For my year 12 exams we're studying Journies, and for the exam we need two of our own examples of a Journey. So I was thinking of using The Golden Path as one of my examples, I thought it would be cool to find out all your interpretations of the Journey (if any) that takes place in the Golden Path, using examples from the lyrics please. 8)

I'm also asking this because im not entirely sure of what is going on in the song, so feel free to tell me if i'm wrong in thinking a Journey takes palce in the song.

I think it's a journey into the unknown known as the Golden Path. You can interprete so much into it. Golden Path implies to me that it's the one and only way that is right and leads, whatever may come, to your goal you're trying to meet. But that's the ideal. There are so many things crossing your way on that journey ("confronted by a powerful demon force") that makes you swaying to and fro concerning your decisions, visions and feelings about the supposed, your glory path.

You know what i'm trying to say. It's that sort of imagination or image that you have from something perfect but then the day changes all and you need to rethink. If you remember what your teachers and/ or parents always said to you when you had to do the "RIGHT", let it be school lessons or life decissons/ issues (do this and that, otherwise it's getting worse or somethin'). But then when you do it, it differs totally from that you were thinking of. You're confused and your supposed golden path may seem to atomize in the haze of coincidence.



But sometimes some "shining answer from the moon" is telling you the right thing for a certain moment in your life! Like a brainstorm. So i think there's no one (Golden) Path, there are thousands more!



Yeah, that's what i was thinking of when i remembered the few words that i could bring back to mind. Can't listen know to the song to invlove more lyrics... My fingers are liable for any grammar mistakes of my brainstorm...

To me the golden path is like the a story of a guy dieing with no religion and hes on the golden path to choose his afterlife..



:/



Like when it sings



'' I was confronted by a mysterious Spectance''



God?



''Pointed to the Graveyard over on yonderhill''



Holy Spirit?



''Deamon Force''



Devil like he says





So its almost as if God is trying to help him but cant cause he dosent believe in a ''Hevean or hell, worlds and opposites kind of reality''

And Satan is telling him to come to himm



Then at the end when hes asking for forgiveness.. hes asking God for fogiveness (confession?) He wants to go to Heavan :)





Thats my interpretation of The Golden Path

Hmm. Now that I've had some coffee... I think the beauty of the song is that there is no real literal translation of the lyrics - there's nothing solidly defined (allusions to god, demons, wizards, etc. are loose) which is good and abstract enough because that makes the song more subversive to the listener, and thus open to personal rather than literal interpretation. It's very abstract, like thoughts are when you get into those deep late night conversations that lead to midnight epiphanies and such.



I think the points brought up from Csar and Foxy, and can be applied in a sense to the translation, but I think it depends on where the listener is coming from and where the listener is in life either emotionally or (as the song leans more toward ) spiritually. If I were to interpret the song by saying how it relates to my life it's not going to make a bit of sense to you.



The term "Golden Path" is not a new concept that's exclusive to the Chems or Flaming Lips - it was a running theme in the Dune books - if The Golden Path is also a "theme" in Buddhism (and referred to as the Buddhist Path) and the concept is more close knit in design as being a path to spiritual enlightenment.



Anyway. In this case as literal a translation is all I can give. For starters I don't think the protagonist in this song is dying a literal death, but there is a sense of awakening or rebirth. The song takes place in almost a lucid dream state, or even a hallucinatory state depending on how you look at it. Let's break it down.



as i walked along

the supposed golden path

i was confronted

by mysterious spectre



protagonist is journeying though life and is met by a ghost (which is what a spectre is). The ghost reveals what's obvious by...



he pointed to the graveyard

over on yonder hill

I paused in cosmic reflection

confused on wondering

of how i came to die



I don't see the mention of death as being a literal death, but more an great change. Sort of like, just because the death card pops up in a tarot card reading doesn't mean there's going to be a literal death - but the card signifies a great change in the future.



hm...

i was confused

coz if i was dead

how and why did i die

and i composed myself

and decided i should face it



Again, to me, I don't think the protagonist has died, but he knows there's change afoot. He has to face that change, and what lies before him in his future.



then i stood paralized

on the supposed golden path

and i was confronted

by powerful demon force

and there was the devil

and we spoke his words

flowed like glowing lava from the mouth of a volcano



Not necessarily a literal demon or devil, but perhaps and obstacle confronted on that path to enlightenment. My guess is the demon force is fear of the unknown and the uncertainty the future holds.



and i said:

help me, lord!!

i found myself in some kinda hell

but i did not believe in heaven and hell

world in opposites kind of reality



Again, the protagonist - on his way to enlightenment - is paralysed by this fear of the unknown. Coming from someone (yours truly) who does not buy into the concept of heaven and hell, this lyric brings it all home. "there's nothing to fear but fear itself" which is why...



but i gained control of myself

and decided to press on



Exactly.



