Music of the Day, 4 December 2024
like a forest bows to winter
Today’s MotD burst into my mind while reading
’s post “Trust and Faith.” His moving story of ongoing issues with both deeply resonates with me, as my childhood created similar struggles for me.A lot of songs over the years have touched on aspects of these issues for me; I’ve written about at least one, and more will no doubt come. I’m sure it will be no surprise to longtime readers that a Rush song has done the best job so far of encapsulating my thoughts and feelings.
“Faithless” is a deep cut from Rush’s 2007 album Snakes & Arrows. It follows “Hope,” which is an unusual instrumental in that it’s just Alex Lifeson playing a 12-string guitar. It’s a lovely piece that beautifully sets up “Faithless.” I don’t remember my initial response to these two tracks, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I cried. I still do.
In an album that sees Neil Peart coming close to “grumpy old man” territory, “Faithless” stands out as heartfelt and direct. Its tempo is slower than most Rush songs, which allows for deeper immersion, and I adore the Mellotron that gives it a lush orchestral sound. Most important, the lyrics capture how I’ve felt about religion for decades.
One needn’t have faith of that sort to be hopeful—or moral, for that matter. Just compare what humanist organizations have at their core to Christian nationalism and other authoritarian religions’ tenets. And when Peart states “I believe in love, and that’s faith enough for me,” I took that to be encompassing much more than romantic love. Love of life and living, and genuine concern for the well-being of others is a higher love that can elevate our lives, if we’re willing to let it.
The main reason why Steve’s essay prompted “Faithless” is because if I had “quietly resist[ed]” the lure of religion in my teens, many people’s lives would be quite different. I turned my back on my childhood atheism because of romantic love and hurt a lot of people when I ended that relationship.
So I don’t have faith in faith, and as much as I adore romantic love songs, I know better than to believe in their messages. And I don’t feel like I’m missing a lot by not having either in my life these days. It’s much easier to be true to myself.
I haven’t given up on romantic love yet. Though I’m pretty sure my wife has. 😜
Thanks for the shout-out, Jackie. I am honored to have inspired you to pick a Rush tune, as you know they are a favorite band of mine. I haven't played this song in eons, so it was so great to revisit it.
Because I love a good story, I want to know more about your atheism to religious practice, if it was always to appease your partner or if it became genuine and then later fell out again. It's probably more personal than you would like to share, but if you are open, I'd love to know more.
As someone who is married, and has been for 20 years, I can't really comment on living alone or giving up on romantic love, but I did meet my wife at 37 and did think I'd live alone my whole life before meeting her. My aunt was widowed at 51 and never had another relationship, so I do understand her perspective, as I've had many conversations with her about it. She was the main breadwinner in her marriage and she was unwilling to take care of another man again, which I totally get.