John Frusciante and the Importance of the Creative Force (Ep.3 - The Inner World of Frusciante)

[@mirrorsarewater]

Thanks for checking out the video! Let me know what you think :)

[@FuckfaceRejoinder]

An excerpt from John’s blog post “Imrael” on January 27th, 2009: “The life giving properties that the suns rays contain is something we imitate ourselves, whether by smiling at someone or telling a joke, or singing a song. It is a human need when you feel something inside to express it outwardly. And that life giving substance the sun shines out is a lot like our own creative actions. The sun is telling us that if you repeat an action every day (like learning something, playing something or making something), the object of your efforts will grow and grow. Your ability to express yourself or to give to the world around you will grow with your persistence in doing whatever that thing is you do. And even though the sun appears to go up and down, having its process of apparently rising up, peaking, going down, and then hiding, science has taught us that this only appears this way to our point of view and it is circling around, and shining at full strength always. Likewise our own ups and downs just appear as they do to us. In actuality we are thriving all the time. Everything we do is directed towards shining our form of light. We couldn’t do it if we were just peaking all the time, just as life as we know it would end if the sun always stayed at what appears to us as its highest point of strength.”

[@mirrorsarewater]

Haha that is so perfect. I didn't even think to look there for this video. The first line says it all. Thanks :)

[@iloveisrea]

If the seasons which change were all still it’s so easy to see life would fail whatever slips out of our hands will find its way back to us once again

[@cafetekla4700]

Keep going with these, they're going to blow up

[@mirrorsarewater]

Thanks for the encouragement! I hope I can get better at this so I can do this material real justice.

[@NotTheRealRustyShackleford]

So glad I found your channel! I've been a huge Frusciante fan most my life, and have spent a lot of time reflecting on his lyrics and music. Nice to see someone doing a deep dive into it, and making their own art in the process. Can't wait to see you tackle The Empyrean! I feel that album in paricular is dripping with symbology and deeper meaning...

[@keatsu]

I feel like Empyrean us the ultimate album. Has most meaning and is the best representaion of what John was capable ever in terms of lyrics and musical ideas.

[@mirrorsarewater]

Awesome thanks! One day I'll get to The Empyrean. I have a few things to get through first :)

[@iloveisrea]

In his song “Today” On the eympryan album he has a lyric “Pain looks on up at me And when I’m beat From the backseat I’ll crash my car.” This is like the creative force driving the car and him acknowledging it’s useless to try and take over.

[@mirrorsarewater]

Yeah, that's a great example!

[@SilentEchoes-k5d]

Thank you for these well researched, well put together deep dives. Your channel is a gem. I can tell how much hard work and passion goes into every step of your process. I wish you success so you can continue enlightening us.

[@mirrorsarewater]

@SilentEchoes-k5d Thank you very much. I checked out your channel, I liked hearing your story about your first time hearing Carvel!

[@SBK_Sound]

If you look into the meanings and metaphors of most popular songs, they can all be seen as either from the perspective of the creative force, or a reflection of it, in praise of the creative force. Just interpret the lyrics as metaphor, and look from that perspective, you'll see, if you have eyes to see.

[@mirrorsarewater]

"I have, at times, been so lost in the course of my life, and have been gently directed towards making sense of lots of confusing things from reading certain writers and from obsessing on lyrics of rock songs about this same subject, of which I believe there to be many, though perhaps often unbeknownst to the writers of the songs themselves." - John Frusciante

[@SBK_Sound]

@@mirrorsarewater "These smiling eyes are just a mirror for the sun" - Red Hot Chili Peppers, Road Trippin'

[@mirrorsarewater]

Nice, I was contemplating those lyrics while making this video. If I were to do a one on unconscious meaning in Anthony's lyrics, that's where I'd start. Cool stuff.

[@keatsu]

Thanks for this! As far as I remember letur lefr is short of leturley lerfrusciante and my first thought when it came out was that "you are sun to me" is about Turley (his GF at that time)

[@Brock-x9x]

Great video! It might be worth having a look at the song 'water' from scwp, it seems to have similar allegorical themes embedded

[@mirrorsarewater]

Thanks! And good observation. I'd love to cover more of his stuff, hopefully one day I'll get to it. "It's only a lie to recall believing your body".

