With a rush of goosebumps akin to the first time I heard their single “Out of the Dark”, Young Lions‘ newest, “Pilgrim”, lands with a similar impact of meaning. With both a personal resonance to the band as well as global relevance in a world of fear and ‘fake news’, the new single captures a search for truth and purpose, and speaks of the hurdles and challenges of the subsequent metamorphosis.
2020 has forced stillness for most of us. With that, we’ve been given plenty of time to ask questions of ourselves with reduced distraction and with loss of jobs and other elements of security. Things like “What truly matters to me?” and “Why am I here?” naturally bubble up, with occasional external pokes of others’ agendas and doomscrolling sessions of social media which can confuse and derail the process. “Pilgrim” expresses a desire to cut through noise and interference, traveling patiently toward the core of deep truth.
“When you’ve been stuck behind the veil too long
It’s amazing when you watch it fall”
Thunderous and uncertain and out of sync at first, “Pilgrim” begins by shining a light upon patience and clear perspectives. With warm acoustic instrumentation, vocalist Zach Britt wonders out loud about where to find the purpose and enlightenment he seeks. Throughout the song, wisdom from Sadhguru is shared.
For me it’s the glorious midway point of the song that hits home most amazingly, where with fuller sound, the search lands firmly on the point of destruction. Enlightenment and healing and any other kind of important growth, change, or ‘arrival’ tends to come through dismantling the comfortable and known; breaking free of our metaphorical cocoons to spread our wings in their truest and most beautiful form.
Speaking of the ‘swan song’ of the ego and the falling apart that happens – with radiant imagery alongside – “Pilgrim” touches on the fear that happens with that crumbling, asking “I thought you wanted to see?”. What we want as an outcome doesn’t necessarily have a straight line or an easy and pleasurable path to get there. The authenticity of this being part of the message too makes the song especially important.
Heartwarming, inspiring, and satisfyingly resonant with the deepest places of my soul, I am absolutely on board with the pilgrimage that Young Lions have shared with us here. Watch below via YouTube.
