When Chris TRISTRAM wasn't playing bass with SLASH or MARJORIE FAIR, he oft… Read Full Bio ↴When Chris TRISTRAM wasn't playing bass with SLASH or MARJORIE FAIR, he often thought about going back to his musical roots. On a whim, he filmed himself playing along with 'Roundabout' by YES and posted a video online. Almost 100,000 viewers watched it, including MOTH VELLUM founder Johannes LULEY, who was looking to complete the lineup of his new project PERFECT BEINGS. TRISTRAM's flawless and confident performance instantly convinced LULEY that his search was over.

Half a year earlier, LULEY had approached songwriter Ryan HURTGEN, a fresh transplant from Nashville, about collaborating on a progressive rock project. The two envisioned an album that would honor the style of traditional prog rock, while infusing it with a fresh take on melodic lines and lyrics, and by doing so, catapult the genre into our present time. They loosely based the album on the 2013 sci-fi novel 'Tj and Tosc' by Suhail Rafidi - its themes of transformation, self-identity, technology, and love in a post-apocalyptic world were a perfect fit with the music. Dicki FLISZAR, drummer for BRUCE DICKINSON's band, joined them in the late writing stages.

Once the concept for the album was fully sketched out, the search was on for a keyboard player and a bassist. FLISZAR's former band mate Jesse NASON and the aforementioned TRISTRAM were the undisputed choice. In the spring of 2013 PERFECT BEINGS recorded their debut at LULEY's studio, My Sonic Temple in Los Angeles.

PERFECT BEINGS are all about the interplay of five forces, each bringing their individual styles and talents to the plate, combining them into one big musical feast.

Helicopter
Perfect Beings Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The things we justify
the add-ups time rectifies
helicopter
helicopter

I must now clarify
the adds-ups time rectifies
helicopter

helicopter

Through the haze of smog
through the haze of smog
you'll never really know what they think of you
let it go

The world was full of flowers
that summer
perfect beings, immaculate
trusting the attraction
back to the big city
good will recruit you

good will recruit you
why do you worry?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Helicopter" by Perfect Beings are a contemplation on the nature of justification, rectification, and trust. The first stanza features the singer's reflection on the things we justify, as time gradually rectifies our beliefs and actions. The repetition of the word "helicopter" after each line may allude to the aerial perspective that offers both abstract distance and focused precision. By repeating the phrase, the singer emphasizes the cyclical or recursive nature of our motivations and justifications. In the second stanza, the singer is seeking to clarify the adds-up, perhaps a way to reconcile the contradictions between what we justify and what time shows us. The haze of smog could represent the opacity or confusion around other people's opinions or motivations. The refrain of "let it go" could signify the singer's attempt to accept the fickleness or ambiguity of others' judgments.

The third stanza describes a past summer where the world was full of flowers, and everyone seemed perfect beings, immaculate, and trusting the attraction. The lyrics create a sense of nostalgia for that moment of innocent trust and naivety. The next sentence, "back to the big city," signals a return to reality or to a more materialistic, cynical environment. However, the refrain of "good will recruit you" implies that the singer may still hold onto the belief in the goodness of humanity. The final question of "why do you worry?" seems to be directed both inward and outward; why worry about others' opinions or actions, or why worry about the inconsistencies of our own justification?

Line by Line Meaning

The things we justify
The things we try to make right

the add-ups time rectifies
The things that add up and become clear over time

helicopter
A helicopter is a symbol of freedom and ascension

I must now clarify
I must now explain

the adds-ups time rectifies
The things that add up and become clear over time

helicopter
A helicopter is a symbol of freedom and ascension

Through the haze of smog
Despite the obstacle of polluted air

through the haze of smog
Despite the obstacle of polluted air

you'll never really know what they think of you
You'll never truly understand what others think of you

let it go
Release your worries and inhibitions

The world was full of flowers
The world was once full of beauty and hope