The first note of the song immediately draws listeners in, inviting them to listen to this beautiful poem set to music. What seems so intimate and personal, as though we are eavesdropping on this private conversation, is actually an invitation to participate. “Closer To Believing”, written by Peter Sinfield and Greg Lake, a track from Greg Lake 's side of the Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s, Works, Volume 1 album, is a tender ballad that is almost whispered. Greg Lake has said in interviews about his songs that when he is writing them, they are very personal and belong only to him, but once he records the song, it belongs to everybody, which is the reason he does not like discussing the meanings to his songs (in-text citation). Lake wants each listener
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The common thread we all share of wanting to belong, to be needed, and wanted. Humanity’s basic need to be accepted for who and what we are validated with “But lay your heart upon the table/ And in the shuffling of dreams/ Remember who on Earth you are” (19-21). “I need me/ You need you/ We need us” (22-24) speaks to the raw emotions of how great our need is to connect and trust. In contrast, to other songs saying I need you, you need me, or we need to be together, this song instead recognizes that we must be accepted for who and what we are for us to be together, to be our true selves. I need to be me; you need to be you, so that when we are together we will be better together as one. We must be ourselves. The logical conclusion to this is the better we are as individuals, the better it is for society and personal relationships as a whole.
The emotional conclusion behind this is that by loving again and being one with another is that you are “Only you not face to face/ But side by side for evermore” (27-28), comfortable with being equals with each other, sharing the simple things “On Sundays in the rain” (51), there is no greater joy than this. Greg Lake expressed it best when he explained that “Music passes from soul to soul, you can’t touch it, you can’t see it, but you can feel it, and that has always been very magical to me… it reflects events in our lives” (in-text citation), this is …show more content…
and The time you have lived with all this inside you is incarnate within you, eternal as is the Creator, thus stated poetically "I am times". The associating phrase of “You are windblown / But you are mine” (in-text), furthers the connection and the duality that the listener not only belongs with the person they are connected to on a spiritual level but additionally belongs to God. It speaks of the unconditional love that is given, of when we are accepted for who and what we are no matter how windblown. The love spoken of in the bible, from the ancient Greek, agape love, defined as a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest form of
The common thread we all share of wanting to belong, to be needed, and wanted. Humanity’s basic need to be accepted for who and what we are validated with “But lay your heart upon the table/ And in the shuffling of dreams/ Remember who on Earth you are” (19-21). “I need me/ You need you/ We need us” (22-24) speaks to the raw emotions of how great our need is to connect and trust. In contrast, to other songs saying I need you, you need me, or we need to be together, this song instead recognizes that we must be accepted for who and what we are for us to be together, to be our true selves. I need to be me; you need to be you, so that when we are together we will be better together as one. We must be ourselves. The logical conclusion to this is the better we are as individuals, the better it is for society and personal relationships as a whole.
The emotional conclusion behind this is that by loving again and being one with another is that you are “Only you not face to face/ But side by side for evermore” (27-28), comfortable with being equals with each other, sharing the simple things “On Sundays in the rain” (51), there is no greater joy than this. Greg Lake expressed it best when he explained that “Music passes from soul to soul, you can’t touch it, you can’t see it, but you can feel it, and that has always been very magical to me… it reflects events in our lives” (in-text citation), this is …show more content…
and The time you have lived with all this inside you is incarnate within you, eternal as is the Creator, thus stated poetically "I am times". The associating phrase of “You are windblown / But you are mine” (in-text), furthers the connection and the duality that the listener not only belongs with the person they are connected to on a spiritual level but additionally belongs to God. It speaks of the unconditional love that is given, of when we are accepted for who and what we are no matter how windblown. The love spoken of in the bible, from the ancient Greek, agape love, defined as a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest form of