No one was even close on this one ;). It has been pointed out that the lyrics that were originally
posted are wrong. The re-posted lyrics appear correct. So here is the real deal. This song was
"ripped off" by Waters. As some of you know, Roger had to step into the role as "leader" of the
Floyd when Syd stepped out (so to speak). Roger has admitted to "ripping of Chinese poetry
from the late T'ang period" in writing this song. The addition of the space elements and suicidal
space flight into 'the heart of the sun' were his own. This was a period where Waters was
consciously trying to produce fantasy lyrical musings that matched the original Floyd hits as
penned by Syd B. Water's himself has admitted this fact in many interviews. Great song none
the less. The music is very trance inducing. Now what the original meaning of the Taoist poems
are up for grabs. The following website provides a large amount of info on this whole
discussion, and appears very scholarly: cjvlang.com/Pfloyd/index.html
It makes perfect sense these lyrics were taken from Chinese Taoist poetry. There are many references to practical spirituality in these verses which are often described by adepts of spiritual meditation. There is a universal stage of out of body experience while in meditation, as described by adepts where one penetrates through the middle of a spiritual sun, which leads to a higher stage of spirituality. There lies the basic concept behind the song: Setting the controls (spiritual preparation/meditation) to reach the heart of the sun.
It makes perfect sense these lyrics were taken from Chinese Taoist poetry. There are many references to practical spirituality in these verses which are often described by adepts of spiritual meditation. There is a universal stage of out of body experience while in meditation, as described by adepts where one penetrates through the middle of a spiritual sun, which leads to a higher stage of spirituality. There lies the basic concept behind the song: Setting the controls (spiritual preparation/meditation) to reach the heart of the sun.
Examples in the lyrics describing the concept of meditation:
“Little by little the night turns around” (and)
"Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine”
These lines refer to the meditation process, which begins with inner darkness and slowly expands to inner light while ones eyes are shut. This breaking of darkness 'wakens the grapevine' which gives spiritual intoxication from it's wine.
“Love is the shadow that ripens the wine"
This is reference to feelings of love in meditation which ripen the wine (wine again being a symbol of spiritual intoxication rather than alcohol).
Other key ideas in meditation are referred to such as “watching the watcher”, and “making the shape of his question to heaven” (heaven being on the other side if he is able and penetrate through the heart of the sun)
Below is the complete set of lyrics copied again from the 8th post for reference:
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Little by little the night turns around
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn
Lotuses lean on each other in yearning
Under the eaves the swallow is resting
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Over the mountain, watching the watcher
Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine
One inch of love is one inch of shadow
Love is the shadow that ripens the wine
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Witness the man who raves at the wall
Making the shape of his question to heaven
Whether the sun will fall in the evening
Will he remember the lesson of giving
Set the controls for the heart of the sun
while i feel inclined to agree that this song may have been influenced by daoist (spelled with a "d" rather than a "t" since that seems to be the more accepted romanization of the word currently) poetry and daoist ideas, i doubt that the story about roger waters ripping it straight out of a daoist poem is actually true, because:
while i feel inclined to agree that this song may have been influenced by daoist (spelled with a "d" rather than a "t" since that seems to be the more accepted romanization of the word currently) poetry and daoist ideas, i doubt that the story about roger waters ripping it straight out of a daoist poem is actually true, because:
>
Pink Floyd simply isn't that sort of band
and 2. Syd Barret was actually still with the band during the production of this album (it was, in fact, the last album he did with the band) and therefor waters wouldn't have been trying to write songs in the same style as those of barret due to the fact that barret was still the leader of the band at the time the song of written.
@Rbuzz I would agree, with one caveat: the flight isn't about suicide but rather, using the Suns gravity to jump to another star. Waters was also reading a lot of SciFi then, Aurthur C. Clarke in particular. Hence, the music slowly distorts as the ship is flung through time and space, only to resume once it reaches a new destination.
@Rbuzz I would agree, with one caveat: the flight isn't about suicide but rather, using the Suns gravity to jump to another star. Waters was also reading a lot of SciFi then, Aurthur C. Clarke in particular. Hence, the music slowly distorts as the ship is flung through time and space, only to resume once it reaches a new destination.
