I’ve long been a fan of this song, but last night was the first time I took a quality pair of headphones, turned off the lights, and lost myself in the song. I was inspired enough to listen to it again this morning and write this. I hope, even if the music isn’t your preferred genre, that it’ll give you an appreciate for this amazing song.
The music demands your complete attention, and also a fair amount of patience, as the song is a little over 11 minutes long. It’s meticulously engineered, with layered vocals harmonizing from several angles. When the drums finally pick up you can hear them wrap around your head.
Background:
This song is composed by a man who has spent his career hating many (if not most) aspects of religion, especially evangelists and people like L Ron Hubbard. 1992’s “Opiate,” began with this:
8 years later you realize in the song Judith the source of his angst. When he was 11 years old, his mother’s brain aneurysm caused her to become paralyzed, confining her to a wheelchair for the final 27 years of her life (approximately 10,000 days). In Judith (named after his mother, Judith Marie) he releases his anger:
10,000 Days:
This song is actually the second half of the composition Wings for Marie. The previous song ended with MJK at his mother’s funeral, asking her what he’s supposed to say in his eulogy:
10000 days begins with him cynically listening to the religious people in the church:
He tells his mother “None of them can even hold a candle up to you.” He then changes the subject, and tells his mother that she gave him a gift:
He now compares his mother to those have ascended to sainthood:
He then concludes the song, and reconciles his past beliefs:
The song ends with a faint sound of wings alternating left and right.