Waking Will by Bel Canto Lyrics Meaning – The Dreamscape of Consciousness Unveiled
Lyrics
Was it me, but who then was I? , what made them fear?
It’s dark and it’s cold, and I feel so old
I’m going down
I’m going down to chase some reptiles
So autonomic, and you interrupt my dream
You interrupt me, my old brainstem is talking
And you interrupt my dream, you interrupt me
The kites fly up high, I’m free, I run
But from heaven fall the bluebirds, they hit the ground
The sun warms my face, and I feel
It ain’t the end for all the living,
It ain’t no end for the living, no!
My intuition, and you interrupt my dream
You interrupt me, deep in here it is hidden
And you interrupt my dream, you interrupt me
You woke me up, I’m forgetting, and you interfere
You interrupt my dream
It’s so autonomic…
Bel Canto’s ‘Waking Will’ is an enigmatic gem, embracing the sublime yet often overlooked tapestry that threads together our dreaming and waking states. This analysis invites us into the heart of the song’s essence, exploring the profound questioning of reality, consciousness, and the creatures that reside within our subconscious mind.
As we delve into the lyrical labyrinth of ‘Waking Will,’ we are beckoned to consider the aspects of our psyche that control our primal instincts and the eternal struggle between our automated, innate behaviors, and the interruptions from our waking life. This song becomes an ode to the dichotomy of existence, the interplay between the seen and unseen, and the forces that jolt us back to the corporeal world.
The Lyrical Journey through an Intersecting Reality
With a careful weave of metaphor and reality, ‘Waking Will’ ventures into the realm where the conscious and subconscious mind collide. The song begins with an escape of reptiles – a primal fear response, setting a stage of psychological unease. This initiation into the song’s domain prompts listeners to ponder over who holds the real power over our inner ‘reptiles,’ our basest fears—and if we truly know ourselves.
Bel Canto constructs a musical narrative that explores the tension between the desire to remain in the solace of dreams and the inevitable return to consciousness. The imagery of the kites flying high juxtaposed with the falling bluebirds captures this fragile line between the freedom of the subconscious and the harsher realities of life.
The Hidden Meaning Behind ‘Old Brainstem is Talking’
At its core, ‘Waking Will’ is a conversation with the oldest parts of our brains, the brainstem, which governs our most instinctive reactions. When Bel Canto refers to the ‘old brainstem is talking,’ they are evoking that ancient, automatic part of us that operates without our conscious input. This phrase becomes a powerful allegory for how our subconscious speaks to us in ways we often cannot articulate.
The song speaks to a universal human experience—the sudden interruption of dreams by the intrusion of the real world, and the lingering feeling it imparts. The ‘old brainstem’ is our instincts made manifest in dream form, only to be silenced by the dawn of waking life.
The Autonomic Metaphor as a Central Theme
The repetition of ‘It’s so autonomic…’ emphasizes how the body and mind inherently operate on autopilot, driven by factors beyond our controle. In the context of ‘Waking Will,’ Bel Canto invites us to observe these autonomic processes, to feel the dissonance when our natural flow is disrupted.
The song thus blurs the lines between our instinctual selves and our conscious movements through life, suggesting that even our sense of will is subject to the whims of our reptilian brain.
Memorable Lines Etched Into The Mindscape
‘The sun warms my face, and I feel / It ain’t the end for all the living,’ declares a moment of revelation amidst the struggle, bridging the gap between despair and hope. These lines vividly capture the transition from the cold, dark realm of uncertain dreams to the warmth and reassurance offered by life’s continuity.
By contrasting themes of ending and perseverance, Bel Canto stamps the lyrics with a duality that resonates on a profoundly human level. The verses act as a lifeline, an assertion that no matter how often we are interrupted or stirred from our dreams, life persists with unwavering certainty.
Waking from ‘Waking Will’: The Aftermath of an Interrupted Dream
‘You woke me up, I’m forgetting, and you interfere / You interrupt my dream,’–these lines echo the bittersweet feeling of losing grasp of a dream, the fragments of which linger just out of reach. Bel Canto masterfully encapsulates the frustration and disorientation experienced when the thread of a dream is severed by the stark light of day.
The song suggests that waking from the will of the dream can be an act of theft, robbing the individual of an experience that, while perhaps not real, holds deep personal significance. The lingering sense of loss belies a deep-seated longing for the freedom and unfettered expression found within our dream worlds.
