Friday, May 05, 2006

Children of the Sun

Two quotes/lyrics that have been at the very top of my favorites since high school.

This first one is from "Going to California" by Led Zeppelin. I'm not sure exactly what it is that does it for me... and part of me is 100% happy not looking into it too much. But, perhaps a bit of exploration may be appropriate.
Mountains and the canyons start to tremble and shake
Children of the Sun begin . . . to wake
"Mountains and the canyons start to tremble and shake" -- this imagery seems like it could go two ways. First -- the "tremble and shake" could be suggestive of a birthing or creation process. The "tremble and shake" of a mother or father or source "creating" something. This is very good for dramatic effect, as movies and books have taught me.

The second, and my preferred interpretation, though, interprets this line not as a side-effect of a birth, but instead describing a misuse and/or mistreatment. What's being misused or abused is the "mountains and the canyons," symbolic to me of the land and Earth itself. Whether they're "trembling and shaking" in fear or in pain, their non-still state is a testament to the crap they're being put through. Something is wrong... something is not right... there is imbalance.

And as a result, we have the "children of the sun." Who are these so-called sun children? Again, I'm hesitant to dirty the image with my speculative thoughts, but I'll dabble. The Children of the Sun are those who will set things right. They are those of divine or supernatural heritage who possess within the ability and nature to do the job that must be done. Maybe these Children were literally sleeping (or unborn), or maybe they're already alive and walking around but unknowing of their true identity. Either way, "waking up" to the world or "waking up" to yourself -- they're now here and on their way to becoming aware and conscious of the job that must be done. And of course, having the Sun as their father, they're as prepared as they could be to do the task at hand.

The next of these lyrics is as follows:
When the true King's murderers are allowed to roam free,
A thousand magicians arise in the land
This line is from a Jim Morrison poem. I heard it on the spoken-word poetry album An American Prayer, from "The Ghost Song," if I'm not mistaken.

This imagery is essentially the same as the Led Zep lyrics above. A crime has been committed -- in this case, the "murderers" of the "True King" are allowed to "roam free." I cannot but help turn toward the symbolic interpretation of this. I don't think the "True King" necessarily points to a person or individual but instead the most heavenly, divine, holy, and sacred of statures. "He" is "murdered" -- which to me suggests not a literal killing, but instead a forgetting or a disservice paid. Maybe we are all guilty of murdering the True King? Maybe not. My personal interpretation shies away from this.

I would rather look at myself as one of or an aid to the "thousand magicians that arise in the land." Again, like the Children of the Sun, these are they who will set things right. These are plants rising up from the seeds planted of old. Many of these magicians may fall or fail, but their job will get done. It must.

As one who believes whose experience humbly confirms the ultimate goodness of the universe and all things, part of the deal is that forces of light will always arise to beat back threatening forces of darkness. These forces of light are (of course) not sometihng to be demanded or expected but found and experienced for those who are able to recognize and realize them. And maybe these folks, then, are themselves (or are aids/servents to) the Children of the Sun or those thousand Magicians.

I cannot help but be drawn to the idea that it is us -- each of us -- who really matters. It is each of us who must do the job. Maybe we're the last of the Sun Children or the final of these magicians. Maybe the rest have come before us, long ago, and it is up to us to finish the work that they started. It is each of us who must step up to the plate.

2 comments:

sparkwidget said...

Ride a white mare in the footsteps of dawn...

Is it just me or are Led Zeppelin the true kings of rock?

theothrastus said...

Agree abolutely.It is all of us,me and you,us and them.Light a candle!