This article is part of my Alchemy in Popular Music series. If you have not yet done so, then be sure to read the introductory article to get a good overview of this subject.
This is a prime example of a song that makes absolutely no sense if taken literally. Dancing horses? Charlie Clown? Shaking while I'm breaking? What in the world are these bunny fellows talking about? If you find yourself befuddled, then simply take a moment to relax. If you sit down and think about these seemingly bizarre lyrics, then their true meaning will begin to emerge. Even if you don't immediately understand such cryptic language, you can at least feel that there is something to it. Such feelings are not baseless. Something in this song speaks to you. Now let's examine what that something is.
This song is about the alchemical process. It is alluding to the present phase of the Great Work, which is an ages long process of human progress/evolution. We are now living through an alchemical phase which has actually been referred to as an age of transitions. It is an era of rapid change, and our present place in time is actually a period of alchemical dissolution. This means that the world as we know it is beginning to break apart. In the eyes of the Master Alchemists such destruction is viewed as a good thing, because it makes way for an entirely new world to be christened.
Thinking deeply on these points we can begin to understand the meaning of these lyrics,
First I'm gonna make it Then I'm gonna break it Till it falls apart
These words are used in the chorus, and so they are repeated over and over again throughout the song. As such, they are the most important lines to be understood. So what exactly is it that is being made only to be broken?
This song is being presented from the point of view of the Alchemist. It is he who creates only to later destroy his own creation. This is all part of his alchemical process of perfection. It is something that works in cycles and stages. The first creation is never perfect. That is why it must be broken down, and rebuilt time and again. This point can be understood on many different levels. It is helpful to think of these alchemical stages in the context of the development of mankind. There is Man's creation and his subsequent evolution. It is through evolution that Man ultimately brings about the expansion of his own creative power. This represents apotheosis, aka Man's Rise to Godhood. Time has a very important role in this process. It is what brings both the creator and the creation together in the end. This is the end goal of alchemy: Union with God.
The gods of alchemy both create and destroy. They create systems of human organization (governments/societies) to attain certain goals, and then proceed to destroy those very same systems after they have served their purpose or outlived their usefulness. The Apocalypse has to be brought back every so often to cleanse the Earth of its old ways, and to ring in the new. The Dancing Horses lyric actually refers to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The Alchemist welcomes these riders because they harken the ritual that is Armageddon. That's right, the Apocalypse is actually symbolic of a ritual. It is a death and rebirth ritual on a mass scale. The death of an old world and the birth of a new one. This is actually very basic symbolism within the Mystery Tradition, but when viewed from a macrocosmic perspective the meaning of the alchemical process becomes more significant.
Albrecht Dürer, The Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Evangelical Christians crying out that we are approaching the Apocalypse are actually partially correct. We are indeed living it out. Although, it is crucial that we actually understand what this means. The "end of the world" represents the end of all value systems that brought meaning to humanity in the passing age. A New World is being brought in to further the evolutionary process of humanity. The end goal is actual union with the divine. This is being spurred on by the practitioners of an esoteric religion, a hidden religion that has ruled the world for untold ages. Civilization has always been the crux of its Method. This knowledge is the key to understanding the many mysteries throughout recorded history.
In the characters of Jimmy Brown and Charlie Clown we see the Salt of the Earth average people. Brown is a color used to represent dirt, earth, or clay. This is the substance of legend that was said to be used by God to create Man as a potter creates his bowl on a potter's wheel. We all know that ceramics are fragile and prone to breaking. This may be the reason for these lyrics,
Hating all the faking And shaking while I'm breaking Your brittle heart
Also in these lyrics is a reference to lies. As the brittle man recognizes the many lies surrounding him he becomes broken in spirit. At one time Jimmy Brown actually believed these lies to be true, but at the end of an age things change. All of those lies are brought out into the open for everyone to see. And why is it that formerly covert lies are exposed in such a way? For the very purpose of breaking Jimmy apart. He shivers as he realizes that his entire worldview was based on lies. This brings about a sense of hopelessness within him. As his faith is completely smashed the stage is set to build up an entirely new world. Jimmy won't mind because he no longer knows what to believe in. He is trapped in a state of cognitive dissonance. Meanwhile, new generations stand ready to hear the gospels of a new messiah.
Bring on the new messiah Wherever he may roam
Another point to mention about Jimmy Brown is that he is made of stone. This is another alchemy reference. It shows that Jimmy's actual body is the stone, or ashlar to be perfected. By shaping Jimmy's ideas about the world the Philosopher sculpts the Stone. He makes it a piece of art. Jimmy is actually recreated by the Alchemist. It is the Alchemist who is (and has always been) the hidden god of the esoteric tradition. It is his assumed place to recreate/perfect the imperfect creation that is the common man.
The "new messiah" line in this song is what really brought its esoteric meaning home for me. I was actually taken aback at the boldness of this line. What is more amazing still is the fact that such words can be slipped into popular songs, and remain relatively unnoticed. The true power of alchemy is that it remains covert and misunderstood.
There will be more articles in this series coming soon. If you enjoyed this article, then please leave a comment, share it, or even repost it somewhere online. Just be sure to give me authorship credit and a link back to TheAgeofTransitions.com
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