Change Explained (First and Second Verse)

I began writing Change on the piano. Transforming a few initial chords into six instrumental and five vocal layers. 

The two verses both draw parallels yet contrast. They take either an active or passive approach to change and how each approach can effect one’s life. The first verse takes the passive approach. Beginning with the lyrics, “Hide away here.” This approach suggests that one can avoid change simply by hiding from it. In doing so, “Maybe time will forget.” If one hides from change time will continue moving forward, however, from one’s perspective time will remain still, “All remains still.” And if time is still, that which one has in that particular moment in time is unchanging. So one can conclude that nothing is lost “Nothing lost.” And since nothing is lost, this leaves little room for regret, “No regret.” The second part of the verse then goes on to challenge one's perspective with the thought that such an approach is not necessarily productive. And that such an approach may be more fantasy than reality, “This is all in side your mind, you realize.” And even though one begins to realize such a conflict. One struggles to hold on to what is known as one’s reality, “I’m holding, I’m holding, I’m holding on.

The second verse takes the active approach. Beginning with the lyrics, “As I lay here”, one may question how lying is an active approach. However, this was intentionally written to illustrate that from an outside perspective, lying is often far from any individuals idea of an active approach. The second line is where the activity comes to light, “Trying hard to assess.” This mental activity is the active approach. One rationalizes that such an activity is productive by mentally assessing potentially different situations before they happen. If one assess all possible outcomes, one can avoid all those situations that may be dangerous or a threat, “All the danger.” This verse begins to challenge this approach two lines earlier then the first verse. By stating, “Nothing gained, No regress.” Because one is seen as taking a non-active approach by mentally assessing potentially dangerous situations, one is gaining nothing. And because one is gaining nothing from such an approach, one may be seen as regressing as time continues to move forward while one remains static assessing fantasy situations. The no before regress was used to illustrate the continuing conflict. While the last two lines parallels the first verse. Below is an example of the conflict.

"Nothing gained" = Reality

"No" = Fantasy

"regress" = Reality

"This is all inside your mind" = Reality

"I'm holding, I'm holding, I'm holding on" = Fantasy