Last week a friend suggested the song Myth by beach house. I am not an avid music fan and had not heard that before. But as soon as I started listening to this on YouTube, I found the song to be catchy yet haunting. To see if it was just me or whether the people felt the same, I went down in the comments section and went through a few. Majority of the comments shared the same view but there was one comment by Thomas Kuzmik that perfectly summarized what I was feeling:
“Myth is a human attempt to overcome our Reality, and that Naming gives us a sense of control over people and things and events. This incredible song radiates that feeling of rolling the stone of Sisyphus up the hill. Although the stone may roll back on us over and over again, and our repeated attempts may seem futile, it is our determination to keep trying and never to quit that grants us dignity and a sense of inner tranquility.”
The tune immediately pulled me into the song, setting a dark scene while showing the silver lining, providing the courage to push forward. The lyrics and voice of the singer aligned perfectly with the emotions it stirred. The words “… It came rolling down your cheek, you say just what you mean, and in between, It’s never as it seems…” takes you by the hand to the darkest corner of the mind and lets you face them. Almost, as if, shifting under the cover of myth, we humans, try to rationalize our actions and make it justifiable. It tries to convince us that hoping for happiness does not have to make us feel guilty. And that we can seek forgiveness to start life anew as long as our actions does not cause additional grief to people around us.
“can’t keep hangin’ on
To what is dead and gone
If you built yourself a myth you’d know just what to give
Materialize
Or let the ashes fly”
While listening, I found myself drifting in memories, trying to deal with the surging emotions, trying to name or label the struggles of life and find the harmony between all the troughs and crests. While I cannot change the past, I can be true to myself, accept the mistakes, and let it guide me out of darkness. Myth is a beautiful haunting song that leaves you craving for more after the music ends, leaving a trail of memories on its wake.
And not to mention the tune at the very end, I could hear that all day long! A very lucky find indeed.
Here is the link to YouTube in case this doesn’t load.