soft hills

In this episode, Seattle’s “The Soft Hills” share the story behind their song, “Molten Change.”

Molten Change consists of two parts: A and B. In part A there are several layers of experience juxtaposed together, happening all in the mind of a man named, Ashely. The story begins with Ashely peering into his psychic landscape of madness, teetering on the verge of collapse. He realizes that his fear is founded upon a false image of himself, which is merely an illusion. The realization comes to him in a moment of darkness and despair.

In the 2nd verse he is mesmerized by a woman’s eyes. His desire for her drives out feelings of loneliness. This new found love opens up a vault of things to be discovered within his heart. The second chorus, “Man is not alone, so why’s he paying the fee?” suggests that human suffering stems from one’s feeling of isolation. But the irony is that we are actually connected to everything around us, at one with the whole universe, so why are we causing ourselves misery? Metaphorically, the “molten change” might be thought of as a state of mind that comes through catharsis. It is something equivalent to being struck by a ray of illumination.

Part B lifts off into a space and points towards a new horizon, a different way of seeing things: consciousness transformed. It poses a reflective question, “Are you happy?” It seems that many of us are constantly running around, looking for distractions, expending our energy in all directions, chasing a mirage which we call happiness. The lyric asks the listener to stop for a moment and think about their motives and actions, to ask themselves if they really are happy. What is happiness? Is happiness this blind pursuit of some far off future where we never fully arrive at? I think that when we really stop and look at ourselves, it becomes clear that our life is overrun by a kind of madness; it is as if we were caught in the cogs of a monstrous machine whose wheels never stop turning. It’s a shame that we spend our whole life wasting away in the treadmill. So why not get off the treadmill?

Molten Change is about overcoming fear and abandoning the old, stagnant way of life and finding a new way of living where we are one and at peace with ourselves. Ultimately, it is a song of healing.

Molten Change

Ashley was looking deeply into the chaos of his soul
He fell like a crumbling ceiling through a vast sea of holes

Why do you fear for your limited life?
The solution seems clear in the dead of the night
You’ll awaken to the molten change

Her eyes were a fascination like rubies on fire
You’re no longer feeling lonesome as your heart visions fly

Man is not alone, so why’s he paying the fee?
Through the lens of delusion you’ll be following me
You’ll awaken to the molten change

Are you happy?