Gravity
This post is going to be a little different. A song review I guess if you will. The song ‘Gravity’ by A Perfect Circle has been on my mind lately. It comes from their 2003 album ‘Thirteenth Step.’ Here is a link to the song, and here are the lyrics:
Lost again
Broken and weary
Unable to find my way
Tail in hand
Dizzy and clearly unable to
Just let this go
I am surrendering to the gravity and the unknown
Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun
I choose to live
I fell again
Like a baby unable to stand on my own
Tail in hand
Dizzy and clearly unable to just let this go
High and surrendering to the gravity and the unknown
Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun
I choose to live, I choose to live, I choose to live
Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun
Help me survive the bottom
Calm these hands before they
Snare another pill and
Drive another nail down another needy hole
Please release me
I am surrendering to the gravity and the unknown
Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun
I choose to live,
I choose to live
This song, as well as the entire album, really resonates with me. I have owned this album since its release in 2003, but for whatever reason it only recently dawned on me that it was a reference to the 12 steps of AA, as in the album contains/is the 13th step of the program.
A little history of the singer, Maynard James Keenan: He is the frontman for 3 bands; Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer. In his book, A Perfect Union of Contrary Things, part of it speaks of his childhood and his relationship with his mom and the Southern Baptist Church. His mom suffered a paralyzing aneurysm when he was young, and the church said it was God punishing her for not being a good enough Christian. This had the unsurprising effect of turning him away from his faith and the church, as well as inspiring a number of his songs.
I mention that bit of his past because I feel like there are a lot of Christian references in his songs. Some mocking, some searching, some questioning, but I believe it is there. Now I am going to try to make all of this make sense. When I listen to this song, and he sings the lyrics “Catch me, heal me, lift me back up to the sun,” I don’t hear it as ‘sun’, I hear it as ‘Son’, as in Jesus, the Son of God. I think that either consciously or unconsciously, the singer is searching for something, searching for meaning, searching for faith. I find the lyrics about surrendering very intriguing as well. That is one of the ‘big’ things in not only recovery from addiction, but also in a Christian faith. Surrendering yourself to God, Jesus, or a ‘Higher Power.’ It all leads me to believe that the singer is really searching for his higher power. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, maybe I’m projecting my own faith and beliefs onto the music, but that is how I interpret it.
The song and album really have a personal meaning as well. Maybe I will get into that and some stories of my journey in some future posts.
Am I right on with my interpretation? Am I way off base? Let me know in the comments! You can also let me know if anyone would like my humble opinion on any other topics? Thanks for reading!