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Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma

Music big source of motivation and inspiration.. and wisdom,
Please add your favorite enlightening musicians : )

Cynthia Alexander - Guitarist/Folk/Rock
John Frusciante - Guitarist/Rock
Q Zoo - Dance/Electronic
Alanis Morissette
Metallica (Not really but somewhat because their guitarist is a meditator/buddhist)

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
3/22/10 1:40 AM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
I have always liked this one:

Zen Gospel Singing
(Mark Graham)

I once was a Baptist and on each Sunday morn
I'd be in church praying just as sure as you're born.
We'd sing there like angels in sweet harmony
But sin and salvation are no longer for me.

Cause now I'm a Buddhist I chant my mantra each day
But I miss that good singing in the old Gospel way.
We sing of old Buddha and the wonders of Zen.
We'll meet in Nirvana, yes we'll be there then.

Now my old friends don't like me since I shaved my head
and they all talk about me as if I were dead.
My good old Zen buddies they think I'm ok,
But I can't get them singing more than one note a day.

We sit here cross legged eating brown rice and cheese
and we chant out our mantra in four square harmony.
We don't sing of salvation or a heavenly home.
It's Zen gospel singing, just Om Om, sweet Om.

Copyright Mark Graham
LZ

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
3/24/10 3:55 AM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
today:


More Than a Feeling. Boston. Rock.

Say Hey (I Love You) [feat. Cherine Anderson] Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Rhythm Is a Dancer (Original Mix.) Snap! Dance.

Pump Up the Jam. Technotronic Pump Up the Jam. Electronic.

Boogie Oogie Oogie (Single Version 2.) A Taste of Honey. R&B/Soul.

Jam On It 8:15 Newcleus Destination: Earth

Whenever God Shines His Light. Van Morrison with Cliff Richard. Avalon Sunset. Rock

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
3/25/10 1:48 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
This isn't a favorite of mine or anything but I found it interesting that Leonard Cohen's "Love Itself" is, apparently, based on teachings of Sasaki Roshi: youtube link

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
4/6/10 5:04 AM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
when I get stream entry I'm gonna this is what I'm gonna have in my head:

the boys are back in town - thin lizzy

spread the word, the boys are back in town!! yeah!

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
6/4/10 1:18 PM as a reply to Andy Coke.
Enigma - electronica/ chill-out / world

Matisyahu - Reggae (Kabbalah)

Incubus - Rock (not that much a fan. dont know that many songs. but from the songs i know - all related. also, i know he has om mani padme hum and crop circle tattoos)

Dead can Dance - world - (not so related, however their music is quite spiritually inspiring. Also have many trance inducing songs like "Yulunga spirit dance", "Cantara"

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
6/4/10 1:20 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Karmakanic - Rock/progressive Rock/Fusion - ( They have 2 albums i know, "Wheel of life" & "Enter the spectra". Many dharma themed titles, lyrics & songs.)

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
8/10/10 3:03 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Lots of stuff from the 60's/70's... "Tommy", by The Who comes to mind. Probably the most explicit would be old YES. Songs like Close to the Edge and Awaken, if you can decipher the lyrics, are all about the mystical or enlightenment experience.

Growing up in the 80's was like living in a musical desert. Not until Nirvana (the band... not making a personal claim here emoticon) came along did music start to get interesting for me again. Pearl Jam has a song (Given to Fly) that sounds very much like a Jesus type experience (got enlightened and now am going to go teach to the unappreciative). Reminds me of an old Peter Gabriel song, Solsbury Hill.

Somehow Billy Corgan (Smashing Pumpkins) always seems to hint at enlightenment.

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
8/10/10 6:38 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Great topic emoticon

Hello dark night
Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Great soundtracks to the progress of insight
Sweet Billy Pilgrim - We Just Did What Happened and No One Came
John Frusciante - Empyrean
Mia Doi Todd - Gea
Southern Tenant Folk Union - self titled

Deeply spiritual music that moves the soul
Sara Hickman - Spiritual Appliances
Jon and Vangelis - everything

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/21/10 8:32 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
TOOL- Most of their songs delve into an aspect of awakening.

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 7:13 AM as a reply to Rob Marnik.
Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey

My my, hey hey
Rock and roll is here to stay
It's better to burn out
Than to fade away
My my, hey hey.

Out of the blue and into the black
They give you this, but you pay for that
And once you're gone, you can never come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black.

The king is gone but he's not forgotten
This is the story of a johnny rotten
It's better to burn out than it is to rust
The king is gone but he's not forgotten.

