Jordan’s life has been a journey to discover the greater meaning of human existence using music as a medium for spiritual and social evolution. As a very young person, influenced by the musical tastes of his parents, Jordan found inspiration in the likes of Bob Dylan, Peter Paul and Mary, and the Beatles. While not fully understanding the meaning behind the songs, he was drawn to the message of love and peace and the beauty of the music itself. Upon watching the movie “The Doors” at the age of 12, he was introduced to the poetry and writing style of Jim Morrison and an interest in learning to play the guitar developed. Jordan began to teach himself the guitar and play local performances. Throughout his early teens he became heavily influenced by Pearl Jam and was drawn to their socially conscious and anti-war message, a theme that has continued throughout his musical evolution.
As Jordan entered college, studying Anthropology, Social Behavior, and Philosophy, his interest in injustice, civil liberties, and human existence increased. He found himself traveling to Grahamstown South Africa to study the native culture and the effects of Apartheid on the local community. Through this experience he came in direct contact with the heinous nature of oppression and its lasting impact on the human spirit. Upon graduating from college, Jordan took these lessons and traveled to Seattle as an Americorps volunteer where he began counseling Gang members and disadvantaged youths in the gritty downtown neighborhood known as the Central District. He also worked for the University of Washington as an Aids/Safe Sex Counselor and mentored several young men on developing their life skills. Throughout this time his music continued to evolve, focusing primarily on spiritual awareness.
Upon his return to the East Coast after completing his program in Seattle, Jordan began pursuing music full time as a means to inspire and educate the masses. His leap into political and social activism came in 2006 with the writing of his song “The Pendulum.” A reflection of the dissatisfaction felt by much of the country during this time period, Pendulum became an anthem for many and launched Jordan into the activist realm through performances at numerous political and protest events.
Over the course of the past few years, Jordan has honed his songwriting and musicianship to the point where he is now selling out clubs throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, on the East Coast from Maine to Florida and select dates in the Mid-West, as well as performing at numerous events throughout the country. His CD, Download and merchandise sales have grown to the point where he is able to support himself and his family while he pursues his music full time.
Jordan’s new release “Liberty” contains his best and most impactful work to date as he takes on the hard subjects rarely addressed in mainstream music today. The second track "Frontlines" (including topics such as overcrowded, and under-funded schools); the title cut "Liberty" (discussing the too cozy relationship between Corporate America and Government Regulators and how we should be taking a stand against it), and "Victory Song" (how its not about Democrats or Republicans, but about WE THE PEOPLE and how united we stand or divided we will ALL fall) are examples of how Jordan uses music to empower people to stand up for what they believe in and to start working together to make positive change. Jordan’s sincerity, integrity, heart, and courage of his convictions shines throughout the entire album, making it powerful from start to finish.
As a result, his music is starting to resonate in the wider world. His song “Dragons” has been licensed as the Main Title theme music for the new hard hitting political talk show “Adam VS the Man” on RT TV America. There are currently 5 songs from “Liberty” in the Top 10 of the Indie section of Adult @ iHeartradio.com (5 in the Top 20 of Rock); Jordan will be an “Artist To Watch” @ iHeartradio.com starting August 1st. “Liberty” is being featured @ Napster as a “Staff Pick” in Rock. AOL Radio has added “Listen” to “New Rock First” and Yahoo! Music has added Jordan’s songs to their Rock (“Listen”) & Adult (“Message of Freedom”) radio formats online. National TV appearances on FOX and RT TV America and an iTunes Featured Artist promotion are scheduled in August. Jordan’s song “Listen” recently made its on-air debut @ Radio Sophie 103 in San Diego, CA.
Jordan uses his talents to promote a message of peace while educating and mobilizing resistance to tyranny and the erosion of American civil rights. He embodies the protesting spirit of Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Steve Earle and Eddie Vedder before him – but seems so rare in music today. Speaking truth to power in song, he has raised up his voice in opposition to Corporate Fraud and misguided Government policies with the hopes of activating a new generation to social conscience and peaceful political protest. Like his forebears, Jordan seeks to change society and the world for the better through his words and his music. He empowers his audience by letting them know that the real revolution begins with the individual. Jordan Page is a Troubadour of Conscience for a new generation.
www.jordanpagemusic.com
Pendulum
Jordan Page Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I been wrestling with demons in small bottled prisons
I been talking with sinners who claim to be Christian
I been shouting at leaders who claim to be listening
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
and momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a moment of blindness in a lifetime of sight
I saw a president blind to the needs of his people
I saw a camel that passed through the eye of a needle
I saw a group of old men whose money was evil
I saw a cross breaking free from the cage of a steeple
I saw beggars and cripples dying in squalor
I saw a son whose sins had exceeded his father
I saw a nation of sleepers whose dreams were forgotten
& a bushel of apples from a tree that was rotten
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a blindfold when its time to walk towards the light
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
I heard the echo of suffering in the valley of laughter
I heard the rumble of earthquakes far under the water
I heard a court jester whose forked tongue was twisted
Who told us of dangers that never existed
I heard voices that claimed to be moral and righteous
Whose lies and deceit were all dark and contagious
I heard talk of a country that valued its freedom
But when I protested I was arrested and beaten
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
As momentum increases the weight and the height
But if nobody's listening, is anyone right?
