“Walden,” the first single and perhaps the central theme of the album. When I was doing some research for my master’s dissertation in 2015-2016, Henry David Thoreau’s book caught my attention since I had already read a few passages in Christopher McCandless’s diary (mentioned in Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild). At first sight, the idea of the book may seem marginal: living in the woods, isolated in nature, far away from civilization and technology. However, Thoreau highlights the paradoxes and contradictions to which I allude in the song “Looking for a Dream” (see “The Making of ‘Looking for a Dream’ – Track #1” below). Isolation is never complete, and one will rapidly hear the noise of the train of civilization which interrupts the form of tranquility that nature may provide. The song “Walden” seeks to break down the barrier between mankind and nature, and to help circumvent our society’s problems. It does not reject modernity or technology but, still, idealizes simplicity (“the simple things”) and honesty (“being honest is the best I’ve ever got”), which are fundamental societal values praised by Thoreau. It’s precisely against this backdrop that were written the couplets of “Walden.”
The chorus came to me quite naturally and was written before the other parts of the song. I once played it to my friends in front of a campfire, and they all loved it. I was once asked during an interview what the line “just drive to the dream you’ll never find” meant. This line is a reference to the inner conflict one may experience when he/she realizes that he/she may be seen as selfish, naive or even too romantic when he/she desperately seeks to make his/her dreams come true in a sick world where not everyone has the same chances. This conflict becomes even more explicit at the end of the song, and will not be resolved before the very end of the album.
Take care,
D.L.
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