https://youtube.com/watch?v=C96J2DWkqkg

This is a song that has fascinated me with its enigmatic lyrics. Some of the themes and metaphors in this song really speak to my own experiences with Ayahuasca, so I figured I'd try and analyze the lyrics of this song from that perspective, seeing as this song is all about a philosophy partially derived from psychedelic experiences perhaps I can find some parallels. If you haven't heard this song yet I highly recommend checking it out as well as that band's larger body of work, as they have nailed both the lyrical and sonic depiction of psychedelia. I'll get on to the analysis now-

"Bedoin tribes ascending
From the egg into the flower,
Alpha information sending
State within the heaven shower"

I had to look it up, but Bedoin is a term used to distinguish Arabic populations that lived off of natural grazing as opposed to people who lived from an urban or agricultural basis. Therefore these lyrics seem to show a common idea among the psychedelic community - that living a more natural or "clean" lifestyle will help you ascend higher up and be more connected to "the universe". Perhaps they're going from an egg into a flower to show the malleable nature of the energy in our universe, as obviously an egg cannot turn into a flower in this physical realm. "Alpha information sending" may refer to the types of "downloads" people get on things like DMT. Perhaps this "alpha information" can bring somebody to bliss, sending their state into a "heaven shower". This is the first of a flowing water motif found through this song.

"From disciples the unending
Subtleties of river power
They slip inside this house as they pass by"

This lyric has significance to me with my Ayahuasca experience where my setting really was near a river, and the entities during it seemed to make a lot of comparisons between an ever flowing river and the way energy flows in the universe from form to form. Perhaps the "disciples" are those aware of this, who have learned to harness their energy they have within. And from that comes the "subtleties of river power", all the little ways energy manifests in life and beyond. "Slip into this house" is the main refrain and seems to refer to some kind of enlightenment.

"If your limbs begin dissolving
In the water that you tread
All surroundings are evolving
In the stream that clears your head"

I think this is saying, that if you're unhappy in your current physical reality, it's going to be alright because energy is always changing, like a "stream" that will "clear your head".

"Find yourself a caravan
Like Noah must have led
And slip inside this house as you pass by."

This is calling on you to create an "ark" like Noah's ark to keep yourself afloat as the world is washed out by the way it is flowing. Again it calls you to "slip inside this house", inviting you to transcend the physical world, calling for you to rise above it.

"Slip inside this house as you pass by.
True conception, knowing why
Brings even more than meets the eye
Slip inside this house as you pass by."

This is saying that to truly comprehend the universe and know "why" opens an entire rabbit hole of answers that you had no idea before you knew why.

"In this dark we call creation
We can be and feel and know
From an effort, comfort station
That's surviving on the go
There's infinite survival in
The high baptismal glow.
Slip inside this house as you pass by."

This is referring to our physical life and our bodies aka our "comfort station" that's "surviving on the go". It's saying that there's an eternity of life when you reach enlightenment also known as the "high baptismal" glow.

"There is no season when you are grown
You are always risen from the seeds you've sown"

This is challenging you to seek growth infinitely, and never stop working on yourself. It's also saying you reap what you sow and probably more than just your actions, but your thoughts and intentions too.

"There is no reason to rise alone
Other stories given have sages of their own."

Life is not a solo experience. Everybody has their own story that fits into the scheme of the universe. Do not disregard them.

"Live where your heart can be given
And your life starts to unfold
In the forms you envision
In this dream that's ages old"

This part seriously hits home with my DMT experience and I think many psychedelic awakenings in general. The realization that with your thoughts you can craft your reality whether or not you realize it. So it's calling on you to focus on what you want and what you love, give your heart to it. Then your life will unfold how you'd envision it to. It also references that our souls have been doing this for a long time in this "dream that's ages old".

"On the river layer is the only sayer
You receive all you can hold
Like you've been told."

Another river reference, perhaps referring to a wise man or entity that understands how the universe flows, hence them "laying in the river" aka experiencing this flow of energy. "You receive all you can hold" could just be referring to the physical minds limits on memory retention. You can only bring back so much knowledge.

"Every day's another dawning
Give the morning winds a chance
Always catch your thunder yawning
Lift your mind into the dance"

This is very hopeful advice. Calling on you to embrace each new day to live out what you want to the best of your ability. Check yourself if you find your motivation or "thunder" fading or "yawning". It proposes you instead stay motivated or to "lift yourself into the dance".

"Sweep the shadows from your awning
Shrink the fourfold circumstance
That lies outside this house don't pass it by."

This seems to be saying to clear out all the socially conditioned garbage programmed into you by this physical world.

"Higher worlds that you uncover
Light the path you want to roam
You compare there and discover
You won't need a shell of foam
Twice born gypsies care and keep
The nowhere of their former home
They slip inside this house as they pass by."

