Falling Awake

Falling awake by Gary Jules

The song represents the slow realisation or awareness of poignant facts of life - similarly to how we fall asleep, but in this instance the reverse awakening to life as it really is. The song highlights the system we live in and become so entrapped within and juxtaposes this with our human aspirations and ambitions.

The song starts with “Eagle in the dark” which highlights the helplessness we may feel at times by contrasting an eagles keen eyesight and vision with the dark, when such vision becomes useless.

“Feathers in the pages“ highlights the many bookmarks in books of wisdom, presumably lessons learnt to be used in future.

“Monkeys in my heart, Are rattling their cages” a beautiful metaphor of the emotional desperation we find ourselves in as we yearn for something more, a higher ambition or aspiration. Implying we want to do more and become more but achieving this is difficult and seemingly impossible - being caged.

Found a way to blue and another ghost to follow” refers to finding a way to cope, mostly by something or someone aspirational, but the true reality it being an empty promise or hope. A ghost something empty and which you cannot grasp. “said its only up to you and that’s the hardest pill to swallow” refers to the reality of it really being up to the individual to make their way out of the situation. This is both aspirational and depressing in the sense that the world is your ouster but in the end it’s really only you who can control your destiny giving you a sense of loneliness in this world, no one is going to look after you or fix all your bad mistakes. “Hardest pill to swallow” refers the difficulty of accepting the above proposition and dealing with it.

“You never get to choose” the reality is that at birth you already have been served or given circumstances which you cannot change, socially, culturally and sociology-economically. “You live on what they sent you” refers to living with and accepting the circumstances you’ve been given by society, basically making do as your situation is helpless as a child. And you know they're gonna use The things you love against you” this refers to the how life itself, society and/or the system it operates within is brutal and often forces you to make difficult decisions where you are forced to decide between those you love or your spirit ions and ambitions effectively being a measure of control over you… where you seemingly cannot have it all.

One foot in the grave and one foot in the shower highlights the situation I life where we are both dead and alive - referring to the refreshing or awakening feeling of a shower. We feel both dead by the pressure of making a living and dealing with all the problems in life. We are awake in the sense that we still have hope, aspirations and ambitions that can drive us in life.

“There's never time to save You're paying by the hour” highlights our sobering predicament basically time is relentlessly ticking away hour by hour, you cannot save time. This is also a double meaning conveying the socioeconomic pressures of life, where we do not have the time to focus on what we really aspire to due to the need to survive and pay for basic necessities.

And that’s just the way it goes highlights that this is the truth of the matter Falling awake - by recognising this your are gradually becoming enlightened to reality.

“Slipping through the bars Aware of the danger” refers to accepting the risks that come with life and reaching your ambitions “Of riding in the cars Taking candy from strangers” highlights how these risks are inevitable even in the most basic things of life such as riding in a car. This risk is also clearly evident and we accept it. Other risks can be more sinister and subtle where we do not immediately recognise the danger, but which may seem to be opportunities using a child and taking candy from strangers as a metaphor.

“And it's never out of hand” it’s not always out of our control “Never out of pocket” especially when we have the finance or money to support us “I'm supersonic man” Do you wanna buy a rocket?” Refers to an aspirational hero who offers to sell you hope with all their money and control. This really makes you think about the ability to do anything and achieve your aspirations of you had deep pockets. It also highlights how this is the dream being sold by advertisers and those with power and control.

I could learn to play the game learn to run the hustle. The author could learn to participate and manipulate the system, if only the had the leverage through money, intelligence, or power the key requirements for control, as we see time and again throughout history.