No one was even close on this one ;). It has been pointed out that the lyrics that were originally posted are wrong. The re-posted lyrics appear correct. So here is the real deal. This song was "ripped off" by Waters. As some of you know, Roger had to step into the role as "leader" of the Floyd when Syd stepped out (so to speak). Roger has admitted to "ripping of Chinese poetry from the late T'ang period" in writing this song. The addition of the space elements and suicidal space flight into 'the heart of the sun' were his own. This was a period where Waters was consciously trying to produce fantasy lyrical musings that matched the original Floyd hits as penned by Syd B. Water's himself has admitted this fact in many interviews. Great song none the less. The music is very trance inducing. Now what the original meaning of the Taoist poems are up for grabs. The following website provides a large amount of info on this whole discussion, and appears very scholarly: cjvlang.com/Pfloyd/index.html
It makes perfect sense these lyrics were taken from Chinese Taoist poetry. There are many references to practical spirituality in these verses which are often described by adepts of spiritual meditation. There is a universal stage of out of body experience while in meditation, as described by adepts where one penetrates through the middle of a spiritual sun, which leads to a higher stage of spirituality. There lies the basic concept behind the song: Setting the controls (spiritual preparation/meditation) to reach the heart of the sun.
It makes perfect sense these lyrics were taken from Chinese Taoist poetry. There are many references to practical spirituality in these verses which are often described by adepts of spiritual meditation. There is a universal stage of out of body experience while in meditation, as described by adepts where one penetrates through the middle of a spiritual sun, which leads to a higher stage of spirituality. There lies the basic concept behind the song: Setting the controls (spiritual preparation/meditation) to reach the heart of the sun.
Examples in the lyrics describing the concept of meditation: “Little by little the night turns around” (and) "Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine” These lines refer to the meditation process, which begins with inner darkness and slowly expands to inner light while ones eyes are shut. This breaking of darkness 'wakens the grapevine' which gives spiritual intoxication from it's wine.
“Love is the shadow that ripens the wine" This is reference to feelings of love in meditation which ripen the wine (wine again being a symbol of spiritual intoxication rather than alcohol).
Other key ideas in meditation are referred to such as “watching the watcher”, and “making the shape of his question to heaven” (heaven being on the other side if he is able and penetrate through the heart of the sun)
Below is the complete set of lyrics copied again from the 8th post for reference:
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun
Little by little the night turns around Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn Lotuses lean on each other in yearning Under the eaves the swallow is resting Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Over the mountain, watching the watcher Breaking the darkness, waking the grapevine One inch of love is one inch of shadow Love is the shadow that ripens the wine Set the controls for the heart of the sun
Witness the man who raves at the wall Making the shape of his question to heaven Whether the sun will fall in the evening Will he remember the lesson of giving Set the controls for the heart of the sun
while i feel inclined to agree that this song may have been influenced by daoist (spelled with a "d" rather than a "t" since that seems to be the more accepted romanization of the word currently) poetry and daoist ideas, i doubt that the story about roger waters ripping it straight out of a daoist poem is actually true, because:
while i feel inclined to agree that this song may have been influenced by daoist (spelled with a "d" rather than a "t" since that seems to be the more accepted romanization of the word currently) poetry and daoist ideas, i doubt that the story about roger waters ripping it straight out of a daoist poem is actually true, because:
>
Achoryzentwo your completely rite...
Achoryzentwo your completely rite...
@Rbuzz I would agree, with one caveat: the flight isn't about suicide but rather, using the Suns gravity to jump to another star. Waters was also reading a lot of SciFi then, Aurthur C. Clarke in particular. Hence, the music slowly distorts as the ship is flung through time and space, only to resume once it reaches a new destination.
@Rbuzz I would agree, with one caveat: the flight isn't about suicide but rather, using the Suns gravity to jump to another star. Waters was also reading a lot of SciFi then, Aurthur C. Clarke in particular. Hence, the music slowly distorts as the ship is flung through time and space, only to resume once it reaches a new destination.