The Way the Wind Blows

Background and Commentary

The piece compares the way our views are shaped as children to the way trees are shaped by the force of the wind over the years. If we grow up with extremist, intolerant views among our parents and others who are influential in our lives, then we can expect our views to reflect that extremism and intolerance.

“Children brought up in a certain environment can only grow the way the wind blows. In Canada, we see along the Great Lakes and the western coast of Newfoundland trees that are just completely trained to the way the wind blows. I thought of that as a larger metaphor that all of us grow up in a certain environment where the wind’s blowing in a certain direction, and inevitably we get bent that way, so if you want to be different, and if you want to try to survive against that very militant [extremely religious] wave of wind, it’s the stone in the river: you might have to roll a little bit, you might get some rough edges. [It’s the trees in the wind:] they have to learn to bend a little bit. [It’s the] flowers in the desert: they’re in such a hostile environment they can only bloom at night, because that’s the only time it’s safe. These are the kinds of ways that, I thought, that’s how you can still be you and still not have to be hypocritical, but at the same time, still not have to stand up, a little pencil, against a whole army of swords.”—Neil in The Game of Snakes and Arrows, Snakes and Arrows (DVD)

Lyrics

Now it’s come to this
It’s like we’re back in the Dark Ages
From the Middle East to the Middle West
It’s a world of superstition

Now it’s come to this
Wide-eyed armies of the faithful
From the Middle East to the Middle West
Pray, and pass the ammunition

So many people think that way
You gotta watch what you say
To them and them, and others too
Who don’t seem to see to things the way you do

We can only grow the way the wind blows
on a bare and weathered shore
We can only bow to the here and now
In our elemental war

We can only go the way the wind blows
We can only bow to the here and now
Or be broken down blow by blow

Now it’s come to this
Hollow speeches of mass deception
From the Middle East to the Middle West
Like crusaders in a holy alliance

Now it’s come to this
Like we’re back in the dark ages
From the Middle East to the Middle West
It’s a plague that resists our science

It seems to leave them partly blind
And they leave no child behind
While evil spirits haunt their sleep
While shepherds bless and count their sheep

Like the solitary pine
On a bare wind blasted shore
We can only grow the way the wind blows

Tablature

By Jesse Dowdle (jessed-13@hotmail.com)

Excerpted from Ultimate Guitar.

Tuning: Standard (EADGBe)

Intro/Mildly Distorted Electric
e|—————————————–15—-15—15—-15—————|
B|—–10h13—10—13b15ā€”13r10-10–13–10—-10———10—–10s/———|
G|—————————————————————————|
D|—————————————————————————|
A|—————————————————————————|
E|—————————————————————————|

e|—————————————————————————|
B|—————————————————————————|
G|—12~-12—12-12———————-0——0——0——0————–|
D|—12~-12—12-12——–8ā€”8b9——-0——0——0——0—————-|
A|———————10——–8–10——8——7——5——————|
E|—————————————————————————|

For complete tab, go to Ultimate Guitar.

Tutorials

“The Way the Wind Blows” guitar cover

“The Way the Wind Blows” bass cover

“The Way the Wind Blows” bass cover

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~ by rvkeeper on February 21, 2011.