“Was not their mistake once more bred of the life of slavery that they had been living?—a life which was always looking upon everything, except mankind, animate and inanimate—‘nature,’ as people used to call it—as one thing, and mankind as another, it was natural to people thinking in this way, that they should try to make ‘nature’ their slave, since they thought ‘nature’ was something outside them” — William Morris


Friday, January 20, 2012

Genesis Dzogchen



Oh bloody hell. This is really serious. I've posted about this before but here are the full lyrics to “Paperlate.” I find them uncannily evocative of Dzogchen instructions for recognizing the nature of mind:

Paperlate paperlate
Paperlate paperlate

Paperlate, ooh I'm sorry but there's no one on the line
Paperlate, ooh I'm sorry but rest easy no news is good news

Ooh it's too easy to live like clockwork
Tick tock watching the world go by
Any change would take too long
So dry your eyes
Ooh it's too easy to live in a cold sweat
Just sitting dripping in pools below
You can wipe your face
Kill the pain
But the fever won't go, no no

Paperlate
Pull it together now
Put your feet back on the ground
Paperlate
Ooh don't worry now
You're not alone
Look around you
Paperlate
Ooh I'm sorry but there's no one on the line
Paperlate
Ooh I'm sorry but rest easy no news is good news

Ooh it's too easy to compute your future
Taking no risks and playing too safe
Any change would take too long
So dry your eyes
Ooh it's too easy to talk about rocking the boat
Making changes and changing track
But you'd better not lock that door
Cos you'll be coming back

Ah you're breathing faster
Silence the only sound
There's no need to be nice on the way up
Cos you're not coming down

Paperlate paperlate
Paperlate paperlate
Paperlate paperlate
Paperlate paperlate

Paperlate
Ooh I'm sorry but there's no one on the line
Paperlate
Oh I'm sorry but rest easy no news is good news...

*****

Sometimes it's good to find instructions in corny unexpected places.

1 comment:

Henry Warwick said...

eeeew. Genesis with horns. That hurts. When it comes to paper songs (other than Paper by Talking Heads) I always go back to the Cocteau Twins and Persephone. Stunnign vocals on this and the bass is uber-creepy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P65yqlxkFE



Hey, the chances I must waste
Hey, ever dirt even there month got a car
Here's what it takes (x4)

Paper chase is on
These are on my speed
For he warbled
Bought arachnophobe
On the tiara, By the gin track
Paper chase is on
These are on my space

Paper chase is on
(Hey, the chances I must face)
These are on my speed
(Oh, you warbler)
For he warbled
(Hey, that's by the car)
Bought arachnophobe
On the tiara
By the gin track
Paper chase is on
These are on my space

I watch him trail (x4)

Hey, for eight means a paper chase Paper warm beings means the paper chase
For our time being's never changes place
Never changes this (x2)

Here's what it takes (x6)

Paper warm beings means the paper chase
(Here's what it takes)
For our time being's never changes place
(x3)

Here's what it takes

Hey, for eight means a paper chase
For our time being's never changes place
(x2)