Songs about Buddhist themes

[Luke]

I thought I'd create a thread to talk about songs which talk about themes which are relevant to Buddhism in some way.

The first song I'll talk about is "Dust in the Wind" by Kansas. It's about impermanence and the dream-like nature of reality. Although the earth and sky clearly aren't permanent either. Apart from that flaw, the song seems quite Buddhist to me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3YEw4a7ixQ
Here are the lyrics:

I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone
All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity
Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.
Same old song, just a drop of water in an endless sea
All we do, crumbles to the ground, though we refuse to see

Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind

[Now] Don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away, and all your money won't another minute buy.

Dust in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind
Dust in the wind, everything is dust in the wind.

[David N. Snyder]

I always liked that song too and it is very good about impermanence. But that one major flaw is pretty bad -- certainly the earth and sky will disappear one day! It might be a billion years or so, but still will happen.

Here are the lyrics to Toy Soldiers, by Martika:

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left,
We all fall down like toy soldiers.

It wasn't my intention to mislead you,
It never should have been this way. What can I say?
It's true, I did extend the invitation,
I never knew how long you'd stay.

When you hear temptation call,
It's your heart that takes, takes a fall.
Won't you come out and play with me

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left,
We all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win,
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.

It's getting hard to wake up in the morning,
My head is spinning constantly. How can it be
How could I be so blind to this addiction
If I don't stop the next one's gonna be me.

Only emptiness remains, it replaces all, all the pain.
Won't you come out and play with me

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left,
We all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win,
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.

Only emptiness remains, it replaces all, all the pain.
Won't you come out and Play with me?

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left,
We all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win,
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.

Step by step, heart to heart, left right left,
We all fall down like toy soldiers.
Bit by bit torn apart, we never win,
But the battle wages on for toy soldiers.

===========================================================================

Notice the part in bold, "Only emptiness remains, it replaces all the pain."

[malalu]

Wow, David! Haven't heard that song in years!

here's one. "The Balance" by The Moody Blues

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL4QARsT-4c

Here are the lyrics...

After he had journeyed,
And his feet were sore,
And he was tired,
He came upon an orange grove
And he rested
And he lay in the cool,
And while he rested, he took to himself an orange and tasted it,
And it was good.
And he felt the earth to his spine,
And he asked, and he saw the tree above him, and the stars,
And the veins in the leaf,
And the light, and the balance.
And he saw magnificent perfection,
Whereon he thought of himself in balance,
And he knew he was.

Just open your eyes,
And realize, the way it's always been.
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been.
Just open your heart
And that's a start.

And he thought of those he angered,
For he was not a violent man,
And he thought of those he hurt
For he was not a cruel man
And he thought of those he frightened
For he was not an evil man,
And he understood.
He understood himself.

Upon this he saw that when he was of anger or knew hurt or felt fear,
It was because he was not understanding,
And he learned, compassion.

And with his eye of compassion.
He saw his enemies like unto himself,
And he learned love.
Then, he was answered.

Just open your eyes,
And realize, the way it's always been.
Just open your mind
And you will find
The way it's always been.
Just open your heart
And that's a start.

[ronnewmexico]

At times I doubted any connection to Buddhist thought but have noticed that the lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins spoke at a symposium for the release of the"Red Book" just this past Nov 14 at a, in the main, Tibertan Buddhist oriented museum in NYC. a book just recently published written by Carl JUng about his dreams but kept nonreleased by his family due to his wishes. Carl Jung who wrote the initial introduction to the first western release of the Tibetan Book of the Dead(Liberation throuh Hearing).

Hence these words may have application....
"My reflection, dirty mirror
There's no connection to myself
I'm your lover, I'm your zero
I'm the face in your dreams of glass
So save your prayers
For when we're really gonna need'em
Throw out your cares and fly
Wanna go for a ride?

She's the one for me
She's all I really need
Cause she's the one for me
Emptiness is loneliness, and loneliness is cleanliness
And cleanliness is godliness, and god is empty just like me"

Perhaps more than just a love song.
Shadow Falls is a heavy metal rock group from a few years back who writes songs with Buddhist oriented lyrics.