Tag Archives: Tina Dico

Don’t lead, don’t follow

“Believe me: It is no teaching and no instruction that I give you. On what basis should I presume to teach you? I give you news of the way in this man, but not of your own way. My path is not your path, therefore I cannot teach you. The way is within us, but not in Gods, nor in teachings, nor in laws. Within us is the way, the truth, and the life.
Woe betide those who live by way of examples! Life is not with them. If you live according to an example, you thus live the life of that example, but who should live your life if not yourself? So live yourselves.
The signposts have fallen, unblazed trails lie before us. Do not be greedy to gobble up the fruits of foreign fields. Do you not know that you yourselves are the fertile acre which bears everything that avails you?
Yet who today knows this? Who knows the way to the eternally fruitful climes of the soul? You seek the way through mere appearances, you study books and give ear to all kinds of opinion. What good is all that?
There is only one way and that is your way.
You seek the path? I warn you away from my own. It can also be the wrong way for you.
May each go his own way.
I will be no saviour, no lawgiver, no master teaching unto you. You are no longer little children.
Giving laws, wanting improvements, making things easier, has all become wrong and evil. May each one seek out his own way. The way leads to mutual love in community. Men will come to see and feel the similarity and commonality of their ways.
Laws and teachings held in common compel people to solitude, so that they may escape the pressure of undesirable contact, but solitude makes people hostile and venomous.
Therefore give people dignity and let each of them stand apart, so that each may find his own fellowship and love it.
Power stands against power, contempt against contempt, love against love. Give humanity dignity, and trust that life will find the better way.” (C.G.Jung, The Red Book: Liber Novus, cca. 1913)

“What we are now going to do, therefore, is to learn about ourselves, not according to me or to some analyst or philosopher – because if we learn about ourselves according to someone else, we learn about them, not ourselves – we are going to learn what we actually are. […]
I do not demand your faith; I am not setting myself up as an authority. I have nothing to teach you – no new philosophy, no new system, no new path to reality; there is no path to reality any more than to truth. All authority of any kind, especially in the field of thought and understanding, is the most destructive, evil thing. Leaders destroy the followers and followers destroy the leaders. You have to be your own teacher and your own disciple.” (excerpt of talks by Jiddu Krishnamurti, cca. 1963-1967)

“You’ve got no one to follow and no one will follow you… ain’t that a relief,
That everything and everyone
Must grow in opposition to resistance
And contradiction
This ain’t no time to go to sleep” (Tina Dico No time to sleep, cca. 2007)

my_music

In sickness, health, bliss and dejection, there’s music. If all else fails, music fills the void in my soul and I float above emptiness until I regain my foothold once again. Music saves. It saved me more than once. I know it saved you, too. It continues to save us all, all the time.

There has always been a lot of music circulating in our household. Artists come, and they go, or they stay. There are eternal favourites. There are new acts. There are surprises.

In the past year or so there have been a handful of albums that were the recurring canvas of my inner life. On them I painted new thoughts, I felt inspired by them, I held onto them, I soared with them. I listened to these albums a considerable amount of time, especially compared to the rest of our musical collection. New artists constantly come and go and have been coming and going, but these albums have been my lifeline in these past years. Literally. In belief, and in disillusionment.

John Mayer’s Continuum has been with me for many years. I heard the song Gravity on House M.D. and after that, I had to hear the whole album, and I don’t think I ever listened to any other John Mayer album. Sorry, John. I know you’re a genius and all, but this album is perfection and when I listen to it, no other music seems to exist or have existed. Lyrics, music, vocals, it’s all pure perfection.

She popped into my life through a Josh Groban fanfiction. Hail the genre! Someone built a cheesy piece of fanfic (in retrospect, that’s what it was, just like all of mine that I wrote at the time) on a song entitled Back where we started. Because I liked that cheesy piece of fanfiction, I was curious about the song. And after that, I was curious about Tina’s work. Basically, she’s been my spokesperson since 2007. Her songs speak from me and about me, they come from my heart and my struggles and doubts and thoughts. No other artist has expressed MY feelings as accurately as Tina has. She continues to amaze me with her songs, old and new alike. When I feel lost, she comes to my rescue. She tells me I’m not lost alone… I may be lost, but not alone. We’re all lost. And the only thing we can find is each other. All of her albums are great, but this trilogy is conceptually wonderful and probably has her most profound lyrics.

