Some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Oh, but I know love as a fading thing
Just as fickle as a feather in a stream
See, honey, I saw love
You see, it came to me
It put its face up to my face so I could see
Yeah, then I saw love disfigure me
Into something I am not recognizing
See the cage, it called. I said come on in
I will not open myself up this way again
Nor lay my face to the soil, nor my teeth to the sand
I will not lay like this for days now upon end
You will not see me fall, nor see me struggle to stand
To be acknowledged by some touch from his gnarled hands
You see the cage, it called. I said come on in
I will not open myself up this way again
You see the moon is bright in that treetop night
I see the shadows that we cast in the cold, clean light
Now my feet are gold and my heart is white
And we race out on the desert plains all night
So, honey, I am not some broken thing
I do not lay in the dark waiting for thee
No, my heart is gold, my feet are light
And I'm racing out on the desert plains all night
So some say love is a burning thing
That it makes a fiery ring
Ah, but I know love as a caging thing
Just a killer come to call from some awful dream
And all you folks, you come to see
You just stand there in the glass looking at me
But my heart is wild, and my bones are steam
And I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free
~ Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent)
When I first heard this song on its release in 2013 on Phosphorescent's Muchacho album, I was blown away. And this is one of those songs that I have a hard time separating into its parts: lyrics, music, and video. For me, they are all part of an undivided whole. Together, the parts create a narrative that is emotive, stark, and compelling. And the song leaves me content with a mood, not necessarily needing to analyze or dissect its meaning.
But then, here I am with a page to fill, so let the analysis begin.
Houck says the song was inspired by a break-up. He also implies that the song emerged from some other place, as if he were the unwitting conduit. Whatever the inspiration or however the song came to be, I am grateful that the Muse entered Houck's being and allowed the song to exist. (If you would like to know more about the song's creation, which involves an escape to Mexico, read this Paste Magazine interview/article.)
Laura Barton says in The Guardian that "Song for Zula" is "a portrait of love as an imprisoning, ferocious creature to be defeated." A controversial statement, one that demands thoughtful consideration before nodding a complicit yes or shaking one's head vigorously in protest. I'll let you decide for yourself. But certainly, the chained victim in the video might agree. Perhaps it is easier to say that whatever chains us is strong and powerful, and it takes patience and resolve and an equal amount of strength to break free. Be it love, addiction, habit, or hatred, becoming free is an exercise not for the weak.
A key line in the song, for me, comes at the end. My heart is wild. In a civilized culture, we spend our lives trying to tame the heart, subdue the wildness. In one sense, I think that is necessary, lest we succumb to the chaos suggested in the last line, I could kill you with my bare hands if I was free. But in another sense, what joy and pleasure might we be denying ourselves when we suppress our wild nature? Mary Oliver, in her beauteous poem, "The Summer Day," asks: Tell me, what is it you plan to do / with your one wild and precious life? If your answer is "Tame it," I think you've missed the point.
"Song for Zula" is a dream, an allegory, a dare to question and possibly change one's status quo. And I dare you to allow yourself to get lost in it and maybe emerge enlightened, even if in some small and seemingly insignificant way.
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