" #41 is quite possibly the greatest of all songs. And yet its incredibly difficult to put into words the power of that song and just what exactly makes it into one of the most loved dmb songs by all its fans.
There are just so many things about it that make it so powerful, that anyone who truly loves this song usually balks at having to write out an explanation why.
The Flow.
Of the lyrics/words inside the music. It has the power of a raging river, yet the gentleness of a graceful carress. Each word reverberates with pure sincerity, honesty, devotion, and compassion. To truly realize and visualize the emotion that's being conveyed within such a beautifyl instrumental setting is overpowering to say the least.
The Struggle.
In the more literal sense the song represents a speaker facing a huge turning point in his life, brought about by the sudden realization that the future will most surely bring difficulty, temptation, haunting, and despair. This is without a doubt the most difficult decision the speaker has ever had to make and there is a struggle about whether or not he should go forward.
The Decision.
The resolution is to go forward, but it is powerful because of the reasons the speaker gives and the way in which he shows them. Begging slow. with humility, with bravery, with reason, with conviction, with prudence, with love, and with resolution.
The Love.
One of the most interesting things to think about is WHO the speaker is actually speaking to. The YOU could be us, a love, a friend, a mother, God, or even a younger version of himself. By the lyrics, it is never clear exactly who is being referred to. It could be anyone, but what is certain is the pleading love, respect, and loyalty that is expressed to them.
The speaker is basically saying, "I regret that I will be leaving behind all these simple and good things that I've shared with you, but I must go forward. My very being demands this. I will confront challenges with love, and I will one day come back and experience this joy again with you. I will neither ask that you come with me nor stay. All I can do is offer You nothing but my best together with all the good things and the love that has helped me turn bitterness of the rain in my life into tears of wonder."
The Sound and The Life.
The song was originally named 41/Police, for its musical likeness to the emotionally melodic riffs of THe Police. Yet when this song came into its own, the emotional payload it delivered was enough to make even The Police songs sound trite.
Carter defines the flow of the song perfectly. Stefans heartbeat of bass is beautifully accented by a graceful dance of the high hat telling the song in its own way. Roi's sax is the true representation of the speaker's life. It caresses the rhythm with longing and adoration thruout the song, and Boyd mirrors its emotion on the violin.
After the words are sung, Boyd's violin playfully celebrates the simplicity and joy of the old life left behind. After which, Roi blares out the long story of the trial and tribulation that follows, and how it came to be overcome. THe ups and downs, the restraint and release, the heavy and the light, are all reflected in the saxophone's tale, spoken in a language that cannot be told, only shown; that language that cannot be understood, only felt.
When played live, the song evolves, but stays the same; like life itself.
The Legacy.
All in all, the amazing thing about this song is that it is able to communicate to any open heart the true weight and lightness of life in the language of the wailing soul. The communication is so fundamental to human nature that most of the time, one has no idea why he or she loves the song so much. It is so perfectly reflected in the instruments and vocals, that the meaning often becomes camoflaged within itself and can only be recognized by Love itself. This allows the song to be rediscovered time and time again, because the message is not a statement, but something to be remembered.
The legacy of this song will eventually come to represent the ULTIMATE triumph of Love over anything and everything that exists in this world to steal, rape, ridicule, and sell us short in order to make us jaded, pessimistic, old, cynical, and bitter. And in its breath, we will find our own way out.
Only tomorrow leads the way. "
There are just so many things about it that make it so powerful, that anyone who truly loves this song usually balks at having to write out an explanation why.
The Flow.
Of the lyrics/words inside the music. It has the power of a raging river, yet the gentleness of a graceful carress. Each word reverberates with pure sincerity, honesty, devotion, and compassion. To truly realize and visualize the emotion that's being conveyed within such a beautifyl instrumental setting is overpowering to say the least.
The Struggle.
In the more literal sense the song represents a speaker facing a huge turning point in his life, brought about by the sudden realization that the future will most surely bring difficulty, temptation, haunting, and despair. This is without a doubt the most difficult decision the speaker has ever had to make and there is a struggle about whether or not he should go forward.
The Decision.
The resolution is to go forward, but it is powerful because of the reasons the speaker gives and the way in which he shows them. Begging slow. with humility, with bravery, with reason, with conviction, with prudence, with love, and with resolution.
The Love.
One of the most interesting things to think about is WHO the speaker is actually speaking to. The YOU could be us, a love, a friend, a mother, God, or even a younger version of himself. By the lyrics, it is never clear exactly who is being referred to. It could be anyone, but what is certain is the pleading love, respect, and loyalty that is expressed to them.
The speaker is basically saying, "I regret that I will be leaving behind all these simple and good things that I've shared with you, but I must go forward. My very being demands this. I will confront challenges with love, and I will one day come back and experience this joy again with you. I will neither ask that you come with me nor stay. All I can do is offer You nothing but my best together with all the good things and the love that has helped me turn bitterness of the rain in my life into tears of wonder."
The Sound and The Life.
The song was originally named 41/Police, for its musical likeness to the emotionally melodic riffs of THe Police. Yet when this song came into its own, the emotional payload it delivered was enough to make even The Police songs sound trite.
Carter defines the flow of the song perfectly. Stefans heartbeat of bass is beautifully accented by a graceful dance of the high hat telling the song in its own way. Roi's sax is the true representation of the speaker's life. It caresses the rhythm with longing and adoration thruout the song, and Boyd mirrors its emotion on the violin.
After the words are sung, Boyd's violin playfully celebrates the simplicity and joy of the old life left behind. After which, Roi blares out the long story of the trial and tribulation that follows, and how it came to be overcome. THe ups and downs, the restraint and release, the heavy and the light, are all reflected in the saxophone's tale, spoken in a language that cannot be told, only shown; that language that cannot be understood, only felt.
When played live, the song evolves, but stays the same; like life itself.
The Legacy.
All in all, the amazing thing about this song is that it is able to communicate to any open heart the true weight and lightness of life in the language of the wailing soul. The communication is so fundamental to human nature that most of the time, one has no idea why he or she loves the song so much. It is so perfectly reflected in the instruments and vocals, that the meaning often becomes camoflaged within itself and can only be recognized by Love itself. This allows the song to be rediscovered time and time again, because the message is not a statement, but something to be remembered.
The legacy of this song will eventually come to represent the ULTIMATE triumph of Love over anything and everything that exists in this world to steal, rape, ridicule, and sell us short in order to make us jaded, pessimistic, old, cynical, and bitter. And in its breath, we will find our own way out.
Only tomorrow leads the way. "
Voilà la plus belle façon de parler de #41, bien mieux que mon précédent post. Ha oui, c'est en anglais, aussi.
(Merci à Antsmarching.org)
