Stoic Music 3

I was just beginning to take the possibility of a Stoic life seriously, not simply as a theory but as an everyday practice, and the blokes in my favorite band band, Marillion, had to release this tune. Those insightful bastards. My wife and I had just lost our first son. I was beginning to understand that I had made truly horrible professional choices, and even more severe personal ones, for my entire adult life.

St. Augustine said that when you sing, you pray twice. I also think that when you hear truth, not only in words but also in music, you are twice blessed.

Marillion, "Rich". from marillion.com (1999)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x2B5AhcKXs

Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run
The fearful fall foul of fate as often as the reckless

You don't need money to be rich anyhow
Spending yourself is what it's all about

No tears
No lies
No pain
No doubt
No darkness
No confusion
No loneliness, despair
No more, no more
It's all illusion

If you have made mistakes
There's always another chance for you
You can start over again at any moment
Any little time you choose

Talk about failure
To fall is not to fail
Failure isn't about falling down
Failure is staying down

Energy makes energy anyhow
Spend yourself and get rich right now

No tears
No pain
No lies
No doubt
No darkness
No confusion
No loneliness, despair
No way, no how
It's all illusion

Reality is something that you rise above
We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are
There's always another chance for you
You can start over again
Start over again
Over again
Any little time you choose
Get rich right now

Written on 8/01/2010