Where else would I have heard Ben’s song than on a TV show? A gifted man, cancelled after the first season, like so many other wonderful, meaningful shows. Once again, when I heard the full album, the world stopped turning. I stopped doing everything I was doing and just listened… and after a short break, I’ve been listening ever since. Magnificent debut that is receiving accolades from all directions, rightfully so. Ben’s music is fresh and honest, it just grips you with the lyrics and the exciting indie folk-rock sound.

Thank the Universe for French music TV channels. The video for Berlin was like nothing I’ve seen or heard before, too wacky to understand or even like, but when it got under my skin, it stayed for good, and Christophe, the hyper-talented French talent-show winner has become a huge favourite of mine. I was fortunate enough to see him live with two of my friends in Paris – and I must repeat that act. One of the best musical experiences I have ever had! This album is his latest, one that cannot be stopped. At least I find it difficult. To stop. Catchy, high quality electro-disco with some of the most amazing vocals ever.

Darren Hayes is a huge favourite (has been ever since I want you), and this is his best album so far. It is virtually unstoppable. A drug. It’s uncanny! It’s so good, it should be illegal. Melodic and melancholy tunes and the type of lyrics that would sound cheesy from the mouth of another singer, but not from Mr Hayes. I have yet to see him live, but his next tour, I will. I promised myself, I won’t miss him again…

And my latest discovery. I wrote about it on my blog already, I love this album so much. It started with Sherlock and Mr Cumberbatch and then his entire filmography… and a song in one of his movies. Little did I know that the whole CD was as wonderful as that one song… I listened to this album non-stop for weeks, maybe months. I needed no other music, nothing else, just this. It felt like if I could only take one CD with me to a desert island, it would be this one…

And I’ve had this feeling with all of the above. (In previous years, there were more albums, but I wanted to give a heads up to these particular ones, because they are more recent and perhaps you’re on the lookout for great new music…) Thankfully, I don’t need to pick just one CD – or else I would be in great trouble…

Some other day

I watched a flood on my tv today
I couldn’t say from where
Just another flood on my tv

I wasn’t bothered it was far away
Worlds away from here
From my family and me

But just for a second I could feel
This safe and independant life of mine is not real
Just for a second I could see
That nothing is forever and nothing is for free

When will I go and make a change
I’ve got the time and I let it waste
I frown at people who don’t care but I’m just the same
I wanna make a difference
Maybe some other day

A bomb went off not far from here tonight
And now I’m wide awake
Tossing and a-turning in my bed

A glass of Hennessy sits by my side
But with every sip I take
These visions creep into my head

Just in this second I can see
The lights go and bricks and ceilings tumbling on me
Just in the second I can hear
The steps of panicked neighbours
The sound of fear

When will I go and make a change
I’ve got the time and I let it waste
I frown at people who don’t care but I’m just the same
I wanna make a difference
Maybe some other day

No time to sleep

Who’s gonna sing a song of change
If no-one can imagine life outside the beaten track
And who’s gonna stop a running train
If no-one cares to dwell and no-one wants to look back

Somewhere along the line you gave up asking
When it got a little too complex
But if you don’t question what has been
Does it mean that you don’t care what’s coming next

You got no-one to follow
And no-one will follow you
Ain’t that a relief
That everything and everyone
Must grow in opposition to resistance
And contradiction
This ain’t no time to go to sleep
This ain’t no time to go to sleep

So who’s gonna sing a song of faith
If no-one prays for anything that can’t be bought and sold
And who’s gonna tell the story straight
Does anyone believe there’s still a story to be told

Somewhere along the line you just stopped walking
When the under current got too strong
But someday a lonesome busker will come knocking
With a soft and long-forgotten song

You got no-one to follow
And no-one will follow you
Ain’t that a relief
That everything and everyone
Must grow in opposition to resistance
And contradiction
This ain’t no time to go to sleep
This ain’t no time to go to sleep

(lyrics by Tina Dico http://tinadico.com/music/song/no-time-to-sleep/)

Favourite songs: You’re my mirror

Tina Dico’s official website:

www.tinadico.com

Tina Dico You’re my mirror

When I feel your eyes on me I fall to my knees
And I wait for your look to judge and define me
I’m just a thin shell breaking in your palm
Starving for substance, identity
I am not afraid of this act of mutual creation
I take from you as you take from me
Like nervous hands reaching out for each other
Your eyes can tell no lies, I am what you see

You’re my mirror
Everything I do I see in you
You’re my mirror
In your eyes I hide
You’re my mirror
What you see is what you’re giving me
You’re my mirror
In your eyes read more »