Phoenix ~ Dan Fogelberg
A Preview into the Newly released edition of Lightning In a Bottle : A Book Series On the Most Important Rock Albums In Music History
Album #42
Phoenix~
Dan Fogelberg
TRACK 4 - THE LAST TO KNOW
“You could look at it very fatalistically, sure. But it’s not meant to be that way. All the song is saying is ‘now is the only thing that exists’. It’s tough to accept and it’s hard to live like that…but it’s reality all the same.”
Dan Fogelberg
The Last to Know was a brilliantly crafted and clever song; plus, an extremely important one too, as it focused upon what happens to couples who choose to “stay on” in relationships through Fear of the unknown. In other words, there are a VAST number of men and women in long term relationships who stay ONLY because they fear that what might happen to them by leaving might be worse than staying on...and this is a VERY sad and telling reality about the human experience. Incredibly, this reality is even MORE TOPICAL today than it was in 1979; and it will only continue to get worse until such time we learn to live our lives through TRUTH rather than our diseased state of lying about virtually everything...especially to ourselves!
To fully understand the scope of this song, it's crucial to recognize that (both lyrically AND musically) the essence of the track was based upon the title line, “why is love always the last to know?” And the answer to this question dominates almost all human interaction within society…because we LIE about virtually everything in our lives! Ever since those who truly rule over society shifted the masses off of the countryside and into their newly constructed, industrialized cities, complete with propaganda and state-sponsored schooling, multiple generations of families have grown up into households and communities that were built upon lies...grade-A bullshit; thus, it is NO WONDER why human beings lie to themselves and their loved ones at almost EVERY turn! White lies, little lies, big lies, humane lies, survival lies, getting ahead lies…there’s essentially a lie for every occasion in western society (and yet, we wonder why the world operates the way it does?). However, lying is always the most tragic when it involves one’s self, and one’s own family. “Why is Love Always the Last to Know”, as George Carlin would say, it's because most people are full of SHIT…that’s why...
The true brilliance of this song however, was more than just revealing this ugly truth about ourselves…it lay in the fact that Fogelberg placed this profound message into a very laid back, acoustic track that flowed effortlessly along, allowing the non-focused listener to take these lyrics at a very innocent level if they wished. I wonder how many of Fogelberg’s fanatic devotees even fully understood just how deep this song went, and how connected the music and the lyrics were? If you take the time to concentrate your mind upon both the music and the lyrics, you will notice the undeniable synchronicity between them...just listen to all of the emotions and pitfalls of the storyline and how they match up perfectly to the chords that Fogelberg wrote. To achieve this, he cleverly wrote the song's lyrical tale in coupled lines, meaning that the first line in each verse was directly connected, or completed, by the second line. Thus, the first of the coupled lines in the verses featured bright, upbeat major chords; however, with the second (or coupling) line, he shifted to minor chords, changing the musical tone from bright to unsettled and uneven. These couplings were purposefully designed this way to drive home the message to the listener that something clearly wasn’t right about this seemingly innocent tale of Love...to become awakened and aware to the fact that the characters weren’t really innocent "victims", rather that there were purposeful creators of their own reality!
In the first verse, “living in a house of cards” ascended in scale with a major-chord progression, while “praying the wind doesn’t blow too hard” descended in scale with moody, unsettling minor-chords...this was continued with the next coupling of "giving in to differences" and "straining to keep up appearances". This was first-rate songwriting at the level of say Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, or Steely Dan; and it’s one of the main reasons why the album is rated so highly. There were no compromises by Fogelberg on this record, either as a songwriter or as a producer. Every track was as compelling as the next, and I can assure you that this was a rare accomplishment within popular music. The lyrical tale in this verse spoke to a couple who were very plainly living a lie. A “house of cards” has no foundations and is very “thin-skinned”, which aptly described the house and its inhabitants. “Giving in to differences” was coupled with “straining to keep up appearances” because they were powerfully connected. Most relationships found within our capitalistic society are based upon giving in to either a strong will or preconceived notions, or what society reframes via euphemisms, as "compromising". Society champions this word, compromising, as the hallmark of enlightened people and sophisticated relationships. Hollywood has made tens-of-thousands of movies pushing this “addictive” narrative on the masses to help placate their unhappiness. Remember, society (and thus the status quo) cannot continue to exist without their institutionalized pillars in place…the prison cell for two disguised as Marriage is certainly one of the most important columns they possess. So why is “giving in to differences” such a problem for humanity and so important to the continuance of the status quo? The answer is twofold...one, if the solution within relationships is always to “give in”, then after a while this becomes the modus operandi of everyone, in every situation. We have largely become a (western) world of capitulators, and in no arena more-so than politics, where we have been taught to endure criminal behavior for four-plus years, before trying it all again with someone “new” or “fresh”, someone who shouts out loud "yes we can", when he really means "no we won't"...
