Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The Grand Illusion

I'm showing my age here, but I'm sure there are some of you out there who remember The Grand Illusion by Styx. The album's theme was the struggle to overcome self-deluding superficiality in order to affirm one's genuine value.

I listened to that album countless times as a teenager, but I don't suppose I ever paid close attention to the title song until recently.

Welcome to the grand illusion

Come on in and see whats happening

Pay the price, get your tickets for the show

The stage is set, the band starts playing

Suddenly your heart is pounding

Wishing secretly you were a star.


But don't be fooled by the radio

The TV or the magazines

They show you photographs of how your life should be

But they're just someone else's fantasy


So if you think your life is complete confusion

Because you never win the game

Just remember that its a grand illusion

And deep inside were all the same.

Were all the same...


So if you think your life is complete confusion

Because your neighbors got it made

Just remember that its a grand illusion

And deep inside were all the same.

Were all the same...


America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition

Get yourself a brand new motor car

Someday soon well stop to ponder what on earths this spell were under

We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are.


It reminds me of the sentiment that inspired this blog: That maybe it's time to stop competing to have all, be all and do all in order to impress others (or ourselves). I imagine, at the end of the day, none of it will matter, and we'll find that deep inside, we really are all the same.

*****

A Little Thing To Save Money and Time: Distance yourself from advertising. Mute the TV commercials, throw away the catalogs and cancel your subscriptions to the glossy ad-laden magazines. Be who you really are and not who Madison Avenue says you should be.

5 comments:

Lisa B. said...

I listened to that also!

Not sure where you're at but my family and I are south of Kansas City about 25 miles.

I enjoy your blog!

Annie Jones said...

Lisa: Thanks for stopping by. We are probably not far from each other; I'm in one of the southern suburbs. Email me and I'll tell you which one. :) The address is in my profile.

DadGuy said...

Nice. A friend of mine really liked styx while I was growing up. However it wasn't exactly new when I was in high school. =)

Bob said...

I'll share some lines from some System of a Down songs that I like that seem fitting:

"Propaganda leaves us blinded
Television made you buy it"

"It's on your TV.
Turn off your TV.
Can you say brainwashing?
It's a non-stop disco."

"Every minute, every second,
Buy, buy, buy, buy, buy
Advertising causes need"

Annie Jones said...

Dadguy: In my defense, it came out when I was in 7th or 8th grade so it was a couple of years old by the time I got to high school. The album came with a poster that I distinctly remember having on my bedroom wall on my 16th birthday. :)

Nobody: That's great! Very fitting. I've heard of SoaD, but have never listened to them (that I know of). I'll have to check them out.