T6 Truth

Inspired by an improvised tenor saxophone solo by Sonny Rollins, 1987

Tell us your thoughts - What do you think about the philosophical issues raised in this song?

Well now they say we are living in post-truth society
That the people who lead and inform us just don’t give a damn
The truth was left behind by other ways of making us agree
Because all these people want is to get their result

And so they try to tap into our emotions
Using fear and deep-seated resentment
So they can get us on their side
But then we can’t deliberate
You can’t think it through if you don’t have the facts and the truth on your side

So the problem’s big
We can’t be rational
If we don’t dig truth
Then we’re digging our own grave
If we’re irrational folk
Irrational, irrational, irrational folk
When the things going well
It can only be a fluke

We need truth
But not every truth that humans can find out, because some of them are dangerous,
as we all know
We gotta leave some things alone and show wisdom
Or we could lose control

Just look around
You gotta hope that the world stays peaceful
Cos in our very recent journey
They’ve made a thousand nuclear bombs
Oh Lord, please don’t let them drop that atomic bomb on me as Mingus said
Die!

But not if we show some wisdom
We need philosophy
To insert some balance into the truth
If we go on like this
Driving on without a plan
Telling lies in the dark
Split the quark
While our forests burn
No philosophy!