Second, by constantly giving in as a means of solving problems, then what is lost over time is the INDIVIDUAL…and this was precisely what Ayn Rand wrote about. One of the best, and most important, novels/movies ever written/produced was Ayn Rand’s The Fountainhead, starring Gary Cooper in his portrayal of Howard Roark, the person every man should strive to model (and not the endless drivel of psychopathic Hollywood heroes, like "the Batman", Bruce Wayne). Howard Roark simply would not compromise his essence for ANYONE or in ANY situation that demanded he acquiesce to or behave as something other than himself. This mindset isn’t egotistical or chauvinistic, it is ESSENTIAL for the existence of the Individual...which is the ONLY representation of human life that truly exists on our precious Earth...WE EXIST...WE MATTER...not theoretical concepts such as nation-states and borders!!!
The fact is, relationships between two strong, happy and truthful individuals succeed. Now, I recognize that virtually all people who do not possess critical thinking skills might read this and disagree, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a truthful statement. Relationships fail before they start because most participants NEVER portray an accurate version of themselves to their would-be partners. Why? Because we are encouraged to lie, all in the name of acceptance. Think about society’s definition of that word for a moment, acceptance. Without it, most people become social outcasts, “losers” that don’t get the good jobs, aren’t invited into the “right” clubs and don’t have a lot of friends or relationships; because society defines acceptance as CONFORMING (compliance, consent, securing), rather than its actual definition of UNDERSTANDING (approval, cooperation, recognition). When we have the courage to be our unwavering selves, we appeal to people who are like-minded. Now, that may take going through a number of “gourds” to find the right “pumpkin”, but that should never be construed as a “bad thing”, rather as a healthy and fun part of the relationship experience! Strong, happy, non-judgmental people attract the same thing…and the same is true for the weak, unhappy, judgmental ones…
Living in a house of cards
Praying the wind doesn't blow too hard
Giving in to differences
Straining to keep up appearances
Making believe the thread can be saved
You're aching to leave but deathly afraid of letting go
The threads entangled you so
Thus, in Fogelberg’s song, we are witnessing the fallout of two terrified liars (mostly to themselves) who are too afraid of leaving something unhealthy because they don’t want to “look at” themselves, as it’s so much easier for all of us to blame someone else for all our problems. "Straining to keep up appearances" defines society’s "chosen word", acceptance, because most people (from puberty onward) are desperately trying to fit in and not be singled out. The same is true for couples and marriages…they conform to societal expectations out of fear of becoming “outsiders”, without friends, rather than focusing entirely upon living life to the fullest and loving one another no matter what, or what is called, unconditionally. These relationships strain their seams until all that is left are the mere threads fraying into oblivion (“making believe the thread can be saved”); and yet somehow, these frail threads still possess the power to entangle, and thus remain. So how? How can frail threads restrict an unhappy person from breaking free of a failed relationship? Well, it’s impossible physically, so the answer must lie in the non-physical, or within the mind. FEAR is the reason...Fear of the consequences of failing, of being alone, of having to do “it” all over again, as if dating is a difficult or unhappy process. A person who is a true individual, who believes in themselves, would not Fear the potential “rejection” by someone else…they would see it as it truly is...non-compatibility. However, a person living a lie, who was hiding from their own truth, would be devastated by another “rejection”, after failing in a relationship…and this is exactly why society pushes their narratives the way they do…a society filled with Howard Roarkes would never allow governments to control everything and legislate their Free Will away, they would never elect liars and criminals, and they would never allow for a tiny minority to rule over everyone else. And this is precisely why society must manufacture a populace full of the duality of Thurston Howells and Gilligans, so that Capitalism can continue…with the so-called "Elites" born to rule and the masses, born to be led...most often to slaughter, like so many sheep!
