His was a musical family, his father's love of jazz enabled Sean to hear the music of Keith Jarrett, Chick Corea and others as a young child. His father's mother Muriel Cohen was a concert pianist and the first Australian to perform Olivier Messiaen's Catalogue D'Oiseax publicly. To this day Sean is still entranced by Debussy and Messiaen. Perhaps intimidated by living up to his family's talent, Sean chose to study the violin as a child. His interest in the piano increased and as a teenager he fooled around on the instrument. The fact that he was already an accomplished fiddler and had a busy schedule playing with school orchestras etc meant that he had little time to practise piano. In his final year of high school Sean met jazz pianist John Bostock -- http://www.johnbostockmusic.com
At the time in Australia it was difficult to find out about jazz and John hipped Sean to the music of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane. After school Sean spent a couple of years at University studying Electrical Engineering, but the seed had been sown and he came to realise that his calling in life was to be a musician. Sean studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1992 and 1993.
He has had numerous piano teachers including Mike Nock, Roger Frampton, Judy Bailey, and Paul Macnamara in Australia. In New York he has studied with Barry Harris, Kevin Hayes, Geoff Keezer, George Colligan, Sam Yahel and Bruce Barth. While at the Conservatorium he received the Jack Chrostowski piano award. In 1993 he was a finalist in the National Jazz Piano Awards at the Wangaratta Festival. In 1999 Sean received a grant from the Australia Council to study jazz piano in New York which helped him to relocate there.
Sean has worked for a number of internationally renowned musicians including: David Binney, Madeliene Peyroux, Keith Carlock, Tim Lefebvre, Adam Rogers Tim Miller, Ingrid Jensen, Jon Gordon, Dave Smith, Dan Pratt, Ike Sturm, Matt Geraghty, The Dangit -Bobbys, Moses Patrou, Cornell Dupree, Jesse Harris, Sheryl Bailey, Gerald Hayes, Dale Barlow, Justine Clark, Phil Slater, Jackie Orsascky, Steve Hunter, James Muller and Steve Mckenna.
Sean has released over 14 critically acclaimed CDs, featuring musicians such as Adam Nussbaum, Dennis Irwin, Seamus Blake, Chad Wackerman, Steve Kirby, Alvester Garnett, Jesse Harris, James Muller, Jochen Rueckert, Matt Penman, Donny McCaslin, Will Vinson, Keith Carlock, Adam Rogers and Tim Lefebvre.
Sean has successfully toured internationally. He has performed in many countries including U.S.A, China, Japan, England, Germany , Hong Kong and New Zealand under his own name. And in 2004, with his trio, Sean made the first instructional jazz DVD produced in China by foreigners.
As well as recording his own CDs he has appeared on numerous other jazz releases including albums by David Binney, Elana Stone, Tim Hopkins, Banana, John Mackie and Nick McBride and Luca Benedetti.
Sean’s compositions and arrangements have been recorded by James Muller, Lily Dior, The Jazzgroove Mothership Orchestra, Matt McMahon, etc. Dale Barlow, Matt Penman, Gerard Masters and Dave Theak have dedicated tunes to Sean as well.
Across The Universe
Sean Wayland Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me.
Jai Guru Deva. Om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Images of broken light, which
Dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on across the universe.
Thoughts meander like a
Restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
Jai Guru Deva. Om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Sounds of laughter, shades of life
Are ringing through my opened ears
Inciting and inviting me.
Limitless undying love, which
Shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe
Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
"Across The Universe” is a psychedelic, trippy song with meaningful lyrics that describe the journey of human consciousness beyond the limitations of the physical world. The opening lines, "Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup," suggest the fluidity and vastness of human consciousness that cannot be contained or measured by physical boundaries. The lyrics, "Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting through my open mind, possessing and caressing me" indicate that the mind is a vast ocean of emotions where both happiness and sadness coexist.
The chorus, "Nothing's gonna change my world" is repeated four times in the song which signifies the acceptance of the present moment and the realization that the external world cannot change one’s inner world. As the song progresses, the lyrics, "Images of broken light, which dance before me like a million eyes" and "Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letterbox" indicate the transience and fleeting nature of thoughts and emotions. The closing lines "Limitless undying love, which shines around me like a million suns, it calls me on and on across the universe" suggest the realization of the ultimate truth of existence and the unity of all consciousness in the universe.
Line by Line Meaning
Words are flowing out like
Endless rain into a paper cup
They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe.
The singer is describing how his thoughts are flowing out of him uncontrollably, like rain into a cup. These thoughts are taking on a life of their own and he feels helpless to control them.
Pools of sorrow waves of joy
Are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me.
The singer is experiencing a range of emotions and thoughts, both happy and sad. He feels as though these emotions are taking over his mind and body, in a way that is both comforting and overwhelming.
Jai Guru Deva. Om
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
This refrain serves as a reminder that the world is expansive and full of experiences, but ultimately unchanging. The singer is trying to accept and find peace with this idea.
Images of broken light, which
Dance before me like a million eyes,
They call me on and on across the universe.
The artist is visualizing a beautiful, complex display of light that he can't quite grasp or comprehend. This image is pulling him in and captivating him, as though it has a life of its own.
Thoughts meander like a
Restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
The artist continues to describe his thoughts as elusive and unpredictable, much like a wind that can't be contained. They are moving haphazardly and aimlessly, without a clear direction or purpose.
Sounds of laughter, shades of life
Are ringing through my opened ears
Inciting and inviting me.
The singer is hearing the sounds of life around him - laughter, conversations, and other noises that are indicative of human connection. These sounds are drawing him in and making him feel welcomed and invited.
Limitless undying love, which
Shines around me like a million suns,
It calls me on and on across the universe
The singer is experiencing a profound feeling of love that he can't quite describe or quantify. This love is seemingly endless and all-encompassing, illuminating everything around him and propelling him forward into the vast unknown.
Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Jai Guru Deva.
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
Nothing's gonna change my world
This final repetition serves as a reminder that life is cyclical and full of ups and downs, and that ultimately the universe will continue on unchanged. The artist is content to make peace with this idea and continue on his journey, guided by the knowledge that nothing stays the same forever.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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