This could be referring to a psychedelic experience or having a spiritual awakening. In this "higher world" you discover that there's more to existence than the physical body or "she'll of foam". However it urges against suicide through the line about"twice born gypsies" taking care of the "nowhere of their former home", instead urging you to "slip inside " these higher worlds "as you pass by".

"Slip inside this house as you pass by.
You think you can't, you wish you could
I know you can, I wish you would
Slip inside this house as you pass by."

A hopeful message for those who doubt there's more than physical life.

"Four and twenty birds of Maya
Baked into an atom you
Polarized into existence
Magnet heart from red to blue"

I believe this is referring to the atoms and particles that form your physical body, which have a very "polarized" nature with negative and positive charges.

"To such extent the realm of dark
Within the picture it seems true
But slip inside this house and then decide."

This acknowledges that the physical world with all of its science and physics does seem very real especially living within your body, but to try exploring higher realms through psychedelics or meditations before assuming this is all there is.

"All your lightning waits inside you
Travel it along your spine
Seven stars receive your visit
Seven seals remain divine
Seven churches filled with spirit,
Treasure from the angels' mine"

Your power lies within, in your thoughts and in your soul. It's difficult to pin down the significance of "seven" but it seems to be referencing some kind of divine knowledge/power or "treasure from the angel mine".

"Slip inside this house as you pass by.
Slip inside this house as you pass by.
The space you make has your own laws
No longer human gods are cause
The center of this house will never die."

This is challenging you to forget about gods made up by humans because we create our reality as beings of energy.

"There is no season when you are grown
You are always risen from the seeds you've sown
There is no reason to rise alone
Other stories given have sages of their own."

(See above)

"Draw from the well of unchanging
Its union nourishes on
In the right re-arranging
Till the last confusion is gone"

Accept knowledge the universe gives you and it will nourish your spirit and clear away your confusion.

"Water-brothers trust in the ultimust
Of the always singing song they pass along."

I think this is referring to the larger community of people who are seeking knowledge about the universe helping eachother move along in this existence aka the " always singing song" and passing along knowledge to others.

"One-eyed men aren't really reigning
They just march in place until
Two-eyed men with mystery training
Finally feel the power fill
Three-eyed men are not complaining.
They can yo-yo where they will
They slip inside this house as they pass by.
Don't pass it by."

This is referring to three tiers of enlightenment, ascending from the most worldly "one eyed men" to the most enlightened "three eyed men". I think many people on here might qualify as "two eyed" as we can't just "yoyo where we will" but certainly we know more than the very worldly one eyed men. The song ends with one last call to "slip inside" a higher enlightenment and gives a final plea to "don't pass it by"


Overall I think this is an amazing and uplifting song with profound meaning and I hope you enjoyed my analysis. If you have any input or something to add please do comment. Thank you for your time.

"Travel it along your spine" and the reference to the number seven, I would interpret that as the seven chackras and how the prana travels along them through the spine as one unblocks and clears them.

There could be a bit more of spiritual meaning to the number seven, if you are into the concept of vibrations, there is something fundamental called octaves, the seventh being the last "note" from that octave before moving on to the next, every possible "note" is embebed within one octave even though there are infinite octaves.

I love reading and interpreting spiritual lyrics, feels like a clear canvas to project known inner truth into. Thanks for sharing.
I seem to make a bit of a different interpretation than you do, for example:

"Draw from the well of unchanging
Its union nourishes on
In the right re-arranging
Till the last confusion is gone"

To me this points to seeking, focusing on the core, the unchanging, that being Unity, oneness, that which is constant throught all illusions and dreams, the self, the "true" one anyways.
As you connect and reunite, you do indeed get rearanged to be able see everything for what it really is, for what it always is.

Thats kind of what I hear anyways.

Nice write up. I have loved Roky Erickson's music for a long time. His story is a reminder of a reason or two why it is important to fight for and protect your basic fundamental human rights as a human being.

You can look it up, but basically his career as a musician and his life were almost destroyed by a system that was bent on victimizing anyone who dared be...different. Forced to choose between incarceration and electric shock therapy for the offense of having a joint in his possession while under the while the diagnosis of schizophrenia, he chose the latter. After that ordeal and ongoing battles with various real-world vampiric entities that sought to suck the very blood from the man in the form of people wanting to act- and only act- as caregivers to obtain his government benefits, he emerged in the '10's with the support of Rhino records, who released some compilations and a tribute album and eventually he was able to get the recognition and respect he deserved, to the best extent possible. I'm not doing him justice with this late-night post, but yeah.

I am more partial to his stuff with his band The Aliens, with its stoner late night TV horror movie vibe. Kind of somewhere in between Alice Cooper and The Misfits maybe? Evil One is a great record to try out from this era.

It's a cold night for alligators- after awhile crocodile.