The Pilgrim
Nitin Sawhney Lyrics

Woke up in the morning in a temple
I woke up early in my journey, in a sacred place

Kinda lucky on my feet for it was central
Feeling fortunate to have landed in a central location

So I walk across the village
I explored the village on foot

Saw a group of kids pillage
I witnessed a group of children stealing

And I thought to myself I might be meant to
I wondered if I was destined to intervene in some way

Pilgrims in the town
The other travelers in the town

All seem to hold a frown
They all appear unhappy

Say all they want to be is diggy down
They express the desire to delve deeper into spirituality

You know Speck thought he'd ask
I heard someone named Speck ask a question

But figured it's just a mask
But I suspected it was a façade

This guy's on something else that's profound
I sensed that this person had a deeper understanding of things

I'm not the stool or the fool or the leader here to rule
I don't see myself as a subservient person, nor a clown or someone in charge

Not the lover or the fighter who came here to duel
I'm not here for romance or conflict

But I thought I looked into, but I walked into
I came to understand what I saw, but ended up experiencing it on my own

So I can understand all the rules, cool?
So I can grasp the customs and traditions of this place, right?

Life is like a puzzle not pieced yet
Life is a mysterious journey that is yet to be fully unravelled

Might take a village ever long to see that
It may require a long time and collective effort for a community to understand this

Don't break your ties, meet my pal compromise
Don't sever your relationships, come to a mutually beneficial agreement

And the kid you want to be you can be that
You can become the person you aspire to be

Who's ever watched the world that's my motto
Observing the world is my guiding principle

Don't ever want to play the head honcho dig but huh
I don't aspire to become a domineering figure

If you try to push I won't beat around the bush
If you try to pressure me, I won't be evasive

Straight up you're getting dissed on the pronto
I'll criticize you bluntly and quickly

If I could, I'd solve the problems of the world that exist
If it were possible, I would address all the world's issues

If I could always chill, I would without resist
If it were possible, I would relax constantly

If you weren't so literal, brother you might get it
If you didn't take things so literally, you might understand

Pack my bags, tambourines, and jeans so don't sweat it
I packed my belongings and am not worried about it

As the journey continues I gain current instincts
As I travel further, I develop sharper instincts

I feel I know what they must be thinking, for instance
I believe I can anticipate their thoughts in some situations

When they speak in riddles I'm left with the question
When they use enigmatic language, I'm confused

But won't stop arguments to kill attention
But I won't silence discussions to grab attention

They all got a sixth sense to be one another
They share a connection and intuition with each other

So pilgrims seek refuge undercover
Therefore, the pilgrims seek safety in secrecy

Where it's fly like birds to live a lot is absurd
Where being carefree and flighty is considered odd

Try telling that to this kid named Unver
It's hard to convince someone like Unver of this

I met him on tour a week on for twenty four
I encountered him during a tour, about a week and a day ago

He was born in the village, but left in ninety four
He was born in this village but moved away in 1994

Now he's still got probs he doesn't know how to solve
Now he still faces issues that he can't address

I said, "Unver, I've been there before"
I told him that I could relate to his situation

In the light of understanding I forgot it
I let go of my worries with a deeper sense of comprehension

Sometimes the boat shakes when you rock it
Sometimes there's turmoil when you unsettle things

I told him we are like family, a part of humanity
I reminded him that we are all connected and part of the human race

Don't overdo, and don't toss it
Don't go too far, but also don't abandon it altogether

He dug and moved on with his life
He considered my words and moved forward with his life

'Cause he digs it gets real dark at night
Because he enjoys digging, the darkness of night is a concern

Don't want a collar that's blue or a reflection of you
He doesn't want a mundane job or to conform to societal norms

Just wants us to get his plight
He just wants others to understand his predicament

Myself I'd like the years just to take me away
Personally, I would like to escape from life's struggles

It might leave a part of this world in dismay
My departure may sadden some people

But the village calls the pilgriming negroes
However, the village continues to attract wandering travelers

After all I'm just one needle in the hay
I am just one among many

Now what I'm speaking in is symbolics
My words may contain hidden meanings

But you can call it what you want to call it
But you can interpret it as you please

See all that I do is throw words, and I hope that you caught it
All I am doing is expressing myself through words, and I hope you understood me

Only got one arrow but I aim for two targets
I have limited resources, but I hope to achieve dual objectives

You can be that, you can be that
You can become the person you aspire to be