The album is a thought process describing the phenomenon of the human condition when they realize the predicament they are in. A physical holdup.

In other words?

It’s the process of remembering that you are more than your physical body.
It’s easy to forget in a world like this one.

When I think about how I am limited by my body, it begins to feel like a never ending rabbit hole. I sleep half the day, and am (arguably) required to eat and drink water every day. Work days, flight schedules, floor plans of our homes, all set up to support the body. Economy. A system of keeping masses of people up and running.  Sun rise, sun set. Eat, sleep, drink, reproduce.

Here’s a breakdown of the record, track by track.

01 I Have A Feeling
02 Am I A Madman?
03 Cosmic
04 Trains
05 River’s Rising
06 The Physical Holdup
07 Production Consumption
08 Go On
09 The Retaining Wall
10 I Write So Thunderous
11 Remote View
12 The Only Way Out Is In

01 I HAVE A FEELING

The album begins with “I have a feeling,” which describes becoming restless at the endless supply of thoughts streaming through our minds every day.

02 AM I A MADMAN?

It moves to “Am I a Madman?” It’s a song that wonders if anyone else is noticing synchronicity. Coincidences shout that there is much more at work than physical life. Do you see it too? I woke up! How could I not sing about it? It saved me.

03 COSMIC

There is more going on than meets the eye, or your science experiments. Outer space, inner space, a Quantum God.

04 TRAINS

This song says, “I lied to her majesty today when she asked me how was my stay. I said, “fine,” but I’m not fine. I am on a train getting away from here.” Trains symbolizing soul travel. Too busy searching for meaning to be okay with a day job. The power tripped rat race will no longer suffice.

05 RIVER’S RISING

“I see cars go by in the city streets. It’s day, it’s night, it’s over. Why bother? What is mine, what is me, what I say, what I see, it’s over. Why bother?” Finally – I am free from attachment to the events of this life. Send the flood, I still have happiness.

06 THE PHYSICAL HOLDUP

The title track says, “If it weren’t for this body, I’d sleep in the snow, but as it is now I can’t take the cold.” Our social systems keep bodies alive, but not souls.

07 PRODUCTION CONSUMPTION

“Production Consumption” says: “Take and you take and you give it away.” This is all we do with energy. We’ve constructed systems to produce and consume – but what about the part of us that exists not just to eat, sleep and reproduce? Life looks monotonous looking at it from the outside in.

08 GO ON

This song builds the courage to live according to the spirit and not the body. Go on and burn the house down and be done at last. “Your fire will still burn in the rain, so go on!”

09 THE RETAINING WALL

“The Retaining Wall” addresses the rules in the systems that keeps people separated from each other, judging each other, and killing each other. It says: “A holy roller stole the day. Took our joy to show the right way. Made new rules to show our wrongs. Disallowed the singing of songs. You’ll find me once again – I say, ‘rebel’ but some call it ‘sin.’ Rock by rock the wall comes down that’s been retaining us.

10 I WRITE SO THUNDEROUS

“I Write So Thunderous” describes the weight of feelings and emotions. Energy has no size, yet our bodies are limited. “Do you think it’s easy going around with eyes as big as mine?”

11 REMOTE VIEW

Hindsight is 20/20, especially when you look at the body from outside of it. The exploration of consciousness relieves the spirit with some perspective. “So, this is what it’s like when I’m not home.”

12 THE ONLY WAY OUT IS IN
Inward we go to explore the true final frontier for more ultimate answers. “So where do we go where no one will bother us? Safe, tucked away where no one will bother us so we can go in?” Where can we go without being judged, poked, prodded, get a job, join society, you’re under arrest, buy my product, keep putting money in my offering plate, you can only get the answers from me. Free is true and free is natural. Leave us alone so we can go in.

If you relate to any of the above, scream “I.”