Why Are We Dying to Live?
I can say wholeheartedly that Sevendust is my absolute favorite band/musical act, and have been for many years. Definitely since my teen years in college…which is amazing to think about. I’ve seen them live more times than I can count on both hands, and I can also say they are one of the few musical acts that gets better every single time I see them. Actually, I’ve covered all things Sevendust, including my last time seeing them here, so be sure to check that out.
Anyway, I was super excited when their most recent album, Blood & Stone, came out. Prior to the release, Sevendust unveiled a cover of the Soundgarden song ‘The Day I Tried to Live’ as a teaser. If you haven’t heard that, go listen to it now. Killer!
However, I was super excited to hear their first real single from the album, Dying to Live. The song doesn’t disappoint. It’s both heavy and melodic in that way that Sevendust has honed to a sharp edge over their career.
I’m one of those people, when I hear a new single, I will listen to it about 20 times right off the bat. The first few times, I’m listening for the lyrics. I actually own this album on vinyl, so it was a distinct pleasure to open it up, and pull out the lyric sheet. From there, I’m listening for all fo the details. One listen, I’m focused on the bass, the next I’m focused on drums, then the guitars, and of course, I’m finally focusing in on Lajon’s amazing vocals. What is he doing? Is he using virbrato? When is he using fire on his voice, and how…how much? As a former musician, I love taking some time to just rip music apart, and see how great musicians do what they do.
Now, I really dig the lyric content of this song, but I feel like the video above gives the song an entirely new dimension of sorts. If you read the comments on Youtube, you’ll see several people comment “I would definitely watch this movie!” And that’s what it feels like, a snippet from a much longer story.
The other day while walking, this tune came on, and I listened to it several times, thinking over the words. I feel like everything slaps differently in 2020. Our world has shifted so dynamically in such a short period of time. Much like when I left home for Afghanistan in 2008, I wonder who will emerge on the other side? We’ll all be changed…but will it be for the better?
Additionally, I love lyrical content that is open for interpretation. I mean, the chorus of the song isn’t exactly subtle, but it applies in so many different ways, and if you were to ask 10 people what these words mean to you, I think you’ll get 10 different interpretations:
“Every little thing we want
Rips out a piece of us
With all that we give
Why am I dying to live?
With all that we had to face
Keep dying to live”
And as I mentioned, I feel like the video takes it up a notch. After watching it 2 or 3 times, I found myself pondering, "
What’s in the briefcase?
Now, if you’re a pop culture junkie, or. a movie buff…that question should be familiar.
“Is that what I think it is?”
In the film Pulp Fiction, one of the narrative driving characters of the movie is a briefcase. Though it makes several appearances, we never actually see what’s in the briefcase…we simply see the Golden glow and the look of astonishment on peoples faces when they peer at it.
Similarly, Sevendust uses this technique, sometimes referred to as a MacGuffin, to show the struggle that the characters are going through in the aftermath of their heist gone awry.
Also,
“Hitchcock loved to use MacGuffins (say what?) in his films, and popularised the term in the 1930s. It comes from the story of two men on a train in the Scottish Highlands. There's a package on the baggage rack. One man asks what's in it, and the other tells him it's a MacGuffin – a contraption for trapping lions. When told there are no lions in those parts, he replies: "Oh, then that's no MacGuffin." In other words, a MacGuffin is nothing in and of itself – it's just a device for moving a story along. So, it doesn't matter what's in the case – just that the characters are after it. Tarantino himself says there's no one explanation. But should we really trust that spoilsport?” - Source: Dazed
And in terms of Pulp Fiction and the enigmatic case, while it has been a hotly debated topic…even the subject of academic papers (if anyone can get me a full PDF of this article, I’d love to read it), the response that I feel rings truest for me is simply desire. “Given its alluring mysteriousness, the briefcase symbolizes human desire itself, with its status as a highly coveted object mobilizing several characters to commit unspeakable acts of violence.” (gradesaver.com)
And so the question rings in our ears. Why are we dying to live? Why do we push ourselves to the edges of madness, to get the things that we want, and in many cases ultimately don’t need, simply to be dealt death blows by the objects of our desire? I think that can be said for drugs…material possessions…harmful relationships.
After listening to the song a number of times, and watching the video several more, I couldn’t stop thinking about how often desire can drive men and women to madness. I’m always fascinated by people, particularly by their motivations. “Why???” is a question I ask often.
“Why?”
So what do you desire? What pursuit has you hot in the brain and has you pushing yourself? Did you acquire your desires in 2020? Let me know down in the comments.
For myself, my deepest desire right now is to make my podcast the best entity it can be. I feel like if I accomplish that, all my other s**t will pan out.
