I agree with the notion that the lyrics to Siberian Khatru are impressionistic and not literal. (IMHO, Jon Anderson's lyrics are almost always that way -- and range from gorgeous gibberish to self-indulgent babble -- or worse; I find it generally best to think of his voice as an instrument, and his words as tones and musical phrases, rather than language.
I also agree that it's unfortunate when some Christians (or atheists, Freemasons, Paul-is-dead freaks, etc. ...) ind contrived "evidence" of sympathy for their beliefs/lifestyles/theories in works of art , music, poetry, or literature. (There's plenty of art that IS sympathetic to particular beliefs/constituencies, and that's great; I'm referring only to efforts to conjure sensibilities that don't, or couldn't, exist. (A nonmusical example is the notion that Superman, the creation of two first-generation Jewish immigrants, is a Christ figure.)
Unfortunately, opaque poetry like Anderson's, lacking as it is in intrinsic meaning, leaves itself wide open to projected interpretations of all stripes.
Having said all that, however, it's hard to dispute some kind of Christian spin in Siberian Khatru, particularly since it contains the word "Christian," along with "Luther" and "saviour". I don't think it translates into a literal parable, but Christ (or Christianity) must have been among the ideas bobbing along Anderson's stream of consciousness when he worked out the lyrics to "Siberian Khatru."
@jimakin You're completely wrong. Like many of Jon Anderson's lyrics, this is an expression of his ideals regarding the unity of humanity. Siberians suffering through their winter (which is what he says Khatru means) are still exactly like us.
@jimakin You're completely wrong. Like many of Jon Anderson's lyrics, this is an expression of his ideals regarding the unity of humanity. Siberians suffering through their winter (which is what he says Khatru means) are still exactly like us.
Anderson intentionally creates sound sculptures of his lyrics, organizing them as much to sound beautiful as for their meaning, but this only makes the poetry more impressionistic, not meaningless at all.
Anderson intentionally creates sound sculptures of his lyrics, organizing them as much to sound beautiful as for their meaning, but this only makes the poetry more impressionistic, not meaningless at all.
It's not that Anderson's lyrics lack intrinsic meaning, it's just that you're too dunderheaded to recognize that the meaning simply escapes you.
It's not that Anderson's lyrics lack intrinsic meaning, it's just that you're too dunderheaded to recognize that the meaning simply escapes you.
I agree with the notion that the lyrics to Siberian Khatru are impressionistic and not literal. (IMHO, Jon Anderson's lyrics are almost always that way -- and range from gorgeous gibberish to self-indulgent babble -- or worse; I find it generally best to think of his voice as an instrument, and his words as tones and musical phrases, rather than language.
I also agree that it's unfortunate when some Christians (or atheists, Freemasons, Paul-is-dead freaks, etc. ...) ind contrived "evidence" of sympathy for their beliefs/lifestyles/theories in works of art , music, poetry, or literature. (There's plenty of art that IS sympathetic to particular beliefs/constituencies, and that's great; I'm referring only to efforts to conjure sensibilities that don't, or couldn't, exist. (A nonmusical example is the notion that Superman, the creation of two first-generation Jewish immigrants, is a Christ figure.)
Unfortunately, opaque poetry like Anderson's, lacking as it is in intrinsic meaning, leaves itself wide open to projected interpretations of all stripes.
Having said all that, however, it's hard to dispute some kind of Christian spin in Siberian Khatru, particularly since it contains the word "Christian," along with "Luther" and "saviour". I don't think it translates into a literal parable, but Christ (or Christianity) must have been among the ideas bobbing along Anderson's stream of consciousness when he worked out the lyrics to "Siberian Khatru."
@jimakin You're completely wrong. Like many of Jon Anderson's lyrics, this is an expression of his ideals regarding the unity of humanity. Siberians suffering through their winter (which is what he says Khatru means) are still exactly like us.
@jimakin You're completely wrong. Like many of Jon Anderson's lyrics, this is an expression of his ideals regarding the unity of humanity. Siberians suffering through their winter (which is what he says Khatru means) are still exactly like us.
Anderson intentionally creates sound sculptures of his lyrics, organizing them as much to sound beautiful as for their meaning, but this only makes the poetry more impressionistic, not meaningless at all.
Anderson intentionally creates sound sculptures of his lyrics, organizing them as much to sound beautiful as for their meaning, but this only makes the poetry more impressionistic, not meaningless at all.
It's not that Anderson's lyrics lack intrinsic meaning, it's just that you're too dunderheaded to recognize that the meaning simply escapes you.
It's not that Anderson's lyrics lack intrinsic meaning, it's just that you're too dunderheaded to recognize that the meaning simply escapes you.