Friday 3rd June – Songwriting Day 3
Second song in the bag. The prompt? Golden Games. This time I was moved to google the mythological significance of gold. The results took me to India, Greece, and West Africa.
The key words that kept popping up were wealth, power, immortality, superiority. Quickly I began to see that my premise would have to touch on hustle culture, government corruption, and the unending ambitious pursuit for more. It immediately drew parallels to good old King Midus, and the symbolic relation of gold with the sun brought back the image of Icarus. Fools grasping at and greedily clutching onto money and power. We play these golden games, but at what cost?
But there was another significance: The theological. The use of gold in temples throughout history, and religious artifacts like the Ark of The Covenant. Its ornamental value to the gods of Olympus. Coupled with the indestructible properties of Gold, new meaning came: Divinity, eternity, spiritual perfection, incorruptability, and adaptability. This brought another angle to the work – Gold as offering, as higher calling, the persuit of wealth as a resource to service and communal benefit, the purity and immortality of good deeds. The quests of Jason and Herecles came to mind. Theirs weren’t treasure hunts but tasks that paved the way to things of greater meaning.
The end result was a very political song critiquing the powers that be, chastising a society that grovels at the feet of power for whatever they can get for themselves, stating the fallibility of material wealth and its selfish ends; but in the end shining a light on how its persuit can, however, be turned back to our humanity and those things bigger than ourselves like love and duty. Things of true value. That’s the only way we can ever win these Golden Games. Conseptualising is my favourite part, and when the lines start coming its glorious.
The rest of the day yesterday was pretty standard. Been doing some heavy garden work this week which is great for the body. I’m working on finding more time for conversations and chats with the people who challange my perceptions, but especially the people I care about. I’ll work it out. I always do. “No one can obstruct the operations of the mind.” What we believe, formulate, and decide is within our controle. So I wont beat myself up for not managing to meet every obligation. That’s past. I’ll simply aknowledge my wins and set my mind on doing better the next day.
Its friday!!! Hope your week has been productive. Leave a comment sharing something you’re proud to have gotten done this week. Its definitely the songs for me. Cheers to the freaking weekend!
Still Water Reeds 