steve Tallant said: "The quote 'We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are' is from French poet Anais Nin. Her diaries, poems and erotic works make for pretty interesting reading. Since she died in 1977, I don't think she'll be suing them for royalty payments!"
'Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run'
Andy Saks said: "The quote comes from the famous deaf blind thinker Helen Adams Keller (1880-1968): 'Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of human kind as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or it is nothing at all. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.'"
'Spending yourself is what it's all about'
Rob and Sue Corlett said this was based on a quote from actor Sarah Bernhard (1844 - 1923) - "Life begets life. Energy creates energy. It is by spending oneself that we become rich."
'It's all illusion'
Rob and Sue Corlett said it was a Lennon quote, and sure enough a little digging came up with the following, which is the concluding comments from an interview by David Sheff for Playboy magazine conducted just before Lennon's murder in 1980. The same interview was used in Gazpacho.
PLAYBOY: What is the Eighties' dream to you, John?'If you have made mistakes... Failure is staying down '
LENNON: Well, you make your own dream. That's the Beatles' story, isn't it? That's Yoko's story. That's what I'm saying now. Produce your own dream. If you want to save Peru, go save Peru. It's quite possible to do anything, but not to put it on the leaders and the parking meters. Don't expect Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan or John Lennon or Yoko Ono or Bob Dylan or Jesus Christ to come and do it for you. You have to do it yourself. That's what the great masters and mistresses have been saying ever since time began. They can point the way, leave signposts and little instructions in various books that are now called holy and worshiped for the cover of the book and not for what it says, but the instructions are all there for all to see, have always been and always will be. There's nothing new under the sun. All the roads lead to Rome. And people cannot provide it for you. I can't wake you up. You can wake you up. I can't cure you. You can cure you.
PLAYBOY: What is it that keeps people from accepting that message?
LENNON: It's fear of the unknown. The unknown is what it is. And to be frightened of it is what sends everybody scurrying around chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate, all that - it's all illusion. Unknown is what what it is. Accept that it's unknown and it's plain sailing. Everything is unknown - then you're ahead of the game. That's what it is. Right?Playboy interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, by David Sheff, conducted Sept 1980, published Jan 81.
Rob and Sue Corlett discovered this was a quote by American actress Mary Pickford (1893 - 1977). "If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down."
Songs with a link have explanations.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comments.
All comments are moderated, so apologies if it doesn't appear right away!