RLST 3050 Projects
Religion and Literature in America Project #3: Music
Jon Fermin, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science, submitted a long essay describing the rationale behind and construction of this original rap composition sampling Frank Ocean’s “Pink Matter.” He explains:
Frank Ocean’s “Pink Matter” acts as the original product that I translate into the Beat context, just as Buddhism was translated by Kerouac. The beginning of my rendition is nearly identical to Frank’s original, (Appendix B) but as the song progresses, it slowly diverges from “Pink Matter,” to exemplify Jack’s transition from the naivety of Ray Smith to the suffering of Jack Duluoz and also his transition from the rigidity of Zen Buddhism to his Catholic Roots in Dharma Bums and Desolation Angels.
He goes on to conclude:
Kerouac’s short lived Buddhist trek shows the problems with applying Buddhism to a Western social construct: the Christian identity present within many Americans is too deeply rooted in the ego to be torn apart by Vajrayana teachings. Kerouac translates Buddhism as a possible answer to modernity’s discontents and his suffering, but doesn’t express it as personally effective. Giamo’s analysis of Dharma Bums and Desolation Angels highlights how Kerouac’s alcoholism, Catholic tendencies, and his obsession with the void hindered his ability to embrace Buddhist enlightenment.
“Blue Matter” Lyrics
Japhy:
“What do you think your brain is made for?
Is it just a container for the mind”
Ray:
So I replied, “What is your woman?
Is she just a container for the child?”
Cotton candy
Majiin Buu
Close my eyes and fall into blue, blue, blue
My God, take away this blue matter
This blue matter
[Bridge: Snyder]
Japhy:
“He swung around through that,
Through the Buddhist understanding of that
And its all through his writing
Uh – and then settled back into maybe
the more familiar comfort of Catholic metaphors”
Ray Smith/Jack Duluoz:
Trying to kill my ego but not my identity
Hennessy Hennessy
Has been killing me mentally
Back pedaling to Jesus
Or Buddha is heavenly
Jesus or Buddha or just Judas and questioning
Pressing me
Everything is nothing
And nothing feels better than a bottle in hand
Bottles better than the Buddha
Or the bums in the tram
I am
Backpacking the Matterhorn
Like I'm in Japan
Like you were the Han Shan
And I'm more than a man
Like I can go home and
I can cure my mom
And I can cure my suffering
And I can cure my shaking
By sitting on my head
And sitting by the lake
And sitting by my shack
And sitting by my bed
And listen to world that's all up in my head
[Bridge 2: André 3000]
Jack Duluoz: Blue used to be my favorite color
Now I ain’t got no choice
Blue matter
Jack Duluoz:
This Blue Matter is the only true matter
I climbed the mountain had no clue after
I came down I’m restless
I finished the ten Bull checklist
To end my Buddhist trek with
Some Butchers I drink the blood of Christ
The bread of the world
I can have my vice
I can have my drink
Just wait until the afterlife
I’ve paid my price
I can find my haven in this world
Until heaven comes after
Blue matters