Indigo Girls – Galileo

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  General Comment:Man, can I ever relate! Though I do not believe in reincarnation, the thought it proposes is intriguing none-the-less. My favorite verses:
  
  "Galileo's head was on the block
  The crime was lookin' up the truth
  And as the bombshells of my daily fears explode
  I try to trace them to my youth"
  
  And...
  
  "I offer thanks to those before me,
  That's all I've got to say"
  
  I think she is both appreciating the knowledge that Galileo contributed to the world ("I offer thanks to those before me...""kind of nightvision, king of insight") and in her own quest for the truth, feels as though she has comitted some crime when, indeed she can trace this part of herself way back to her youth.
  
  That realization this many years later (since I loved this song before) nearly makes me cry. Life can become so bizarre and complicated sometimes that it's book worthy.

  Flag driftingdreameron June 15, 2012   Link

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  General Comment:"Some other fool across the ocean years ago, Must have crashed his little airplane"
  
  I always wondered if that referred to Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, the author of "The Little Prince", which has strong themes of "the heart can see what the eyes cannot", and remember the little prince devoting so much time to the rose and the fox telling him that is what makes it so special to him...
  
  The whole book has insights to human nature.

  Flag etriganon September 29, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:Such incredible lyrics. Not to take a position on the idea of reincarnation, but this song is great at pointing at all the implications of such an idea.
  
  For instance,
  
  "If we wait for the time till all souls get it right
  Then at least I know there'll be no nuclear annihilation". How could a soul that got it right ever resort to nuclear annihilation. Wow!
  
  Or, the idea that reincarnation can result in nothing but fingerpointing.
  
  "But then again it feels like some sort of inspiration
  To let the next life off the hook
  But she'll say "Look what I had to overcome from my last life"
  
  Such a great song.

  Flag SpringsteenisGodon June 28, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:i love the images this song makes. like every time i hear the lines "some other fool across the ocean years ago/must have crashed his little airplane" i think of amelia earhart. i know it says his, but that's just the picture my mind conjures for me.

  Flag whyyesitscaron March 12, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:Not to take anything away from the song, but they forgot to mention that Galileo also went blind staring at the sun through a telescope. I guess nobody's the king of insight.

  Flag EZEebson February 16, 2008   Link

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  General Comment:this is just SUCH A GOOD SONG! 'nuff said...

  Flag kindraon March 27, 2007   Link

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  General Comment:To show how great of song this is - Jackson Browne and David Crosby sing backup on it. These are two of the greatest lyricists ever - singing on a very well-written song.

  Flag Tmo2199on April 02, 2006   Link

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    Yeah! Wonderful song, wonderfully performed!

    Flag Derefon March 07, 2010  
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  General Comment:The lyric that starts "I think about my fear of motion" is amazing! They're using the idea of past lives to explore moving away from the baggage in your past and attain a better way of living. Great song!

  Flag colum1225on June 09, 2005   Link

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  General Comment:I used to hear the Golden Overtones sing this song every week on Sproul Plaza. They kicked ass.

  Flag gilbagon March 19, 2005   Link

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  General Comment:What a cool song! Everytime I play it, I experience a soaring feeling in my soul!
  
  This is about the soul's yearing for higher wisdom and fulfillment. The highest heights are attainable only through commitment to truth. The Indigo Girls know what they're singing about here!

  Flag SongMeaningGuyon June 10, 2004   Link

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