Are we Human or are we...?
Day and Age Logo design, copyright 2009 by the Killers (Even this logo is a teaching in itself!)
The rock band called the Killers (who I think is quite amazing and a breath of fresh musical air in our age of commercialized and fabricated music) released a spectacular album this past year called Day and Age; and on this album is a song called Human. Although the lyrics have been discussed with regards to Hunter Thompson's work, I feel that most folks have missed some key ingredients in Brandon Flowers' (the lead singer of the band) lyrical creation and I find some amazing sentiments in this song which resonate quite well with the concept of pure silence - the beingness within us! We are human, if we can allow the evolved state of "being-in-the-moment, without thought - in the silent presence of now" to be recognized and thus we move out of conditioned patterns of behavior (karma) as a mere dancer: one programmed by customs, culture, society, religion and habitual thinking. I have annotated below for your further enjoyment!
Human (Lyrics Copyright 2009 by the Killers)
I did my best to notice [In the state of
awareness, presence, a silent mind]
When the call came down the line [The call to awaken to
this moment - enlightenment!]
Up to the platform of surrender [letting go of the
conditioned little "me"]
I was brought but I was kind [awakening is not a
choice-life just brings us there-if we compassionately accept it]
And sometimes I get nervous [the little conditioned "me"
or "I" is afraid of losing the sense of an isolated self]
When I see an open door [wonderful allusion to the open
door to being -Eckart Tolle says we need to pass through this open door]
Close your eyes, clear your heart [Brandon-are you
meditating?]
Cut the cord [Cut off the cord of conditioning and the
fact that you are separate from the whole]
Are we human or are we dancer? [we are both but the depths
of our humanity calls us to be truly human-integral-alive in the now]
My sign is vital, my hands are cold [Don't look for signs,
the universe will guide you and show you and give you what you need]
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer [no need to be,
although the kneeling position is tantamount to surrender]
Are we human or are we dancer?
[The next two verses can be understood
two ways--and perhaps there is poetic license here: either the writer is
sarcastically stating that the definable human emotions and capacities are
rendered useless in the unfeeling conditioned state as dancer or.... perhaps the
writer is enlightened to understand that the attributes which we have
traditionally called human-really have kept us in a state of un-awarenss of our
real essence and that the definable moment is "you gotta let the "me" go]
Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye, wish me well
You've gotta let me go
Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?
Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know, is your heart still beating?
[Home--the present moment-the only
salvation for us-it can heal our minds and our bodies-our systems--don't dream
it folks-BE IT!-we have not gotten the message yet which is as present as the
beating of our hearts!
Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
You've gotta let me know
Are we human or are we dancer?
My sign is vital, my hands are cold
And I'm on my knees looking for the answer
Are we human or are we dancer?
I hope you all have enjoyed this little expose! The truth is all around us and there are many people giving us pointers to it in songs, movies, books and a myriad of forms. And it is occurring with more rapidity - stay tuned!
All you need to do is look!
Peace in this day and age!