Wednesday, August 1, 2018

"The Will of One" by The Protomen

Today's daily card pull was the Eight of Arrows, which stands for Struggle in the Wildwood Tarot. Based on the description (and I'm taking the descriptions very literally, as I am still early in my tarot edu-macation), I gathered that I would have to face some sort of challenge alone. And I did, at least for the first part of the day. I managed because I had to get it done - people were counting on me, so I did what I had to do. I came in early, hit the ground running, and....I'm not sure it made any difference. I hope it did, though. That was the other thing - hope. Don't lose hope. I may be extremely exhausted right now - and thus, my writing may be a bit incoherent - but I'm hopeful that we're going to be okay after this week. Maybe I contributed to that, maybe I didn't, but at least the sun is going to rise tomorrow. Thank my lucky stars!

The Protomen are probably one of the greatest bands Adam (yes...that Adam) has introduced me to. The first Protomen album is a rock opera based on Megaman. The second Protomen album is a rock opera based on the events leading up to Megaman, the rivalry between Light and Wily. They are both fantastic, but the first one was slightly better. "The Will of One" is the big ballad that Megaman sings on the first album. He's walking the streets, thinking about the world he lives in - an obvious dystopia that no one really seems inclined to fix. Protoman tried to save the city and the people stood and watched as he died. A fact that broke Dr. Light, which leads him to tell Megaman that he cannot change the world, that he will not stand by and lose another son to an ungrateful and uncaring Fate. But Megaman just can't stand by. People are starving, Wily's robots are oppressive and violent, death is everywhere. So he makes a choice that he will do whatever he can to save them, even if that means he has to do it alone.

Even here it is not safe
Even this grave has been defaced
Someone has written on this stone
In some angry hand
Hope rides alone.
Hope rides alone.
Hope rides alone.

Hope rides alone. One of the most profound lyrics/phrases I think I've ever heard. It reminds me of Pandora's box. After all of the world's evils and/or blessings (depending on the translation) escaped, only Hope was left when the box was able to be closed again. There are some academic interpretations that hope is just another evil. It "prolongs man's torment" is the argument there and that kind of hope is no use in this world. I do not agree. I think hope keeps us from giving up, from destroying ourselves. It spurs us on to do greater things, like Megaman tried to do. Hope gives us courage to face the darkness. Especially when the darkness has to be faced alone. 

Wow. Philosophical Jess really makes a big showing when I'm tired. Too bad she wasn't around when I was taking Medieval Philosophy...I might've actually gave a shit about that class. Just a quick note about "The Will of One" - this is an amazing song to workout to. It makes me want to take on the world, it makes me want to save the world. Yes, little old me. I could probably do it, though, if this song was on repeat. Additionally, I love this guy's voice. He also sang the Dr. Wily part on the second album. There are very few male (or even female) singers who can a hold a note that high for that long, so he (I think it's Raul Panther but I'm not 100% sure) deserves all the props. 

"The Will of One" Video

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