Ashes and promises share a bond
Through the winds of change
Words are blown away
When visions that should be
Are tattooed in your mind
The power to let go
Is sometimes hard to find
The answer cannot be found
In the writing of others
Or the words of a trained mind
In a precious world of memories
We find ourselves confined
Claws so razor sharp
Ripping at the spirit
[Chorus:]
Promises a potential to hurt
Is anything real?
When forever is to be until
Deep inside, in the world of empty words...
No escaping from those haunting
empty words...
[Solo: Schuldiner]
Do you ever feel it?
A craving that is so strong
To by thought rewind in order to find
Expectations that shined through the doubt
That soon would turn into the price
Of what a word will be worth
When tomorrow comes
To be and we are left
Standing on our own-
And seeing what is real...
The answer cannot be found
In the writing of others
Or the words of a trained mind
In a precious world of memories
We find ourselves confined
Claws so razor sharp
Ripping at the spirit
[Repeat chorus]
http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/death/symbolic.html#3
I remember listening to Death as a young boy and feeling the strange surge of intellectual power run through my veins. After years of admiring this rare and precious musical collective, I have come to think of Chuck Shuldiner's lyrics as something of a mystic litany.
I do not know anything about the life of Chuck Shuldiner and I do not believe that is of importance at this stage of the discourse but it is the ringing of his genuis that remains with me. Indeed, is it the author or the author's product that one should venerate and revere?
I find that this is true with several select metal acts.
The first one I wish to pay homage to is Death.
As a Vajra Doha, mmm... this needs reflection/meditation;
but working from the mere title of this song I would say that Shuldiner had some bent-up mysticism
laying inside of him bursting out.
In my opinion, an empty word does not necessarily refer to words that are worthless; but rather that they are not bound to any conditional context and compound.
An empty word is Speech of Indestructible Precision that demands respect and attuned awareness.
Indeed, there are very few who can truly hear the cracking thunder of a great truth spoken.
My request is then that we should exert ourselves to listen attentively to the 'Empty Words' sung all around us; and more so to those who devise ingenious methods of precision auditory transmission.
What does it all mean or does this remain ineffable jabber-blab?
Indeed, it is an area of discussion that cannot be easily discussed other than in the utmost expression of a true inner art; a perfect example being that of the great realized meditation masters (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_of_realization); look up Vajra Doha. These songs of enlightenment are spontaneous A Capella rich with illuminated wisdom awareness.
Not much can be said about this; especially from me so I wish you the fortune of getting direct transmission of such a treasure and mostly from a treasured being.
As for Chuck Shuldiner and his 'Empty Words', I feel this is more of the arousing of mystic poetry which we all carry to some extent and takes some diligent reflection and meditative discipline to unlock (the opening of ones inner ears - OERKANAL).
The intricacy and delicate nature of the style and composition of Death and Shuldiner's music certainly awakens a raw philosophical tradition.
