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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Never Follow: Losing faith in leaders

There's been a strange negativity in the air lately, at least in the bubble of activity that surrounds me. Maybe it's following me around, infecting those around me like a spreading virus, contaminating each of us with a tense vibe, injecting hostility in the meekest among us. I'm overtaken with the compulsion to challenge every opinion, every thought, every single word thrust at me.

It could be the holiday season, which is already in full swing propagandizing the need for continual conspicuous consumption. It could be the impending election year, which is being forced upon us before the calendar even flips to 2008. Whatever the cause, I have an overwhelming urge to unleash a Edvard Munch-like scream (as depicted in the artist's painting on the left) .

I won't deny the fact that I've always felt an outsider in this society. As a child I imagined myself from another world, dropped on this Earth to observe the strange behavior of the locals before being airlifted out to report back my findings. The fact that the values and ideals held up to me as models for personal behavior never jived with the operating principles of the government and businesses that control our lives certainly contributed to that alienation.

I've been searching my whole life for someone to trust. I want to give myself to a cause or an organization that will put me to work for real change, but I inevitably find myself forced to choose between corruption and marginalization. This system of ours has an indefatigable capacity to absorb and transform all resistance to serve its own purposes.

I'm stupid and stubborn enough to keep butting my head up against society's well fortified walls. One day, the collective impacts may weaken them enough to cause it all to come tumbling down on me. Until then, I'll remain an isolated voice shouting into the gale-force winds, cupping my ears to catch the faintest peep of a response, hoping to find those equally lost in the maelstrom who also refuse to go along just to get along.

Never Follow
by Naked Raygun

Follow me
I'll take you there
You needn't think
You needn't care
On the way
We'll find some others
Baptize with lies
And make them brothers

No I will never follow
I will never follow
Your truth diseased and hollow
No I will never follow

Forget your thoughts
Forget your will
Tell that voice inside
To just keep still
If it gets to be too much
Just turn your eyes away
The free individual
Is from a bygone day

No I will never follow
I will never follow
Your truth diseased and hollow
No I will never follow
I'll be your destroyer
Your world's great annoyer
I'll be your destroyer
No worn propaganda for me

Follow me
I'll take you there
You needn't think
You needn't care
We all go gentle
Into that good night
There'll be no more raging
Against the dying of the light

No I will never follow
I will never follow
Your truth diseased and hollow
No I will never follow
I'll be your destroyer
Your world's great annoyer
I'll be your destroyer
No guns, knives nor lawyers
No I will never follow
You can't take my will away
My dreams will never say die

10 comments:

Bola said...

Love this lyrics,especially the later part which read
You can't take my will away
My dreams will never say die

Very true,as for me i will never follow where my will be taken away.

yo e said...

yeah life is a bunch a bumps and boogers-the world is definately filled with dee dee dees- check out this site if you need immigratioon help-

http://www.deportation-solutions.com/eloy/index.php

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi Bola,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I like that lyrical sentiment too. We always have to keep fighting for our dreams.

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi Andrew,
I don't need immigration help, but if any of my readers do, I'm sure they'll check it out.

Anonymous said...

You're not that isolated Francis. I understand you completely. The poem fits the post perfectly.
~JD

Lisa McGlaun said...

Francis,

Listen closely..it's me out there peeping. I totally get you..I have from the start. Maybe all of us who feel the same way should start our own organization of trusted individuals working for real change. What do you think?

Keep smiling..the negativity will pass.

Lisa

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi JD,
Thanks for the re-assurance. It's hard to write blindly to an unknown audience sometimes. The words below the post are actually lyrics to a punk rock song by an old Chicago band. I'll need to figure out a way to share the actual music, which adds a lot.

Francis Scudellari said...

Hi Lisa,
It's nice to be understood ... I'm never sure if I'm making much sense. I think it would be a great idea for us to build our own organization. I know there are a lot of like-minded folks out here in the blogosphere trying to bring about change outside the usual political channels. Your comment is definitely worth a smile. Thanks.

Dave J. said...

I like this side of you, I feel as if I know him, for he is me.

Francis Scudellari said...

Thanks Dave,
It looks like there may be a good group of folks who feel the same way. Now we just need to figure out what to do with those feelings.