Wall Matthews is a composer /performer whose career began in 1968. He was a… Read Full Bio ↴Wall Matthews is a composer /performer whose career began in 1968. He was a founding member of the visionary Entourage Music and Theater Ensemble which released 2 critically acclaimed recordings for Folkways in the early 70's. Since then he has had a solo career performing throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. From 1978 - 1994 he served as Composer In Residence For Dance at Connecticut College, where he composed music for such companies as The Royal Danish Ballet and The Paris Opera Ballet. He has released 7 solo recordings, mostly on the Clean Cuts label, and all well received.

Since 1994 he has resided in Columbia, Maryland, where he composes and produces music for Clean Cuts Music for such companies as The Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, National Geographic, and The History Channel, as well as numerous independent film projects. He was nominated for a 2010 Emmy, along with fellow composers Chris Kennedy and Austin Caughlin, for his work on Yellowstone Battle For Life.

Across The Universe
Wall Matthews Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ 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.
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
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

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Wall Matthews's song "Across the Universe" convey the experience of a person who is contemplating the vastness and complexity of the universe. The words in the first stanza are suggestive of the impermanence and unpredictability of life. The singer portrays the flow of thoughts as "endless rain" slipping away and "slithering wildly." The contrasting "Pools of sorrow" and "waves of joy" convey how emotions come and go without warning. The singer is then caught up in a meditative chant, "Jai Guru Deva, Om" which indicates a Hindu mantra for invoking the divine power.

The second stanza reveals the thought process of a person who is struggling to make sense of the world around them. The singer sees "Images of broken light" that "Dance before" them, as if the many contradictions and paradoxes of the world are taunting them. The metaphor of "thoughts meander like a restless wind" indicates how the singer is trying to catch hold of the fleeting ideas that race through their mind. The last stanza has a more positive spin on the universe. The singer is filled with "Limitless undying love" that is shown as shining like a million suns. The singer confesses that this love beckons them on and on across 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 artist is expressing the unstoppable flow of words that come to him, just like how rain falls endlessly into a paper cup, and how these words can slip away easily across the universe.

Pools of sorrow waves of joy Are drifting through my opened mind Possessing and caressing me.
The artist is describing the paradoxical emotions that he feels - sorrow and joy - and how they are ever-present in his mind, shaping his thoughts, feelings and ideas.

Images of broken light, which Dance before me like a million eyes, They call me on and on across the universe.
The artist is describing how he is transfixed by the beauty of the world around him, how the fragmented light dances before his eyes and draws him into its mysterious allure.

Thoughts meander like a Restless wind inside a letter box They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe.
The artist is describing the chaos and unpredictability of human thought. He likens it to a restless wind that wanders without direction and how his thoughts can travel blindly across the universe.

Sounds of laughter, shades of life Are ringing through my opened ears Inciting and inviting me.
The artist is expressing his sense of wonder towards the richness and diversity of the world. The sounds of laughter and the nuances of life are like melodies that he hears clearly and that move him deeply.

Limitless undying love, which Shines around me like a million suns, It calls me on and on across the universe
The artist is describing the profound love he feels that illuminates his world, like a million suns. This love feels everlasting and speaks to him from across the universe.

Jai Guru Deva. Jai Guru Deva. Jai Guru Deva. Nothing's gonna change my world
The phrase 'Jai Guru Deva' is a mantra of Indian origin which translates to 'Hail to the divine teacher.' The artist is using this mantra to express his sense of connection to something greater than himself, a spiritual force that will not allow anything in the world to change him.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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