& I can't seem to find the key to the riddle
I met a young woman with a baby inside her
I looked but there wasn't a safe place to hide her
I met an old man with a face like a mirror
His showed me his sadness so I could see clearer
I met an arrogant leader who robs us and cheats us
He pretends that his orders come directly from Jesus
When he sends out our children to strange foreign soil
To kill for the right to monopolize oil
I'm a raising my voice 'gainst the house of derision
That murders our freedom with short-sighted vision
I'll sing a new song about civilization
& the palace of wisdom and the death of a nation
I'll lift up the veil that's hiding the holy
& remind all the people that change happens slowly
I'll scream out a name to the echoes of Heaven
& pray that the world don't end up where its heading
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum decreases the end is in sight
There's a lunatic handling our future tonight
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
In Jordan Page's song Pendulum, the lyrics describe his struggle with navigating the constantly swinging pendulum of politics and society. He is torn between fact and fiction, and wrestling with demons in small bottled prisons. He has conversations with sinners who claim to be Christian and shouts at leaders who claim to be listening. The pendulum swings from left to right, increasing momentum and the need for the fight. He witnesses a president who is blind to the needs of his people, a group of old men whose money is evil, and beggars and cripples dying in squalor. He also sees a nation of sleepers whose dreams have been forgotten along with a bushel of apples from a tree that was rotten.
Jordan Page goes on to describe how he heard the echo of suffering in the valley of laughter and the rumble of earthquakes far under the water. He met both vulnerable and arrogant individuals and took the opportunity to lift up the veil that's hiding the holy and remind all the people that change happens slowly. Through it all, he recognizes the pendulum swings from the left to the right, but if nobody's listening, is anyone right?
In conclusion, Jordan Page's Pendulum lyrics speak of the ever-changing and volatile nature of politics and society. The use of the pendulum as a metaphor underscores the cyclical nature of these changes, with momentum building and the need for the fight increasing. Jordan Page's message is ultimately a plea for change and the lifting of the veil to reveal what is truly important in society.
Line by Line Meaning
I been walking a tightrope between fact and fiction
I have been struggling to distinguish between what is real and what is not
I been wrestling with demons in small bottled prisons
I have been fighting against personal struggles that can feel suffocating and limiting
I been talking with sinners who claim to be Christian
I have spoken with people who do not follow the values they profess to believe in
I been shouting at leaders who claim to be listening
I have yelled at those in power who say they are receptive to the needs of their constituents
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
and momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a moment of blindness in a lifetime of sight
& I am caught somewhere the middle
Politics swings back and forth, and it seems like we are always stuck fighting a new issue. It is overwhelming, and I don't know where I stand on many issues.
I saw a president blind to the needs of his people
I have witnessed a leader who was not meeting the needs of those they are supposed to represent
I saw a camel that passed through the eye of a needle
I've witnessed the impossible, what defies all odds
I saw a group of old men whose money was evil
I've seen wealthy people who gained their wealth and success through unjust means
I saw a cross breaking free from the cage of a steeple
I watched as religion took on new meanings and was reinterpreted in different ways
I saw beggars and cripples dying in squalor
I've seen people suffering in poverty and unable to obtain basic necessities
I saw a son whose sins had exceeded his father
I've seen a person who has become worse than their parent or predecessor
I saw a nation of sleepers whose dreams were forgotten
& a bushel of apples from a tree that was rotten
I witnessed a country where people no longer have ambition, and the society was corrupt.
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum increases the need for the fight
Like a blindfold when its time to walk towards the light
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
Politics continues to swing back and forth, and it is hard to know what direction is correct or how to move forward.
I heard the echo of suffering in the valley of laughter
I heard the cries of people in pain amid the joy of others
I heard the rumble of earthquakes far under the water
I heard the warning signs of a natural disaster, where destruction lies beneath the surface
I heard a court jester whose forked tongue was twisted
Who told us of dangers that never existed
I heard someone who used misleading words and ideas for their agenda and gain.
I heard voices that claimed to be moral and righteous
Whose lies and deceit were all dark and contagious
I listened to people who presented themselves as being full of integrity and goodness, yet their words and practices were twisted and had a negative impact.
I heard talk of a country that valued its freedom
But when I protested I was arrested and beaten
I heard that the country where people have the right to free speech, but when I spoke out, I was punished brutally.
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
As momentum increases the weight and the height
But if nobody's listening, is anyone right?
& I can't seem to find the key to the riddle
Politics continues to move between two extremes, but I question whether anyone is truly listening to one another, or whether there even is a right answer.
I met a young woman with a baby inside her
I looked but there wasn't a safe place to hide her
I encountered someone with a child who was struggling and needed a safe place to raise their child, but there was no such thing as a safe space.
I met an old man with a face like a mirror
His showed me his sadness so I could see clearer
I encountered an elderly person who was visibly sad and heartbroken, which helped me see the state of the world more clearly.
I met an arrogant leader who robs us and cheats us
He pretends that his orders come directly from Jesus
When he sends out our children to strange foreign soil
To kill for the right to monopolize oil
I encountered a leader who was corrupt and stole from citizens while using false religious narratives to further their own aims. They sent children to war in order to gain control over oil.
I'm a raising my voice 'gainst the house of derision
That murders our freedom with short-sighted vision
I'll sing a new song about civilization
& the palace of wisdom and the death of a nation
I'm fighting against societal and governmental systems that are working against our freedom, and rather than using a short-sighted approach, I'm advocating for change that will help us move towards a better version of civilization, though it may not come without sacrifice.
I'll lift up the veil that's hiding the holy
& remind all the people that change happens slowly
I'll scream out a name to the echoes of Heaven
& pray that the world don't end up where its heading
I'm working to bring attention to the aspects of life that are sacred and meaningful, and that positive change is going to take time. I want to make sure that my voice, and the voices of those who care about the state of the world, are heard loudly enough so that things don't get worse.
& the pendulum swings from the left to the right
as momentum decreases the end is in sight
There's a lunatic handling our future tonight
& I am lost somewhere in the middle
The back-and-forth of politics locks its gears, and we are unsure of our future. We are in the hands of someone who is unhinged, and we are unsure of what moves to make.
Contributed by Julian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.