Miscellanea
*According to Simon Posford, the album actually has 8 tracks divided into 20 parts. Each part symbolizes a phase in the dream sequence.*The first track off the album, "Botanical Dimensions", samples from the Richard Linklater film Waking Life.*Botanical Dimensions is also the name of Terence McKenna's ethnobotanical preserve in Hawaii.*"The Nebbish Route" song samples Ned Flanders from The Simpsons episode "El Viaje Misterioso de Nuestro Jomer (The Mysterious Voyage of Homer)".*"Levitation Nation" samples a 2003 Portuguese song by the Brazilian samba school Beija-Flor de Nilópolis.*The title for "Nothing Lasts" comes from the philosophical poetry of William Blake - all flows.
Botanical Dimensions
Shpongle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
- Blue.
- B-L-U-E. Pick a number.
- Eight.
- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
- Dream is destiny.
- You know, I just woke from a dream. It wasn't like a typical dream. It seemed more like I'd walked into an alternate universe or something.
- Yeah, it's real. I mean, technically, it's a phenomenon of sleep, but you can have so much damn fun in your dreams. And, of course, everyone knows fun rules.
- Yeah.
From Waking Life (2001)
In Shpongle's song "Botanical Dimensions," the lyrics are taken from a conversation in the movie Waking Life (2001) where two characters are discussing dreams and their surreal nature. The line "pick a color, pick a number" is a common technique used in lucid dreaming to help steer the dreamer towards a desired outcome. The subsequent words "dream is destiny" suggest that our thoughts and desires in our dreams can shape our future.
The overall theme of the song seems to be exploring different dimensions of consciousness and the power of the mind. The music itself is a psychedelic blend of electronic and acoustic instruments, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The vocals are heavily processed and distorted, further emphasizing the surreal nature of the lyrics.
Overall, "Botanical Dimensions" is a thought-provoking and enigmatic song that invites the listener to consider the power of their dreams and imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Um, pick a color.
Choose a color to begin visualization or imagination process.
Blue.
The color chosen for the visualization or imagination process is blue.
B-L-U-E. Pick a number.
The spelling of the color blue is confirmed, and a number is prompt for further visualization or imagination.
Eight.
The number chosen for the visualization or imagination process is eight.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Counting from one to eight, to further the visualization or imagination process.
Dream is destiny.
The importance of dreaming or imagination, as it may determine one's future or destiny.
Contributed by Dylan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.