{"id":115,"date":"2005-08-04T23:19:50","date_gmt":"2005-08-05T06:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/2005\/08\/its-hard-to-think-important-thoughts-when-there-are-so-many-trivial-things-to-think-about\/115\/"},"modified":"2020-01-09T06:53:46","modified_gmt":"2020-01-09T13:53:46","slug":"important-thoughts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.newcoolthang.com\/index.php\/2005\/08\/important-thoughts\/115\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s hard to think important thoughts when there are so many trivial things to think about"},"content":{"rendered":"

I’ve written quite a few songs in my day and I like some of my old lyrics are better than others. Before I left BYU I wrote the chorus of a song I intended to use with my BYU band Sam I Am<\/a>. Here’s how the lyrics went: <\/p>\n

It’s so hard (to) think important thoughts
\nWhen there’s so many trivial things to think about (and)
\nIt’s so hard (to) think important thoughts
\n\u2018Cuz thinking them thoughts tends to lead to important things (and)
\nIt’s so hard (to) do important things
\n\u2018Cuz doin’ important things means you’ve got to do something (and)
\nIt’s so hard (to) do important things
\n\u2018Cuz doing important things requires important thoughts<\/em><\/p>\n

Perhaps it sounds silly to you, but it sort of captures a lifelong dilemma for me. I want to think important thoughts and do important things here on earth – but it’s hard. It is hard work to think about important things and it is harder work to change (aka repent) as I inevitably find myself compelled to do after thinking important thoughts.<\/p>\n

All of this is actually an explanation of why I have not put a lot of posts up lately. My last several posts required a lot of hard thinking about important things. And thinking important thoughts wears me out. I’m still recovering I guess. Perhaps you find yourself facing blog burnout from time to time too. <\/p>\n

Anyway, I never finished the song for Sam I Am but we eventually managed to take my chorus and make a song out of it called Elephant Thoughts<\/a> a few years later with Noisepie<\/a>. Here is a live recording of it<\/a> in ’97 at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. I never really loved what we did with the song, actually. It certainly is not my favorite Noisepie song or recording. We took a hodgepodge of three musical ideas and sort of squashed them together in a Paul McCartney and Wings sort of way. But the ska chorus came out ok and I kinda like semi-psychotic scatting I did at the end. <\/p>\n

There may or may not be any important thoughts in this post… but if there is one I suspect it is that thinking about important things is hard work. But since we will be judged by our thoughts<\/a> I suspect it is the kind of hard work we can’t afford to shirk.
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