Old Wisdom
Navigating Faith and Fear: Pedro the Lion's 'Old Wisdom' Revealed
Lyrics
When you were little
Reflecting on childhood
You were scared to death
Fearful of a catastrophic event (rapture)
That the rapture already happened
Believed the feared event already occurred
Only you were left
Feeling isolated or abandoned
Despite your constant vigilance
Despite being watchful, still faced consequences
You had angered the Lord
Perceived personal displeasure from a higher power
Which somehow made you love him even more
Paradoxical love for the displeasing deity
On the same old wisdom
Emphasizing reliance on traditional wisdom
With the same result
Repeated use of old wisdom with no change
Kids in turmoil
Children facing chaos, possibly religious confusion
Thinking it's their fault
Misinterpreting problems as their own fault
With their souls wide open
Vulnerability to authority
To authority
Trading personal values for authority acceptance
Til they've traded everything
Sacrificing everything for a false sense of peace
For a peace with no peace
Ironically, finding no real peace in the sacrifice
You're not allowed to see it
Restrictions on understanding the situation
But you always had a choice
Despite restrictions, having a choice
Between making a disciple
Choosing between influencing others and understanding one's child
And knowing your little boy
The internal conflict of belief in sinfulness
I thought it was sinful
Perceiving self-knowledge as sinful
For me to know myself
Fear of consequences for self-discovery
And if I did I might wind up in hell
Associating self-awareness with damnation
On the same old wisdom
Reiteration of reliance on old wisdom
With the same result
No change despite repetition
Kids in turmoil
Children still in turmoil, repeating the cycle
Thinking it's their fault
Misplaced blame on the children for their turmoil
O my soul wide open
Possibly the speaker's soul open to authority
To authority
Continued vulnerability to authority
Til i traded everything
Personal sacrifice for a false sense of peace
For a peace with no peace
Repeating the theme of finding no real peace
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