Inspirational Songs: Time Stand Still

Time Stand Still, by Rush, is a song I often come back to when nearing the end of a particular activity, a particular stage in my life. As I near the end of my college life (just about three months until graduation), I felt that I should share it with all of you.

Here are the lyrics, with particularly important phrases emphasized:

I turn my back to the wind
To catch my breath
Before I start off again.
Driven on without a moment to spend. (1)
To pass an evening with a drink and a friend

I let my skin get too thin
I’d like to pause
No matter what I pretend
Like some pilgrim
Who learns to transcend
Learns to live as if each step was the end

(Time stand still)
I’m not looking back
But I want to look around me now (2)
(Time stand still)
See more of the people and the places that surround me now
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each sensation a little bit stronger
Experience slips away (3)
Experience slips away

I turn my face to the sun
Close my eyes
Let my defences down
All those wounds that I can’t get unwound

I let my past go too fast
No time to pause
If I could slow it all down
Like some captain, whose ship runs aground
I can wait until the tide comes around

(Time stand still)
I’m not looking back
But I want to look around me now
(Time stand still)
See more of the people and the places that surround me now
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each impression a little bit stronger
Freeze this motion a little bit longer (4)
The innocence slips away
The innocence slips away…

Summer’s going fast, nights growing colder
Children growing up, old friends growing older
Freeze this moment a little bit longer
Make each impression a little bit stronger
Experience slips away
Experience slips away…
The innocence slips away

Even listening to it as I write this post, I can’t help but be moved by the lyrics. The passage of time, and the fact that we have a finite amount of it create some of the most difficult struggles that humans face. Especially today, we always have some reminder that time is slipping past us, that we should make the most of every precious moment we have. Often, I think this attitude does more harm than good to us (though I am quite frequently guilty of it).

The first bolded passage reminds us that while life is a continuous experience, it is important, spiritually, to reflect on our past, to remember it actively, and to cherish it (positive and negative experiences). Be proud of what you’ve accomplished, appreciate what you’ve been given, and try to absorb what you’ve been through. We don’t necessarily need to compartmentalize our lives to do this, but milestones often serve as good reminders to engage in this reflective process.

The second segment extends this idea. We shouldn’t dwell on the past, or be consumed by it. Even if the past was amazing, living vicariously through a fond memory makes the present suffer. Instead, take the time to truly appreciate your present, not necessarily in terms of a moment, but of a period. Appreciate the whole of your time spent in another country, your four years at college, your experience with an ex-partner. Experience strongly, and remember strongly what you have lived.

The final two sections I highlighted remind us that memories do fade, if we let them. For those moving on to new life chapters, there may be people you will never see again. That is a very powerful thing, and I think its necessary to prepare for it. Create a strong memory of these people and places, something to carry with you as you press on. Even transient friends and acquaintances will bring great emotion to you if remembered years down the road. Take the time to see them fully, to remember them strongly before you move on.

When we die, if we can take anything beyond this earth, it will be our memories and experiences. Fight to hold on to them. Remember to cherish them. Create them as you move on through your life.