Is the song "Aerials" by System of a Down inspired by medieval european theological poetry?
I was listening to the song Aerials, it's a pretty good song. And I always though the lyrics were more less kinda gnomic, and we're supposed to find meaning for ourselves. I searched the internet, and everything leads me to believe that's what it is, but one post in particular caught my eye.
[https://musicfans.stackexchange.com/questions/2231/what-is-meaning-of-aerials-by-system-of-a-down-song-and-music-video](https://musicfans.stackexchange.com/questions/2231/what-is-meaning-of-aerials-by-system-of-a-down-song-and-music-video)
It's a poem of medieval Christian theology which referred to the living as "aerials" who live in the air (below the moon) and "ethereals" who live above, in the eternal unchanging ether (seven heavens). In this view, we, the aerials, are spirits visiting this world of change and chaos (the "waterfall") and of choices (to "play"), and in death we rejoin the ether ("lose small mind", "eternal prize"). The average medieval peasant would read these lyrics as straightforwardly stating their common beliefs. C.S.Lewis "The Discarded Image" describes this forgotten world view. –
Mikael Persson
Jun 18, 2022 at 5:37
The fact that I can find no other sources making this claim fills me with doubt; but the thing is, I really *want* this to be true because, basically, I love exactly that kind of thing. So I figured, I should ask the people who would know before I wrote this hypothesis off completely. I figure, if nobody here has an answer to it, then it's likely an inaccurate statement made on the part of the user. If it adds any context, the band is composed entirely of Armenian immigrants and descendants. I *believe* there is an Armenian Orthodox Church, but I'm really out of my element. I just really like the song, and have an amateurish interest in how christianity shaped the way people saw the world.
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The lyrics are short, so I'm including them here, as well so you don't have to wrestle with some junk lyrics website.
(verse)Life is a waterfall
We're one in the river and one again after the fall
Swimming through the void, we hear the word
We lose ourselves, but we find it all
'Cause we are the ones that wanna play
Always wanna go, but you never wanna stay
And we are the ones that wanna choose
Always wanna play, but you never wanna lose
(chorus)
Aerials in the sky
When you lose small mind, you free your life
(verse)
Life is a waterfall
We drink from the river then we turn around and put up our walls
Swimming through the void, we hear the word
We lose ourselves, but we find it all
'Cause we are the ones that wanna play
Always wanna go, but you never wanna stay
And we are the ones that wanna choose
Always wanna play, but you never wanna lose, oh
(chorus)
Aerials in the sky
When you lose small mind, you free your life
Aerials, so up high
When you free your eyes, eternal prize
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