Clear The Path

Album: Only Love Is Real (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Clear the Path" is about the taming of the mind in pursuit of enlightenment. This is a common theme in the work of MC Yogi, who is a yoga and meditation instructor in addition to being a musician and cartoonist. Though some of the terminology may be new to listeners, the ultimate meaning of the song is a rather straightforward instruction on how to pacify the mind and spirit through contemplation and meditation.
  • In a Songfacts interview with MC Yogi, he explained: "The mind is a double-edged blade, which means it can create joy, it can create sorrow. The mind is our own worst enemy. In fact, in the Buddhist tradition as well as in the yoga tradition, it says that the greatest enemy that we have to face in this lifetime is our own mind. That's the disconnected mind—the enemy of itself or the enemy of our practice."

    In the pursuit of this taming of the mind, mantras act like prayers. "When you chant a mantra in your mind," Yogi explained, "you turn the mind into prayer where you start to stem the mind back in toward the truth, toward its centre. Then the mind, when it becomes reconnected in the present moment, reconnected to spirit, reconnected to love, reconnected to light, then the mind becomes a beautiful machine, where it can generate poetry, it can see the connection between the constellations in life and in nature, because this incredible instrument becomes beautiful."

    The "world is a battlefield" lyrics refers to all the negativity that life, and our own minds, throw at us. This is the stuff that must be battled against in order to find peace. Once this calm center is attained, according to Yogi, we start our fellow human beings as people also caught in the battlefield, rather than as opponents. They are suffering their own internal wars, and understanding this can help us view them compassionately rather than antagonistically.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Rob Halford of Judas Priest

Rob Halford of Judas PriestSongwriter Interviews

Rob Halford dives into some of his Judas Priest lyrics, talking about his most personal songs and the message behind "You've Got Another Thing Comin'."

Corey Hart

Corey HartSongwriter Interviews

The Canadian superstar talks about his sudden rise to fame, and tells the stories behind his hits "Sunglasses At Night," "Boy In The Box" and "Never Surrender."

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Edwin McCain

Edwin McCainSongwriter Interviews

"I'll Be" was what Edwin called his "Hail Mary" song. He says it proves "intention of the songwriter is 180 degrees from potential interpretation by an audience."