Free Yourself From Yourself

from Uncollected Pop (Volume 1: 1988-1991) by Peter Saltzman

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about

I vaguely remember writing this song some time around 1987. It was (somewhat) inspired by a correspondence course my wife and I we’re taking (this was back in the day such a course happened through MAIL) based on the teachings of Siddah Yoga. (The home study course still exists, by mail no less! I just checked.) At any rate, like a lot of yogic philosophy, this branch essentially believes the self is an illusory phenomenon. Not a bad idea, though kind of difficult to live by on a day-to-day basis. The song is really about a guy with a high-powered job who looses everything. His image is tied to his position, etc. Now that I think about it, the song was also inspired by the whole Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky insider trading thing in the 1980s (was it the 80s?) I was living in NYC for a while back then.

The song was the first cut on my LP Songs from Two States.

lyrics

It’s all you ever could ask for
A high-powered job and a fancy car
Looks like your birthright has taken you far

You’ve got the gift of persuasion
You use big words and your ten feet tall
So smart, you’re sure that you never could fall

But then it’s all taken ‘way from you
And you feel so lost
The image you had wasn’t really true
And you can’t accept it

Chorus:
Free yourself from yourself
Free yourself
Free yourself from yourself
Free yourself

Now you are batting ‘o for twenty
Your touch of gold has turned to mud
You hit the bottom floor with a thud

Poor guy, you’re feeling so sorry
You think the world is so unfair
So bad, they must of made an error somewhere

But say it’s all given back to you
Would you feel good then
Why depend on what’s outside of you
When it’s all a dream world

Chorus
Instrumental
Chorus

credits

from Uncollected Pop (Volume 1: 1988-1991), released January 21, 2013

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about

Peter Saltzman Chicago, Illinois

Peter Saltzman is a composer, pianist, singer, and songwriter residing somewhere near Chicago. His music has been called "brilliant" by the Chicago Tribune, and "powerful stuff" by the Dallas Morning News.

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