Graceland and a Dream of Mine, Analyzed
I had a dream a few years back where I was at The House of Blues. It looked a bit like the one I used to perform at in Anaheim, California. Near Disneyland. But certainly not identical.
Paul Simon was in that dream. I was sitting at a table with him and two other musically inclined gentlemen. You might call us skeezy musicians: I lean towards storyteller, with a pension towards taking liberties.
I needed to use the restroom. I got up from the table and headed towards a set of binary doors, one to the left, and one to the right.
I took the door to the right, and was immediately greeted by a person trying to squeeze by me with a backpack brimming with who knows what. I don’t even know—and I’m the one slow cooking this chili con carne of a dream.
Ironically, he was exiting, just as I was entering. It was an awkward exchange between a doorway.
What I found on the other side of that doorway was a bustling kitchen of people—chefs and other assorted folks working in tandem.
I appreciated seeing this for a moment, but also didn’t find the bathroom.
I head back to the table I was sitting at with Paul Simon. He wasn’t alone either. There was a drummer I knew from living in Long Beach, as well as the bass player from the band Weezer, that left the group after the success of their first album. Matt Sharp.
I make some sort of snide crack about the restroom being cursed and that I couldn’t find it to begin with.
Paul replied, we all feel that way from time to time.
Everyone chuckles.
The drummer and bass player and Paul all have a short chat of sorts, before the bass player and drummer politely bid fair-well and leave.
I once again feel the urgency of the restroom—and as I rise, Paul showers me with kind compliment and I reply the pleasure being mine.
And as I stand, I notice that Paul is sitting on my coat.
As much as I would love to think that image in my dream was Paul Simon—all of those people are me.
We find Grace on the inside, in a house of blues. Not always what we anticipate either—especially when trying to get there urgently.
It’s not as hard as you think to analyze a dream. It’s all symbolic. Metaphors. The cast of my craft and poets alike.
I found grace hearing what my friend Rory sent me today. It was his second guitar part for this arrangement.
Wow, music is magic and casting spells—and dreams? They are wild. Primal. Older than your language. When symbols ruled for communication in a young monad’s dream.
This is Graceland by Paul Simon.
It’ll be available on all the streaming services April 11th.
WHO IS MIKE VITALE?
I am a storyteller, songwriter, singer, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify: