The Music Of Poligraf : The Dam part 2

[Christopher Stewart]

Clocking in at 22 minutes “The Dam” is my longest composition thus far. The piece uses the metaphor of water flowing from source to ocean to illustrate this mysterious process that we usually refer to as life. It comprises eight distinct movements, identified as follows :

• 1. Source
• 2. River
• 3. Rapids
• 4. Dam
• 5. Immersion
• 6. Surface
• 7. Flow
• 8. Ocean

As the title suggest, the focus is directed on one major obstacle/life-changing experience, symbolized by a dam on the river, which the protagonist/narrator has to conquer in order to reach his intended destination.

The storyline is inspired by my own life and my struggle to reach my goal of earning a living through my artistic output, as opposed to working a day job to support myself and invest what’s left of my energies in my artistic pursuits on a part-time basis, as I’ve done for the best of the last ten years or so.

The second part expounds the situation before the obstacle is recognized and dealt with.

Here are the lyrics, which have pretty much reached their definitive form :

1st verse
How long have I been here ? / Feels like it’s been forever
Doing what I’ve been told / Taking in what I’ve been sold
Constantly pondering / Never remembering
When did I choose this boat ? / When did I choose this river ?

How long must I stay here ? / Not sure I want to be
Ever meandering / Throughout eternity
Whose aim am I serving ? / Whose game am I playing ?
Doing what I assume / Is expected of me

1st chorus
Waking up on a boat
That barely stays afloat
Going down with the mainstream

Though I cannot deny
It is I at the helm
Do I really have a choice ?

2nd verse
I used to have a dream / The ocean was calling
Drawn off course by the flow / Perpetually striving
Debased by the shallow / Never really reaching
I used to have a goal / Where is all of this leading ?

I’m heading for a dam / I’m falling prey to doubt
The current getting stronger / Rapids ahead of me
Evermore wondering / Never really knowing
This life I call my own / How else could it have turned out ?

2nd chorus
Waking up on a boat
That barely stays afloat
Going down with the mainstream

And I can’t justify
Why should I go along ?
When I feel it is all wrong

The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series.