In Steven Wilson
we have that rarest of gifts;
a novel witness
One of the few haiku I've written for which the title is not simply the first line of the haiku. For good reason.
Being a fan of Wilson's since 2006, I have long been a fan of his intuitive and nuanced lyrics, which are among the best I've run across in music of any genre.
I am making him # 67 among my daily haiku, in honor of his frequent references to having been born in 1967, which was indeed a pivotal moment in rock music.
But it was in playing around with software called "Anagram Genius," years ago, that I first realized that an anagram of "Steven Wilson," is "Novel Witness."
Which, considering his adept and objective witnessing of the world around us, seemed the single most apt description of all.
If I could vote for him as a witness I would. In the meantime, I vote for him, and stand ready to defend him, as one of the most insightful, intuitive and truthful observers of our modern world, ready to stand up for what he believes in, and for that I thank him, and will continue supporting him and his music for as long as I am able.
As just one among many examples, his "Fear of a Blank Planet," coincidentally released by Porcupine Tree on the same day as the Virginia Tech shootings, speaks directly to the issue of drugging our kids with antidepressants, of guns in schools, and of the resulting issues from a confluence of the two.
Although the band immediately removed the video from their website after hearing the news, Wilson stated later that he felt somewhat vindicated, because what he was talking about in the song is precisely what happened at Virginia Tech.
There is an official video, but because it cuts out the most important and moving part of the song, like most radio edits, I am forgoing that in place of this, the complete album cut of the song.
And, in intervening years, Wilson has continued to be a reliable and objective witness to modern life, which I think might be anathema even to him. Enjoy.
Lyrics:
Fear of a Blank Planet
Sunlight coming through the haze
No gaps in the blind
To let it inside
The bed is unmade
Some music still plays
TV, yeah it's always on
The flicker of the screen
A movie actress screams
I'm basking in the shit flowing out of it
I'm stoned in the mall again
Terminally bored
Shuffling round the stores
And shoplifting is getting so last year's thing
X-box is a god to me
A finger on the switch
My mother is a bitch
My father gave up ever trying to talk to me
Don't try engaging me
The vaguest of shrugs
The prescription drugs
You'll never find
A person inside
My face is mogadon
Curiosity
Has given up on me
I'm tuning out desires
The pills are on the rise
How can be sure I'm here?
The pills that I've been taking confuse me
I need to know that someone sees that
There's nothing left I simply am not here
I'm through with pornography
The acting is lame
The action is tame
Explicitly dull
Arousal annulled
Your mouth should be boarded up
Talking all day
With nothing to say
Your shallow proclamations
All misinformation
My friend says he wants to die
He's in a band
They sound like Pearl Jam
The clothes are all black
The music is crap
In school I don't concentrate
And sex is kinda fun
But just another one
Of all the empty ways
Of using up a day
How can be sure I'm here?
The pills that I've been taking confuse me
I need to know that someone sees that
There's nothing left I simply am not here
Bipolar disorder
Can't deal with the boredom
You don't try to be liked
You don't mind
You feel no sun
You steal a gun
To kill time
You're somewhere, you're nowhere
You don't care
You catch the breeze
You still the leaves
So now where?
All words and images are my own. The photograph was taken on 21 Sept 2010, during the NYC premiere of his road film, "Insurgentes," which I took with my Canon PowerShot SX 30iS camera.
All words, with the exception of Steven Wilson's lyrics, are my own.
The song and video are the intellectual property of Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, and all rights remain with them, their producers and record companies. I claim no rights, but offer this video, as I offer all the music videos I post, in the hopes of promoting Steven Wilson and Porcupine Tree, so that more people become familiar with their music, and with hopes that they grow their fan base in the process, as they so richly deserve.
Resteeming is welcome, you may link to my post from your own website or blog, and you may use excerpts and/or images as long as you credit me, Cori MacNaughton, and link back to this post.
Please ask for permission, before using my work without linking to this post, as all rights are reserved.