as i walked along

the supposed golden path

I was trembling with fear

all the lions and the wizards yet to come



There's that demon force at work again, but the protagonist is still moving along on his path to enlightenment. Lions and wizards, IMO, are allusions to magic or some other loosely defined "force", or could be upcoming obstacles along the way.



i see in the distance

silver mountains rising high in the clouds

and a voice from above did whisper

some shining answer from the moon



Contrast between the standing on a golden path and seeing silver mountains in the distance. The moon illuminates that path or in this case, gives the answer (which is highly subversive IMO) The protagonist said earlier he didn't believe in world in opposites, but here they are and they've been here all along. The two worlds can coexist and we see that every day, literally and figuratively. That's the enlightenment.



please forgive me

i never meant to hurt you



(please forgive me if I'm waaaaaaay off mark with my pseudo intelluctual bullshit interpretation!!! X-D X-D ) Could mean a mountain of things depending on how you look at the song, and it's beautiful. Personally I think it's coming from the protagonist in the song, not from god or a god or whatever.

I always thought it was 'some shining answer from the womb'

whirlygirl Escribi�:

(really long post that proves she thinks waaaaaay to much about drug music)

DECAF FOR YOU!

toomuch'stash Escribi�:

I always thought it was 'some shining answer from the womb'

Well since i've proven myself to be deaf in the past, I won't argue that. hehe.



Womb opens up a whole slew of interpretation possibilities. Where's the head scratching smilie when you need one?

whirlygirl Escribi�:

toomuch'stash Escribi�:

I always thought it was 'some shining answer from the womb'

Well since i've proven myself to be deaf in the past, I won't argue that. hehe.



Womb opens up a whole slew of interpretation possibilities. Where's the head scratching smilie when you need one?

I probably just hear 'womb' cuz, you know, I think that's where all the answers come from.

toomuch'stash Escribi�:

I always thought it was 'some shining answer from the womb'

WOW I find Whirly's explanation very nice to read although I have to agree with toomuch'stash on that last line. Doesn't change the explanation BTW.

I didn't know about the Golden path being a symbol in Buddhism. Is was more thinking about the yellow brick road from the Wizard of Oz. While this sounds funny there really is a similarity. Both are about growth.

I won't translate the lyrics, can't beat Whirly on that, but to me the lyrics is also about growth. The person in question seems to be walking on the Golden Path encountering some troubles (powerfull demon force, lions and wizards). But he's going through his troubles and walks on, finding good reasons to keep on walking (silver mountains). "please forgive me I never meant to hurt you" could either mean some greater force apologizing for the trouble he put the person through �R (and that is what I take from the lyrics) the person itself asking forgiveness for his own past, the trouble he has caused. Because IMO the troubles on the Golden Path are troubles he caused himself or are troubles which you need to encounter in life.

Jesus... People analyzing Chemical Brothers songs to find a deeper message? What is the world coming to these days???

i know and all this time i thought listening to britney spears will free my mind. :x

chemicalreaction Escribi�:

i know and all this time i thought listening to britney spears will free my mind. :x

Britney will free your mind and eat your soul.

I feel just like foxboy with this song. To me it's clearly about a man after his death.

We can be the em.. Conservatist Party :P ( i aint a clue... )



But we can be them anyway.. sounds cool.. :D 8)

I think to understand the meaning of the phrase "the golden path", we must emphasize the fact it's the "supposed" golden path, implying sarcasm or irony.



The protagonist is all alone on the path he's been told to follow.



Personally, I think it's about an acid trip. :D I mean, come on, he talks to the devil, sees a world in opposites (which he doesn't even believe in), faces spectres, graveyards, and other death imagery, and ends up pleading for someone to forgive him. Total acid trip. Drugs are bad, mmmmkay? (But this song makes me feel so good.)

That's a very, very good point, that one word, supposed, changes the entire meaning... taking acid is, by some, supposed to be a golden path to enlightenment, unless of course you have a really bad trip... although sometimes a bad trip can be a lot more educational than a good trip.

Well, that's that thread wrapped up then..... *dusts off hands*



:D

Slipvin Escribi�:

Jesus... People analyzing Chemical Brothers songs to find a deeper message? What is the world coming to these days???

Well then Slipvin dear, it's either that or someone wants to interpret Tom's haircut *again*!



;)

Wow, that's some nice analysing. Thanks all for your contributions, they're all very good (and deep 8O ). Im not really looking for a correct answer i just wanted to hear some different interpretations, which i have so now i can sleep tight.

whirlygirl Escribi�:

Slipvin Escribi�:

Jesus... People analyzing Chemical Brothers songs to find a deeper message? What is the world coming to these days???

Well then Slipvin dear, it's either that or someone wants to interpret Tom's haircut *again*!



;)

yes , but you have to underdstand whirly , it's a very big thing to cut his hair! I think he is trying to tell us something.... 8O





Hehehehehe X-D