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This next video is also philosophical, but this time it's an 80's song you may or may not have heard:



My first video to a John Frusciante song:

For those of you who want a challenge to your soul (let's see how tough you are):

http://enemyofworlds.tumblr.com/


for those of you looking for a little unconditional love:

http://friendofwounds.tumblr.com/

He said in an interview that as teenager, he read J. Krishnamurti, F. Nietzsche and A. Schopenhauer. All very high quality philosophers. I believe later on he studied the Tao Te Ching and Alesiter Crowley.

I see Frusciante as laying down the new paradigms for what is required out of a rock star. He represents the death and rebirth of the rock star, universally. It's the transition from Dionysian to Apollonian. The Dionysian is a submission to life, therefore a confused decaying into death. Whereas, with an Apollonian, the primary focus is on loving death, so that one may transition, confusedly, into life.

For me, Frusciante's lyrics are interesting to look at in context with certain philosophical traditions, most notably, the non-dualism of Zen and Taoism, the existentialism of Nietzsche and Kierkegaard, Eastern philosophy including Krishnamurti and Osho, and Greek thinkers such as Heraclitus, Socrates, and Diogenes. Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas is an entirely atheistic spiritual philosophy, afaic, and it goes well with Frusciante's music.

However, to dwell on what Frusciante means personally is a logical fallacy. You should be developing your own individuality, not pretending to know what his is. Unless you get to have a conversation with him in person, you should probably just focus on giving your own life meaning, not dwelling on his.

As for the meaning of his lyrics:

You take me by the hand (metaphorically, when we are accepting of another person, becoming their friend, it is like holding hands, but not literally holding hands. The mind has a hand, and minds can be accepting of each other.)

It's all I am (realizing your identity or "true self" is the other person is a deep philosophical realization, and many mystics have lived their life with this truth)
It's all that I am

You think that I'm a man
I beg to differ
For I am her as much as I am me [Most spiritual teachers emphasize the importance of being psychologically female/empty, so that we allow another person to be born within us / allowing them to be active (male)]

You know this moment in time

Is all my life, yeah (Time is obviously a creation of the mind, and moments do not have real boundaries, past, moment and future are one whole)

* the whole song is philosophically brilliant.


For any of you who like the idea of "Wisdom Poetry", check out Heraclitus "fragements" and the Tao Te Ching. Jesus from the Gospel of Thomas is also excellent wisdom poetry.

Basically, when a philosopher becomes a genius, he becomes poetic. When a poet becomes a genius, he becomes philosophical.

John, in my estimation, has some significant degree of Genius. Most rock stars merely have talent.

My folder system that links my book to the magazine had got way too convoluted. I took it down to reorganize it, and everything will be back up soon.