One recent evening, here on the fourth planet from the Sun, I heard a band. As I listened, I was struck by how the vocalist was saying absolutely nothing at all. No, I’m not exaggerating. Just seemingly random empty words and phrases, delivered without soul or passion…and the lyrics truly felt hollow. The music didn’t speak, either. The band seemed to be speaking of nothing, just an empty sound and a hidden cry to be heard.
An image appeared in my mind of crowds of human beings, busily milling about, loudly talking to themselves, saying nothing of meaning or depth, but instead just chattering – talking and talking and talking – because they are desperate to be truly heard and seen. That same chattering, multiplied by countless microphones and cell phones and airwaves. The sounds of small talk and sales pitches bouncing off our planet and beaming into space. Is it tragic? In this amazing, wild, glorious and even terrible time to be alive, do many of us really have nothing of depth or passion to say? Are we truly reduced to mindless chatter?
I would value one short meaningful conversation over a thousand insipid exchanges. Would you?
Science has confirmed what we all intuitively understand: that sound can heal us, feed us, inspire us — or drain us. Add words, and you’ve added another layer of either delicious energy or auditory junk food.
Words are funny things: they can obfuscate or they can reveal. They are often inaccurate, and can’t really describe the huge events, such as peak consciousness experiences, ecstasy, or grief. Still, words can be a conduit of ideas… or just noise in the air.
Some people talk non-stop, and others pursue fame of one sort or another, hoping to find themselves in the reflection of others — whilst there are yet others who will pay therapists any amount of money just to be validated, to be seen and to be heard. Recognized.
And so, inspired by a song about nothing, these lyrics gently drifted into my consciousness, and just as easily escaped my lips in a melody. Psychanaut played it at the following rehearsal and it sounded exactly the way I wanted to hear it. Yay.
I hope this song holds out a compassionate hand, and offers an affirmation of Being, but perhaps that’s too big a goal for one tiny song. Perhaps it will help one person feel recognized. Somewhere. Sometime. That would be enough.
Someday, in a more evolved civilization, people might hear it and wonder why such a song was written, because in that world, surely everyone is free to be themselves and is valued and nurtured. Everyone is able to explore their own reality and discover their own potential. Everyone is heard. In that society, what would be the need of repeating the obvious — “I see you” ??? In that day, everyone’s unique “Beingness” is seen and acknowledged.
But today is not yet that day.
So, yeah. I see you.