Like the Ocean Needs the Moon, part 1
Tracks 3 through 5 on my new Jamendo album, handmade, make up a trilogy. Strangely, the last two songs were written first; I went back and recorded “Like the Ocean Needs the Moon” weeks later (December 29, 2006), as a sort of origin story or prequel.
Now, I’ve only really written one love song, and that was “Missing You (Song for Hannah)” [track #7 on evolution]. Many of my other works tend to conceal darker or more esoteric themes:
- Suicide (”Kelly’s Theme,” track #9 on evolution);
- Dear departed heroes (”Harriet Tubman” and “Volcanology” from handmade, about which I’ll say more later);
- Lost dreams (”Abandon in Place” from handmade, which I just finished discussing);
- And, of course, mythological sea monsters (”Jennie Haniver”, track #2 on evolution).
A lot of people will read the title of this song and think, oh, “Like the Ocean Needs the Moon”–a compelling metaphor for love, perhaps, how romantic.
Ah. But does the ocean need the Moon, or just gravitate toward it? Is the rhythm of the tides required for life, or just a habit the oceans have? Would Earth’s oceans be the same without the Moon?
Human decision required.
The song is in two parts. The first part I call “Gravity Waves”; the second, after the rhythm change at 1:29, I call “Tidebound”. Then listen to that ending–things have clearly gotten out of hand.
Water is often a metaphor for love and the emotions. We idealize emotions, as if the last 30,000 years of aggression and violence had nothing to do with them. Isn’t that the plot of every other episode of the old Star Trek series?
On the other hand, pure cold rationality doesn’t exactly produce utopia either.
I feel the correct position is balance, and this song is more or less about the folly of falling out of balance without the restraint of reason.
Tomorrow’s article will be about the chords and composition of this song.
