Fantasia: Everything is but a dream

Fantasia

So you’ll tell me just how it will be

Alone cast adrift on the seas

No I cannot believe what I see

An image of lucidity

In fantasia

Where all and everything is but a dream

In fantasia

We are just people living this city

Not waiting for a sunset

Or paying off an asset

Repay another HECS debt

But I haven’t gone there yet

Can’t ever buy tomorrow

No need to beg nor borrow

Just praying for a sunset

And paying off a tax debt

In my unspoken mindset

Live fast cars and lear jets

But I’m not one to place bets

This is as good as it gets

There’s no messiah to follow

Or senseless need for sorrow

A simple need for respect

But not a perfect sunset

“In fantasia, where everything is but a dream, we are just people living this city” ~ Given my perceptions as described already, I’d anticipate, dear reader, that you might be getting a sense of where this is going.  And you’d be right! It’s the ordinary made hyper-real, the every-man made surreal. People’s awareness, people everywhere, of some or all aspects of my interactions was seeming like a dreamlike state. And thinking about it now, such a cheery willingness to submit to the process on my part made navigating whatever it was a hell of a lot less stressful at that time! I’d have a sense of ubiquity, a moment of “recognition” or a strange glance from an unknown person on the street somewhere, but that didn’t matter.  I cared enough to participate without needing any kinds of explanation, verification or reasons as to why things were the way they were.  They just were – and that was fine.  In fact, that was more than fine! I was in as good health mentally and physically as I have ever been, I had steady income, was enjoying my job, had a stable home environment at the New Farm share house, and was loving my creative life. I had a great deal to be thankful for.

“This is as good as it gets, not one to place bets. A simple need for respect, but not a perfect sunset.” Without having done any formal study in the field of psychology, I am familiar with a few concepts – either through informal study and reading or, just as likely, the abundance of counsel/therapy I’ve had in my life to manage my condition.  I particularly like the psychological notion of acceptance for what we have right now; that happiness means reducing our expectations from life down to what we already have. “I don’t ask for anything more than what I already have in this present moment.” There is a lot of power in this simple concept! Someone who is content in the present is stable, and because they are not in need or want of anything and have no sense of lacking or of any hole which needs filling, they are likely to also be thankful; no, grateful for all that they do have. And my state of being during this period was exactly that! Without needing or wanting further knowledge or explanation but simply content and grateful.  Happy!!

At the time of writing the music for this song, I’d been giving a friend some informal bass lessons at home.  He’s someone who loves reggae and dub music of all kinds – old and new – so I’d been showing him a few simple phrases from songs he wanted to learn.  Tonally, Fantasia is based on the minor pentatonic scale and thus it has an almost oriental flavour to it.  This effect is heightened by the vocal harmony in the chorus which I believe is a fourth above the lead phrase in A minor.  However, there is also something reggae-like about the bass and drums parts at the same time.  The bass plays a two-notepentatonic sequence ascending in fourths and fifths above the tonic, which combined with Toby’s simple but solid drum groove makes it sound and feel kinda reggae-like.  The friend who I’d given lessons to commented, “Fantasia is all about the bass groove!” which I thought was a cool observation. “There’s something dreamy and trippy about this song – really love it, Beithy.” Was another friend’s comment. It was these little nuggets of feedback which stick with you and spur you on to keep writing, to keep being creative.  And when you’re happy already as I was, they serve as welcome bonuses to your already contented situation.  Thank you, fellas!