Finding Meaning with "Helplessness Blues" (Blog 6)

One of my favorite songs ever made is “Helplessness Blues” by Fleet Foxes. It's difficult to describe this song in the grandeur that I believe it deserves and adequately convey what it means to me. Nonetheless, I will try. The emotions I feel while listening are a mix of hopefulness (ironically, given the name), melancholy, and, most palpably, longing; longing for more than the world seems to be able to give sometimes; longing for an impossible sense of purpose and belonging.

The instrumental starts sparse, with a simple acoustic guitar chord. Quickly, the opening line sets the tone perfectly: "I was raised up believing / I was somehow unique." The first time I heard the song, I was instantly drawn in and planted firmly in singer Robin Pecknold's state of mind. This feeling of uniqueness or, perhaps more accurately, a yearning for individuality and self-expression is central; however, the theme isn’t fully laid out until Pecknold candidly states, "And now after song thinking / I'd say I'd rather be / A functioning cog in some great machinery / Serving something beyond me." The instrumental then explodes into lush acoustic guitars that surround the listener and take them on a journey for the remainder of the song. Initially, this lyric and the opening may seem contradictory; the song's protagonist wants to be both unique and part of a larger whole.

A lot could be analyzed from this seemingly contradictory theme, but I find it reflects a feeling shared by many from the younger generations. We've always been told we were unique and meant for greatness, but simultaneously reminded so frequently how "lazy and ingrateful the younger generation is" by cranky old people. To them, we live in a time without much conflict (relatively); we were “given everything,” and if we just work, everything will be perfect. Yet, we "don't". Of course, reality is more complicated, and I believe the song lays it out perfectly. The younger generations have such a different relationship with their emotions, and "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and not thinking too hard about things" is not as much of a common way of life as it used to be. Ignoring the fact that wages have not increased as much as the cost of things and "just working" isn't as viable as it used to be, what the younger generation wants is to express themselves and work towards a goal they are passionate about. This concept is what “Helplessness Blues” seeks to illustrate.

The outro completely changes the instrumental that has been building through the whole song as Pecknold belts out, "If I had an orchard / I'd work 'til I'm sore." This metaphorical orchard is all any of us long for. Something we can work towards all day, knowing that we are using our unique traits for good towards something we care about. Sometimes, life can feel so hopeless. Or maybe the correct word is “helpless.” It can feel like we are doomed to go to school, work for 40-50 years, retire, and then die. It’s a nihilistic way of thinking. To me, this song paints a life of profound meaning. Saying that we must “work for 40-50 years” can seem daunting, yet if we find an “orchard:” a purpose or a goal that we wouldn’t mind dedicating our lives to, that hopelessness transforms into meaning.

             Right now, I have so much ahead of me, and I don’t know what my “orchard” will be. To me, that is the “helpless” aspect of the song. Most of us have no idea what work we will find passion in while we are college students. All I can do now is keep an open mind and be on the lookout for what really captures me. A goal I can be content knowing I spent so much of my life and energy reaching for. I could write a full essay on this song, but I think I should restrain myself for now😊. To wrap up, I also want to point out how, lyrics aside, the song is just so pretty. The way the guitars surround me, and Pecknold’s crystal clear voice cuts through the wall of sound never ceases to take me to a different place than wherever I’m listening: sometimes, it’s a mountain overlooking a beautiful vista, sometimes it's a dense forest, and sometimes it’s just a farm in the country. Either way, it brings me peace and sometimes a healthy dash of existential dread, depending on where I am mentally while listening. I hope this explains how much the song means to me and hopefully does it some degree of justice. 

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