Hey hey, my my
Rock and roll can never die
There's more to the picture
Than meets the eye.
Hey hey, my my.

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 9:31 AM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuujExs03A

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 3:07 PM as a reply to Christian Ballhaus.
Good old Van Morrison has a lot to offer. Enlightenment, an all-time favorite of mine:

Chop that wood
Carry water
What's the sound of one hand clapping
Enlightenment, don't know what it is

Every second, every minute
It keeps changing to something different
Enlightenment, don't know what it is
Enlightenment, don't know what it is
It says it's non attachment
Non attachment. non attachment

I'm in the here and now, and I'm meditating
And still I'm suffering but that's my problem
Enlightenment, don't know what it is

Wake up

Enlightenment says the world is nothing
Nothing but a dream, everything's an illusion
And nothing is real

Good or bad baby
You can change it anyway you want
You can rearrange it
Enlightenment, don't know what it is
Chop that wood
And carry water
What's the sound of one hand clapping
Enlightenment, don't know what it is

All around baby. you can see
You're making your own reality. everyday because
Enlightenment, don't know what it is

One more time

Enlightenment. don't know what it is
It's up to you
Enlightenment. don't know what it is
It's up to you everyday
Enlightenment, don't know what it is
It's always up to you
Enlightenment, don't know what it is

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 9:14 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Stuart Davis is a great Buddhist musician.

Already Free:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG1EijWB6zI

Smoke:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6C-LIPGhjA

Universe Communion:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPA1lMegxE0

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 10:09 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Jimi Hendrix.....

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/22/10 11:25 PM as a reply to Christian Ballhaus.
Christian Ballhaus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFuujExs03A


emoticon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izB85LUlygE&feature=related

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
5/1/11 2:45 AM as a reply to Daniel M. Ingram.
Hi everyone,

This is my first post! These guys are called Akron/Family and the song is Gone Beyond. Check it out - it's simple and lovely.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5PXxK1Ub90

Peace,
Alvaro

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/30/10 4:10 PM as a reply to Dark Night Yogi.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - A Qawwali singer from Pakistan, his voice was like a divine fire during his performances. Strictly Islam but I think the passion and devotion to his art transcends religious boundaries.

I consider some of the more surrealist and dadaist influenced artists to be, whether intentionally or not, communicating from the same non-rational and intuitive level that we become aware of through practice. People like Captain Beefheart in particular always make me think of some crazy old Zen monk if he'd been raised on the blues.

John Cage was very much influenced by the Dharma, particularly Zen as demonstrated in pieces like 4' 33" and his ambient works. He had an entire compositional system based around the I Ching and incorporated Buddhist elements into his work.

John Zorn has been using more magick based inspiration in his recent work with the Moonchild trio, mainly based around Aleister Crowley's writings and theory.

"Secret Chiefs 3" have a lot of Middle Eastern symbolism in their music, titles, artwork and every single aspect of their performances too. Their guitarist and main composer, Trey Spurance formerly of Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, is steeped in Arabic mysticism and mythology and appears to know his stuff when it comes to enlightenment.

This thread's got me thinking.....expect a report back with an exhaustive list.....Ha!

Nice post DNY!

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
11/30/10 4:15 PM as a reply to Rob Marnik.
Maynard James Keenan is, last I heard, a paid up member of the Ordo Templi Orientis and I'm sure I heard something about Danny Carey setting up his drums according to sacred geometry, although that's probably just Tool taking the piss out of their fans.....Ha!

RE: Musicians whose lyrics are about enlightenment or dharma
Answer
2/1/11 3:07 AM as a reply to Craig N.
Listening to Nick Drake's Pink Moon raises a sort of interesting question for me: was he likely a Dark Nighter unable to bear the well-known effects of what that entails, or was he just someone who was depressed? Nobody can answer that for sure now of course, but it's still interesting to speculate.

Also, Sufjan Stevens' song Chicago sounds suspiciously dhammic:

I fell in love again
all things go, all things go
drove to Chicago
all things know, all things know
we sold our clothes to the state
I don't mind, I don't mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind
you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go
I drove to New York
in a van, with my friend
we slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
in my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind
you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go
if I was crying
in the van, with my friend
it was for freedom
from myself and from the land
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
I made a lot of mistakes
you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
all things know, all things know
you had to find it
all things go, all things go
you came to take us
all things go, all things go
to recreate us
all things grow, all things grow
we had our mindset
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things know, all things know
(I made a lot of mistakes)
you had to find it
(I made a lot of mistakes)
all things go, all things go
(I made a lot of mistakes)