Culmination (of my life's work)

First off, I want to thank anyone who has expressed any remote interest in these words and asked questions about them. To me, that is what punk, hardcore, and rock are all about. A few people have expressed interest in this particular song title and lyrics, so here goes!

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved writing and reading. Growing up, I was constantly composing various works of fiction. In college, I was an English Major with a focus on literature.

However, when i picked up my first guitar in high school, I was immediately hooked. For the past ten years, I feel like I have given myself 110% to music at the expense of my writing. Around the time I was writing the lyrics to "Culmination", I began to feel very thankful that I was able to get a chance to combine two of my oldest passions instead of sacrificing one for the other. Not only would I get to put people through the misery of listening to me sing, but now could I try my hand at being a lyricist.

"Monitoring Imperfection
Throwing faith in wrong directions"

The recognition of watching myself stumble in life, at times unable to locate my true feelings or purpose. Making several missteps, struggling with faith and identity much like many others. Perhaps realizing that trying to find one true set of beliefs can be limiting.

"Regulated, silencing
Can this be just what it means?
Voices overpowering"

This is the idea that we are all bound and censored by what’s around us; be it laws, family, or the ideas of friends. These are forces that can silence our life’s journey and stifle our creativity. It is also the realization that there has to be a way to break through it all. The “voices overpowering” can be anything that stimulates us to break free; it is also an allusion to the writer’s “muse” or “muses” from mythology which are attempting to guide our creations.

"Finally it speaks through me"

Again, a reference to a particular “muse” that seems to be guiding the creative flow.

"Channel timeless hand
I’m discovering
Moves to suffocate
Measured over, sources open"

This is based on the idea that we can “channel” the voices of our past or the voices of those who have gone before us and create our own small contribution. It is the feeling of creative freedom, where the forces that are trying to “suffocate” us with logic are “measured over”. In essence, we are able to use the powers of reason (instruments of measurement) to open the sources of free expression.

"Synchronize the dueling moments that define
Sacrifice means clearing letter from the line."

In these last two lines I am trying to combine my two defining passions: writing and music, into one entity. The last line is the realization that I must sacrifice the details, or “letters”, in order to see the whole picture. Only with the melding of these two passions, which were previously at odds, can I reach the culmination of creativity.

We haven't played this song live yet, but hopefully soon!