As a reference for Cicero, Tusculan Disputations 3.11:
George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic are hardly to everyone's taste; my father would go into conniptions if I ever put on one of his records. Still, understood in a certain way, there can be a profound wisdom to his colorful brand of the funk.
I regularly find it helpful, for example, to play this song in my head whenever my feelings are trying to hijack my thinking. Your milage, of course, may vary. . . .
Funkadelic, "Free Your Mind and Your Ass Will Follow" from Free Your Mind . . . (1970)
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
The kingdom of heaven is within
Open up your funky mind and you can fly
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
Freedom is free of the need to be free
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
Yeah!
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
Whoaaaaa!
Free your mind (will you free your mind?)
And your ass will follow (and your ass will follow)
I have never, never never
Never in my life
Have this given to me
Free your mind and your ass will follow
Not like you, boy
You are as free as you want to be (your ass will follow)
Well, I discovered that this life that was gettin' to me
Is not really mine (Free your mind and your ass will follow)
If it were mine, I would have fun all of the time
I'm very disgruntled now
Now, I want a way out, now
I have to find a way
I have to find some way out
Free your mind and your ass will follow
Give it up, give it up (free your mind and your ass will follow)
Give it up and give it to me, baby
I'm calling you love
Love
From my heart
Free your mind and your ass will follow
Wowww!
Get it on!
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
The kingdom of heaven is within (are you satisfied?)
(I wanna know! Free your mind and your ass will follow)
The kingdom of heaven is within (I really care)
The kingdom of heaven is within
I'm so confused about it all
I'm so confused about the whole thing
I don't understand
I don't understand nothin'
I don't know what I feel
I can't feel me, I can't live me, I can't be me
My mind, it does not belong to me
I'm so confused
I can't hear myself
I can't hear myself calling for help
I can't free my mind
So my ass can't follow
Someone help me
I got to get help
Here's my arm
Help me escape
I don't want to
I can't free my mind
No, no, no
They won't free me
I can't run
I can't get out
I can't free my mind
I'm so mixed up
So mixed up
What time is it?
Resurrection, free of charge
I can't hear me
Free your mind and your ass will follow
I can't
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
The kingdom of heaven is within (are you satisfied?)
(I wanna know! Free your mind and your ass will follow)
The kingdom of heaven is within (I really care)
The kingdom of heaven is within
I'm so confused about it all
I'm so confused about the whole thing
I don't understand
I don't understand nothin'
I don't know what I feel
I can't feel me, I can't live me, I can't be me
My mind, it does not belong to me
I'm so confused
I can't hear myself
I can't hear myself calling for help
I can't free my mind
So my ass can't follow
Someone help me
I got to get help
Here's my arm
Help me escape
I don't want to
I can't free my mind
No, no, no
They won't free me
I can't run
I can't get out
I can't free my mind
I'm so mixed up
So mixed up
What time is it?
Resurrection, free of charge
I can't hear me
Free your mind and your ass will follow
I can't
Free your mind and your ass will follow
The kingdom of heaven is within
Sounds weird, but the voice work and introductory sound effects made me think of old school Sesame Street...I guess the 70s has a very particular sound, and Jim Henson was an artsy guy, so I guess it's not too out there.
ReplyDeleteI think that refrain is going to be stuck in my head for the next week though. It's not a bad mantra.
See? This stuff has a way of sneaking up on you! :-)
ReplyDelete