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

New Video YESSSSSSSSSSSSS :D

[@mirrorsarewater]

Hope you like it! 😁

[@FarmerSlideJoeBob]

@@mirrorsarewater I do :D

[@keatsu]

You mentioned Lion King! Well I thought about Pinocchio which is very condensed with symbols. I'm a fan of Jordan Peterson explanations of this story. Highly recommend. (there is also scene with water)

[@mirrorsarewater]

I'm glad you picked up on this! Maps of Meaning is the whole reason this channel exists. JP's work introduced me to Jung and the online world of symbolism (Pageau Brothers & Vervaeke). And now I can help explain what Frusciante picked up on 20 years before the rest of the world :)

[@keatsu]

@mirrorsarewater I tried to go through Maps of Meaning but it was definitely a challenge for me. Maybe I will go back some day. :)

[@keatsu]

@mirrorsarewater btw I'm curious if John is (or was while making 10days..) actually interested in psychology, archtypes etc. or his lyrics is just naturally part of his unconscious.

[@mirrorsarewater]

I think both, his step-father introduced him to philosophy when he was younger. And I know he has read Schopenhauer, & Nietzsche. But I also think he is documenting real experiences through his music and not just regurgitating things he as read.

[@chrisscott6727]

Also after watching this, i came across this quote. Fitting. NOEL GALLAGHER on how he writes songs: “I’ve got no control over the music that I make. I’m not adept enough as a musician to go into a studio and say, ‘You know what, I wanna make a f*cking jazz album.’ I can’t do that. All I can do is sit with a guitar and wait and hope for something to happen. That’s what I do. I call it going fishing. I sit by the river, with the guitar and if I get a catch, great. And that's what I do. It comes from somewhere within. I’m not brilliant - I can’t read music. I’m not a great guitarist. I’m not a great singer. I’m not great at anything. You know? I’m great at being me and doing what I do, and that’s it.” Photo by Michael Spencer Jones

[@mirrorsarewater]

Great quote. Once I started doing these videos, I started realizing many musicians say these same things. It's a fascinating idea, that we are not responsible for the things we create...thanks for sharing.

[@chrisscott6727]

​@@mirrorsarewaterindeed, you are doing a great job documenting this phenomena

[@keatsu]

NO WAY! Actually the cover of my album “Struggles” depicts 9 yo me sitting by a lake with a fishing rod. XD Initial idea was that it symbolizes my father, who spent a lot of time fishing and doing nothing AND me trying to catch some tunes. Doing nothing :D BTW, this is not a a music pitch or joke haha, I just love these videos and have been obsessed with Frusciante since I was a little kid, so this is just coicedance..or .... synchrocity? :D

[@mirrorsarewater]

Hey that's really cool! Fishin' for tunes :) Your album has a cool vibe to it. Where would you say you get your ideas from?

[@keatsu]

I would say that I am not completely aware of the meaning of the lyrics while writing them, but looking back on them, it's like I look at myself as a different person. I noticed a strong inner child in myself. Yesterday I asked chatgpt to interpret the lyrics of my song "dont turn around" in the context of Jungian psychology and archetypes and I was blown away!!!! I wasn't fully aware when writing these words, and they mean so much to me and have a universal meaning as well! A few years ago, me and my friends made a music video for the song "I like this song," in which I jump on an inflatable boat and go out into the deep sea. There was no script, we were just on the beach in winter. It was a crazy idea because the water was very cold, but at the time I subconsciously knew it made sense, so I wasn't afraid of the cold. Now I see that this is an analogy for creation. Swimming out into the unconscious, despite the fear, to get something meaningful.

[@Sharlot2016]

very inspirational

[@mirrorsarewater]

Thanks!

[@linguafranca86]

I am very curious what you make of "Inside of Emptiness" the album.

[@mirrorsarewater]

Because I've been so laser focused on TWTD, I've kinda put IOE on the back burner. But, there are some extremely interesting ideas that are specific to that album. I will be getting to them at some point. Thanks for the comment!

[@mainphone5708]

⁠@@mirrorsarewaterglad to hear that you will I love your channel I love John's music so much and your analysis of his art helps me understand my relationship with creative force as an artist

[@linguafranca86]

Awesome... love your video's man.

[@LowRaw]

Yeees!

[@iloveisrea]

Where can I read john’s essay?

[@mirrorsarewater]

docs.google.com/document/d/1iNCW_i_3L7Z45ZU-BCw_bTnZcAQ4Ptq8/edit?usp=drivesdk&ouid=108778142102292983216&rtpof=true&sd=true

[@chrisscott6727]

Great video, that's a hard R you use when talking there... nova scotia?

[@mirrorsarewater]

Haha thanks, I am from Nova Scotia....Did you actually guess that from the way I speak?

[@chrisscott6727]

​@mirrorsarewater yes I did lol. Mainly because I've watched Ricky, Julian and the boys so much!