Yeah
A butterfly floats on the breeze of a sun lit day
As I feel this reality gently fade away
Riding on a thought to see where it's from
Gliding through a memory of a time yet to come
Smoke paints the air
Swirling images through my mind
Like a whirlpool spin beginning to unwind
And I stand at the edge cautiously awaiting
As time slips by
Carefully navigating by the stars in the sky
And I sit, and I think to myself
And on the horizon, the sun light begins to climb
And it seems like it's been so long since he shined
But I'm sure it was only yesterday

A cold chill of fear cut through me
I felt my heart contract
To my mind I brought the image of light
And I expanded out of it
My fear was just a shadow
And then a voice spoke in my head
And she said, dark is not the opposite of light
It's the absence of light
And I thought to myself
She knows what she's talking about
And for a moment I knew what it was all about

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Beastie Boys's song Namaste are complex and rich with meaning. The opening lines set the scene of a peaceful day with a butterfly floating on the breeze, and the singer feeling reality fading away. As he rides on a thought and glides through memories of a time yet to come, smoke paints the air around him, whipping up swirling images in his mind. He stands at the edge, waiting for time to slip by, carefully navigating by the stars in the sky. As he sits and thinks to himself, the sun begins to climb on the horizon, and he reflects on how long it's been since it shined.

Suddenly, a cold chill of fear cuts through him, and he feels his heart contract. But he brings to his mind the image of light, expanding out of the fear. A voice speaks to him, imparting wisdom that dark is not the opposite of light, but the absence of light. He realizes that this voice knows what she's talking about, and for a moment, he understands the bigger picture.

The song seems to be a meditation on the nature of reality, perception, and consciousness. The opening lines evoke a sense of calm and mindfulness, juxtaposed with the swirling chaos of the mind. As the singer navigates the edges of his consciousness, he confronts his own fears and limitations, ultimately finding a deeper understanding of the nature of light and darkness.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah
An expression of agreement or affirmation.

A butterfly floats on the breeze of a sun lit day
A picturesque scene of a butterfly flying on a sunny day.

As I feel this reality gently fade away
The singer feels their current reality slowly slipping away.

Riding on a thought to see where it's from
The artist is exploring their thoughts to determine their origin.

Gliding through a memory of a time yet to come
The artist is imagining a memory of the future.

Smoke paints the air
A visual of smoke filling the air.

Swirling images through my mind
The singer is experiencing a whirlwind of thoughts and images.

Like a whirlpool spin beginning to unwind
The artist's thoughts and vision resemble a whirlpool slowly unraveling.

And I stand at the edge cautiously awaiting
The artist is standing on the brink, waiting and being careful.

As time slips by
Time moves forward without pause.

Carefully navigating by the stars in the sky
The singer is using the stars as a guide to navigate through life.

And I sit, and I think to myself
The artist is reflecting and thinking by themselves.

And on the horizon, the sun light begins to climb
The sun starts to rise on the horizon.

And it seems like it's been so long since he shined
The singer thinks that it's been a long time since the sun last shone.

But I'm sure it was only yesterday
The singer thinks that time is fleeting and it feels like yesterday.

A cold chill of fear cut through me
The artist is overcome with a chilling sense of fear.

I felt my heart contract
The artist's heart physically tightens due to the fear.

To my mind I brought the image of light
The singer envisions a bright image to counteract the fear.

And I expanded out of it
The singer rises above the fear and feels empowered.

My fear was just a shadow
The artist sees their fear as a fleeting shadow rather than a tangible threat.

And then a voice spoke in my head
The artist hears a voice in their mind.

And she said, dark is not the opposite of light
The voice tells the artist that darkness isn't the opposite of light, but rather its absence.

It's the absence of light
Darkness is the lack of illumination.

And I thought to myself
The artist processes and mulls over the voice's words.

She knows what she's talking about
The singer acknowledges the wisdom of the voice.

And for a moment I knew what it was all about
The singer briefly understands existence and their being in the world.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: ADAM HOROVITZ, ADAM NATHANIEL YAUCH, MARK RAMOS NISHITA, MICHAEL LOUIS DIAMOND

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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