Jealousies and legal fees
Running away like two refugees
Shadowed eyes and alibis
Tell you too late you've been victimized
Freedom is near but seems to elude you
Trying to change your dreams into what your needs allow
It should be easy by now
Why is love always the last to know?
The second verse focused upon the consequences of staying in a broken relationship. “Jealousies and legal fees running away like two refugees” spoke directly of Fear. Refugees are people without a home, often fleeing from oppression; thus, both participants while still technically “there”, were long gone emotionally. Jealousies and sexual trysts were bound to happen...and with marriages, bound together via legalized "Red Tape", the consequences meant lawyers, courts and money…lots of them. “Shadowed eyes and alibis tell you too late you’ve been victimized” were the direct consequences of the aforementioned “jealousies and legal fees”. For people living in this reality, Freedom was merely an illusion…something that they felt they were near to, but were in actuality NEVER going to realize without massive changes. But the key line to the entire verse was, “trying to change your dreams into what your needs allow”. Why? Because whether in relationships or not, this has become the western world’s number one private exercise, LIMITATION! Forget Wants (desires, passions), most people living in the “mecca” of the western world have become simply happy enough to achieve SOME of their Needs (food, shelter)...while most people in the rest of the world live on less than a dollar a day, meaning they don’t have Needs or Wants, only Hopes for survival! This is the world that we currently live in “out there”…a middle class that is one missed payment away from losing their shelter for the luxury of cardboard! It was as if Fogelberg could see into the future, as he added the line, “it should be easy by now”, as if he could see what the years between 1979-2017 were going to look like. So why was Love “the last to know”? Again, because it wasn’t present in these relationships…only societal Needs and Wants guided by Fear…not Love.
(Bridge)
Falling back on better days
Trying your damndest to laugh
You've thrown those childish dreams away
It's over, you say, still you ask…
Why is love always the last to know?
During the bridge, Fogelberg attempted to interject a little “mock” hope both musically and lyrically; as is “falling back on better days” was going to remedy all of their problems. But childhood memories of joy and happiness aren’t replacements for the reality of the NOW, which is always Truth and Love. Being present in the moment was the answer, but the protagonists were helplessly looking to the past; and a few years of living together within the harsh economic realities of "Capitalism" was enough to “throw those childish dreams away”. They then realized that it “was over”, but they still couldn’t answer the question, “why was love always the last to know”? Again, Love didn’t “know” because Love wasn’t present in either heart…only Fear.
(Instrumental)
Falling back on better days
Trying your damndest to laugh
You've thrown those childish dreams away
It's over, you say, still you ask…
Why is love always the last to know?
Why is love always the last to know?
After a brief, but gorgeous, acoustic solo that saw Fogelberg, almost mockingly, play a passionate, emotional run of notes in a Spanish-guitar style, he repeated the bridge once more to drive home the key point (and juxtaposition) that the past and the future don’t exist in the moment, only the NOW! And until all of us awaken to this truth, we will continue to play the role of victims as virtual slaves to those hiding beneath the veneer of the status quo...helplessly controlled by self-deprecating beliefs cleverly placed in our minds by all of the agents of the status quo (which again, include parents, teachers, all forms of the media, governments, corporations...the works)!!! The song ended with a brief outro and just like that, three minutes and twelve seconds of sublime expressions and pure genius was done…all in the guise of a harmless, laid-back acoustic song…the genius of the Phoenix album and the gift that separated Dan Fogelberg's music from everyone else's!
